Directed by Zack Synder
Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA. November 21, 2017 5:45 PM
"Justice League", Zack Synder's chaotic and uninspired gathering of DC Comics superheroes, was supposed to be the icing on the cake. After reintroducing Superman to a new generation with "Man of Steel", followed by a new Batman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" which also brought Wonder Woman (and very briefly, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg) to our attention, this film was destined to be the thrilling adventure fans had been highly anticipating. However, that has not come to pass. While those previous films were hardly great, "Justice League" ends up being the worst of them all. Sluggish pacing and a colorless script that features a very generic villain has made finally seeing all these classic heroes together in one film a decidedly disappointing experience.
Our story continues where "Dawn of Justice" left off with the world still reeling from the death of Superman when a new evil threat arrives to try and take over the planet. Steppenwolf (a CGI creation voiced by Ciarán Hinds), a powerful alien, seeks to collect and unify the energies of three Mother Boxes hidden in locations around the world with the aid of his army of Parademons, a kind of extraterrestrial flying monkeys, which will ultimately make him unstoppable.
One location is on the island of Themyscira, home of the Amazons. Lead by Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), these female warriors fight valiantly against Steppenwolf but he's far too formidable and he takes the first box. The Queen manages to get a message to her daughter, Diana, better known to the world as Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), warning her of the danger. She goes to Bruce Wayne, who secretly is Batman (Ben Affleck), "the Dark Knight" and both decide they will need to recruit a few others with some significant muscle to help stop Steppenwolf.
Wayne travels to Iceland to persuade the legendary "Aquaman", a super-human who can live on land or in the sea. Usually seen as a blond wholesome figure, this Arthur Curry, as played by Jason Momoa, is a long-haired and tatted-up type who's gruff and doesn't play well with others. Meanwhile, Diana locates Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), a former college football star who was severely injured in a car accident and saved by his scientist father (Joe Morton) by merging his damaged body with robotic parts, making him a brooding, super-powered Cyborg. With both declining the offer to join the team, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) or otherwise known as "The Flash", an enthusiastic teenage nerd with the ability to move at lightning speed, is more than willing to help with the fight.
They both eventually come around after Steppenwolf gets the second Mother Box that was secured in the underwater world of Atlantis despite Aquaman's attempt to stop him. And Cyborg knows where the final box is; he had hidden it after his father had used it to help save him following his accident. Batman decides they should use the box to revive the Man of Steel as they desperately need his help to defeat Steppenwolf although some are concerned about his mental state once he's resurrected.
Zack Snyder was in the middle of post-production on "Justice League" when a horrific family tragedy caused the director to withdraw from completing the film. Joss Whedon, who's had plenty of experience with sci-fi and super-heroes having worked on Marvel's "The Avengers" and the sequel, was brought on board to finish the project. Whedon wrote some additional scenes and assembled the cast back together for some re-shoots. However, Henry Cavill, who reprises his role as Superman in this film, was in the middle of shooting another sequel to "Mission: Impossible" and had grown an elaborate beard for his part and couldn't shave. CGI was used to remove the out-of-place facial hair but there are moments in a few scenes that has left Mr. Cavill's handsome jawline noticeably misshapen. It's these little things that add up to making the film feel oddly disjointed and erratic.
It's written in the DNA of comic book stories that the malevolent villain will ultimately be defeated and our heroes will once again rise to a new challenge. So what makes each story in these films interesting is the witty banter and emotionally charged moments between the characters and the rip-roaring, visually-enhanced battles these heroes engage in. While "Justice League" delivers plenty of bold visual stimulation, the camaraderie between the members of this team is lacking, with little more than indifference and petty sniping going on between them. There are some occasional funny bits scattered throughout (most likely thanks to Mr. Whedon) including a particularly hilarious scene involving Aquaman and Wonder Woman's magic lasso but not nearly enough to lighten the heavy mood.
Also like the previous films, there is still a serious problem with female characters. With the exception of our favorite Amazon, the significant roles for women featured, which includes Amy Adams and Diane Lane returning as Superman's girlfriend and adoptive mother, are not given anything substancial to do but look sad and weepy.
While "Justice League" may captivate and entertain with high-flying yet routine battles between good versus evil, it's just doesn't offer much more than that. The major flaw is that the film doesn't invest enough time in helping us engage with our heroes or making them characters we actually want to get to know better. The true inspiration seems to be simply manufacturing another cog in the money-making machine of super-hero features, creating a satisfactory yet far from superior product.
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