REVIEW: Justice League has Fantastic Characters But a Lacking Storyline
Justice League is better than Batman v Superman, but that doesn’t make it a good film. Directed by Zach Snyder, Justice League is the story of Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) recruiting a team of superheroes to stop Steppenwolf, a New God. He was exiled by the Amazonians, Man, and Atlanteans thousands of years ago and returns with the goal of finding the mother boxes and bring destruction to Earth.
The well known DC characters are great, but there is no story. For much of the movie, viewers are stuck playing catch up on the three new characters: The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman, while also trying to learn about the story’s villain, Steppenwolf. Out of all the villains the Justice League has faced in the comic book world, Steppenwolf has to be one of the worst creative decisions the writers made. The CGI used to create him was atrocious and, besides a brief history lesson to start, Steppenwolf’s thirst for the mother boxes is pointless. Better villains with story arcs in place in the Justice League universe already exist, basically any other choice for villain would have improved this film.
Not everything about the film is terrible. There is a humor to this film unlike the ones prior and Joss Whedon’s touch is extremely noticeable. Namely, the darker tone featured in most of Snyder’s DC films is missing, as is the dark filter. The introductions of the Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) are a breath of fresh air. Miller’s cheerful performance of Barry Allen/The Flash lights up the screen while Momoa’s perfect performance as Arthur Curry/Aquaman will leave fans hungry for his solo film. Fisher’s performance of Victor Stone was a little too angsty to start but once he begins to open up to the team he becomes a more likable character.
Gadot’s beautiful performance as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince solidifies her role as leader in the DC Universe while Affleck’s Batman/Bruce Wayne was only slightly better than his turn in Batman v Superman. He is less serious this time around which adds to his likability, but still was the weakest of the group. The suit also looked a little too stiff for him. Henry Cavill is once again a beacon of hope for a team that is looking for a leader.
Justice League is essentially a DC Universe entry level employee, tasked with the job of correcting its predecessors’ mistakes. The roots are in place to take the DC Universe to the next level, but whether or not they can keep with the trend, is still unknown.
Big DC fans, have at it this weekend and enjoy some of small details that will leave you wanting more. There are two post credits scenes so be sure to stick around, especially for the second one. To everyone else, watch Wonder Woman this weekend and wait until Justice League comes out on DVD.
Grade: C+