Warning: spoilers!
Justice league picks up after the events of Batman vs Superman, with a world left reeling from the aftermath of a cataclysmic battle between Superman and a kryptonite monster.
Fearing that something even worse will come to destroy the planet, Batman sets out to form a team of metahumans in preparation for the looming threat. With Wonder Woman already on the team. Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg eventually join – just as the lucifer-like Steppenwolf wreaks havoc looking for three of the ‘mother boxes’ (devices containing unlimited power).
Overall, I liked this film. It managed to handle its varied elements well and struck a decent balance between darkness and humour. While it was mercifully tight in terms of running time, it did feel slightly rushed. There was a lot to pack in (introducing new characters, setting up the threat,
Each of the League members brought something to the party: Batman’s gadgets and know-how, Wonder Woman’s level-headedness and kick-ass moves, The Flash’s comedic lines (and ultra-fast speed, of course), Cyborg’s tortured intensity combined with superior hacking skills and Aquaman’s demigod surfer dude-ness. Whilst the team chemistry hasn’t quite gelled yet, I think this is a good start and hopefully can be built upon in the follow up (if there is one).
Last of all, there’s Superman – coming back from the dead and predictably saving the day, although his role is small it’s not insignificant.
In some ways it’s a miracle this film ever got made and is in any way coherent. Not only did it suffer from its director pulling out after the tragic death of his daughter, but it needed $25 million of reshoots which also included the infamous digital removal of Henry Cavill’s moustache. It’s kind of noticeable if you’re looking for it, but if you didn’t know you’d be none the wiser.
One thing that disappointed me about Justice League was the aspect ratio it was shot in. Batman vs Superman was shot in 1.44:1 but Justice League in 1.85:1 (I think, anyway - IMDB is a bit confusing on this). Because of this, the former film felt more epic to me. The widescreen aspect helped convey the sense that this was an ‘event’ film. Justice League, on the other hand, felt like a bog-standard movie to me. It may have something to do with the cinema I saw it in (they have a tendency to keep the lights dimmed throughout the film, which is kind of annoying), but with a film like this I want to feel totally immersed in the experience.
Another disappintment was the character of Steppenwulf. He could have been big and scary and monstrous enough to prove a worthy baddie, but being a completely CGI character took away from anything he could have been. Why do filmmakers insist on this? It looks totally fake and pulls you out of the movie. It's not a DC thing, either. Marvel are just as bad with their woefully CGI'd Thanos.
As for the soundtrack, it was great to have Danny Elfman scoring the music. I have great affection for what he did on the Michael Keaton Batman films, and so it was nice to have him return to caped crusader territory. The original Batman theme tune was thrown in here and there (as well as the John Williams Superman fanfare at one point).
Overall, Justice League did a good job in my opinion (with the odds stacked against it in numerous ways), but the cracks in the DC Extended Universe seem to be all too clear.
Maybe DC should cut loose from Warner Brothers (a la Marvel) and do a reboot to their intellectual property. Even though it's not meant to be a competition, their comic book rivals are steaming ahead and can't seem to put a foot wrong.
And that's a real shame, because DC have some great characters that deserve decent treatment on the silver screen.
Justice league picks up after the events of Batman vs Superman, with a world left reeling from the aftermath of a cataclysmic battle between Superman and a kryptonite monster.
Fearing that something even worse will come to destroy the planet, Batman sets out to form a team of metahumans in preparation for the looming threat. With Wonder Woman already on the team. Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg eventually join – just as the lucifer-like Steppenwolf wreaks havoc looking for three of the ‘mother boxes’ (devices containing unlimited power).
Overall, I liked this film. It managed to handle its varied elements well and struck a decent balance between darkness and humour. While it was mercifully tight in terms of running time, it did feel slightly rushed. There was a lot to pack in (introducing new characters, setting up the threat,
Each of the League members brought something to the party: Batman’s gadgets and know-how, Wonder Woman’s level-headedness and kick-ass moves, The Flash’s comedic lines (and ultra-fast speed, of course), Cyborg’s tortured intensity combined with superior hacking skills and Aquaman’s demigod surfer dude-ness. Whilst the team chemistry hasn’t quite gelled yet, I think this is a good start and hopefully can be built upon in the follow up (if there is one).
Last of all, there’s Superman – coming back from the dead and predictably saving the day, although his role is small it’s not insignificant.
In some ways it’s a miracle this film ever got made and is in any way coherent. Not only did it suffer from its director pulling out after the tragic death of his daughter, but it needed $25 million of reshoots which also included the infamous digital removal of Henry Cavill’s moustache. It’s kind of noticeable if you’re looking for it, but if you didn’t know you’d be none the wiser.
One thing that disappointed me about Justice League was the aspect ratio it was shot in. Batman vs Superman was shot in 1.44:1 but Justice League in 1.85:1 (I think, anyway - IMDB is a bit confusing on this). Because of this, the former film felt more epic to me. The widescreen aspect helped convey the sense that this was an ‘event’ film. Justice League, on the other hand, felt like a bog-standard movie to me. It may have something to do with the cinema I saw it in (they have a tendency to keep the lights dimmed throughout the film, which is kind of annoying), but with a film like this I want to feel totally immersed in the experience.
Another disappintment was the character of Steppenwulf. He could have been big and scary and monstrous enough to prove a worthy baddie, but being a completely CGI character took away from anything he could have been. Why do filmmakers insist on this? It looks totally fake and pulls you out of the movie. It's not a DC thing, either. Marvel are just as bad with their woefully CGI'd Thanos.
As for the soundtrack, it was great to have Danny Elfman scoring the music. I have great affection for what he did on the Michael Keaton Batman films, and so it was nice to have him return to caped crusader territory. The original Batman theme tune was thrown in here and there (as well as the John Williams Superman fanfare at one point).
Overall, Justice League did a good job in my opinion (with the odds stacked against it in numerous ways), but the cracks in the DC Extended Universe seem to be all too clear.
Maybe DC should cut loose from Warner Brothers (a la Marvel) and do a reboot to their intellectual property. Even though it's not meant to be a competition, their comic book rivals are steaming ahead and can't seem to put a foot wrong.
And that's a real shame, because DC have some great characters that deserve decent treatment on the silver screen.
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