Amid the incoherent plot, awkward writing, choppy pacing and the dullest villain in recent memory, Justice League shows glimmers of what could have been.
Not unlike DC's past features in their embattled cinematic universe, there are sprinkles of enjoyment to be found amid the explosions and dizzying special effects. At its best, Justice League shows us shades of a good story, one with real heart, that understands that -- at its core -- the League is just as much about the very-human concepts of isolation and friendship as it is about punching alien warlords through buildings.
However, as is always the case with DC's recent endeavours, Justice League ends up becoming its own greatest foe. As endearing as its best moments could be, the need to establish so much in its two-hour duration makes everything feel rushed and awkward. Moments of development and relationships between characters often feel unearned, even if the actors and actresses themselves inject their characters with enough charm to make those moments fun to watch. Viewed as a whole, Justice League can't really be called a good film, but the rare bursts of fun peppered throughout makes it passable, and that's about par for the course when it comes to DC. It's certainly better than last year's Batman V Superman, even if that isn't really a high bar to cross.
Justice League takes place shortly after the death of Superman (Henry Cavill) at the end of last year's Batman V Superman. The world is now in turmoil, as the passing of the Last Son of Krypton has emboldened criminals from all over the world and beyond, including an alien warlord named Steppenwolf (voiced by Ciaran Hinds), who is looking to turn Earth into a hellscape like his homeworld. This prompts Batman (Ben Affleck) to begin recruiting other gifted individuals to join him and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) in the fight against the evil alien and his army of parademons, forming the foundations that would become the Justice League.
As you would expect, much of Justice League is about Batman's quest to assemble this motley crew of super-humans, which includes speedster Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), Atlantean Arther Curry (Jason Momoa) and cyborg Victor Stone (Ray Fisher). The new cast members each bring some much-needed dimension to the DC universe, and do wonders to give the dreary DC formula some kick.
Miller and Momoa in particular deserve praise for their performances. While it doesn't always work, Miller's awkward, childish portrayal of The Flash gives the DC universe some much needed levity, with Miller himself doing a decent job at nailing the comedic moments required by his character. Meanwhile, Momoa's Aquaman -- perhaps in an attempt to dispel the commonly-held notions about his character -- is portrayed as a machismo, blundering musclehead, not unlike Hemsworth's Thor in Marvel's superhero roster. Both characters work to give a little spice to the mostly dark, moody characters of DC's universe, making the film more dynamic as a whole.
The returning actors, however, don't fare as well. While Gadot's Wonder Woman remains likeable, Affleck's Batman often comes across as bumbling and dull, which becomes a problem when much of the film is told through his perspective. Despite supposedly being an ensemble film, much of Justice League still deals with Batman's internal crisis, his guilt over his complicity in Superman's death, which causes him to seek out other allies in the first place. While not an uninteresting dynamic to explore, Affleck displays none of the quiet intensity we saw in the previous film, instead seeming like a duck out of water. The film tries to use the character's dry humour to comedic effect, but Affleck's wooden delivery often gets in the way, making the whole attempt seem awkward and out of character.
The villain, meanwhile, is perhaps the most generic superhero-film bad guy to appear on the big screen in quite some time. Spouting grandiose speeches about being the "end of worlds", Steppenwolf is the kind of one-dimensional bad guy who really exists to give our heroes something to fight. He has no real reason behind his evil intentions, nor do we learn anything about his character. Steppenwolf appears as a plot device whenever the movie needs to amp itself up with an action scene to break up its long exposition scenes.
Meanwhile, the action produces mixed results, with some sequences -- particularly those involving the Amazons -- looking appropriately dynamic and gritty, as is the signature of co-director Zack Snyder. However, due to some jarring use of CGI in many scenes, the action also often looks too chaotic and -- for lack of a better word -- videogamey, like the characters on-screen aren't real people but fully-animated models.
With its troubled production history and extensive reshoots under second director Joss Whedon (after Zack Snyder resigned due to a personal crisis), it isn't a surprise that much of Justice League feels slightly disjointed, like the film isn't in sync with all its parts. There are some endearing scenes here and there, but the overall result still leaves much to be desired. DC may be on to something good, though whether that is the case will have to be seen.
Justice League
Starring Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Henry Cavill
Directed by Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon
