It’s hard being a DCEU fan these days. There are high expectations for these iconic characters, and movies that struggle to keep audiences engaged. Justice League is not as fantastic as I was hoping it would have been.

For audiences who are big comic book fans (or hardcore fans of the earlier films or cartoon shows), this movie is for you. For the rest of us, the DCEU feels like it’s imploding. The franchise is going through a rough patch, with Warner Bros. cutting large chunks of the film, which usually is not a great sign. Hopefully, after some less-than-stellar opening weekend numbers, Warner Bros. might take a second look at their process with their superhero universe.

What went wrong?

Originally, this film was to be directed by Zack Snyder (who is still credited). Unfortunately, Snyder had to leave production due to a family tragedy. Joss Whedon (Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron) came in to wrap up production. “Wrapping up production” turned into extensive reshoots on Justice League, and the movie suffers. Whedon glazes over the grittiness of DC, and tries to institute a more cheerful vision of an otherwise dark and interesting vision.

Characters

• Batman: Ben Affleck’s Batman is one of the only good things about this film. His performance is well executed. The Diana and Bruce relationship could have been less blunt, but I found it tolerable, and a nice callback to the cartoon. However, in this movie, more time could have been spent on fleshing out the backstory for other characters, and away from the WonderBat coupling.
• Superman: Superman’s revival was one of the most climactic moments of the series. It didn’t happen like that it does in the comics, but in the medium it made sense, so I can forgive Whedon. They missed the black suit, which is another opportunity squandered. Cavill’s Superman is otherwise strong. He can capture both the noble masculinity of Superman and more shy/reserved side of Clark Kent.
• Wonder Woman: Short and simple, Wonder Woman was underrepresented. Gal Gadot’s fits the Wonder Woman role perfectly, but Whedon’s usage of her character (and ridiculous amounts of butt shots) are infuriating, especially after Wonder Woman made such a significant impact on female characters. She was not praised as a hero in this film, but rather as a female, in my opinion.
• Aquaman: Momoa didn’t really do it for me. This Aquaman is nothing like his comic book counterpart. His begging scenes on the island were an emotional core of the movie, but once he joined the team, he faded to the background.
• Cyborg: Ray Fisher’s Cyborg was an unexpected surprise. It pains me to think how many minutes of his backstory were left on the cutting room floor. Fisher brought a subtle nuance to the character. I walked out of the movie surprised by how interested I was in Cyborg. I hope he gets his own film, and soon.
• The Flash: Although there were times where I enjoyed Ezra’s performance, it felt forced most of the time. Too many liberties with the character. Perhaps we’re all used to Grant Gustin’s interpretation, but I’m open to more from Miller. Perhaps Flashpoint will give us the Reverse Flash – one of DC’s most interesting villains. 

I found myself struggling to care about Steppenwolf or his motives. He was a bland character. For all its faults, at least Avengers: Age of Ultron had an interesting villain. Every hero needs a good villain, and Justice League didn’t have a good villain.

End credits

One of the end credit scenes was a race between the Flash and Superman, which I appreciated a lot. The other end credit scene saw Lex Luther and Deathstroke meet up on a fancy yacht. I’m not a fan of Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke. He does resemble the comic book character, which was interesting, but it didn’t really contribute to the conversation. Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luther grew on me, and I don’t have a problem with him like a lot of people do

Yes, I had problems with this movie, and I have issues with Warner Bros. getting involved with their own edits, but it was still enjoyable. It was entertaining and enjoyable despite all of its shortcomings. The movie is inherently flawed, but in time, DC could put fourth an effort more in-line with Wonder Woman, and less in-line with Justice League.

6.0/10 – Okay

Justice League is a fun superhero romp with a ton of issues. If you’re a fan of the characters, you’ll find something to like. I just hope Warner Bros. and DC Comics can find a process that works for these films.