MOVIE REVIEW: JUSTICE LEAGUE

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes -- Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash -- it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Release Date: Nov 17, 2017
 
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray 
Fisher

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action

Review:

Justice League gives DC fans the big superhero team up they’ve been waiting for.  It’s not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination but it’s still incredibly fun.  The film had its share of behind the scenes issues, due to the death of Zack Snyder’s daughter that had Joss Whedon stepping in, and at times it does feel a bit like a Frankenstein mash up of Synder and Whedon’s styles.  The first act feels a tad clunky as we catch up or meet all the heroes and are introduced to the primary villain.  It feels like it could have used some smoothing out but it’s not really a huge detriment once the film finds its footing.  Once it does and the characters are fleshed out we get an enjoyable superhero romp that feels like a live action version of Bruce Timm’s animated Justice League show.  Established characters like Batman (Affleck is lighter and having more fun), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot is always on point) and Superman (Henry Cavill is still a great choice even with CGI weirdness on his mustache) all get their just due while intermixing with the newcomers.  The newcomers all leave a lasting impression.  Ezra Miller’s Flash is great fun every time he’s on screen.  His manic and energetic personality translates wonderfully on screen.  Miller’s got tangible chemistry with the entire cast which serves the film well.  Jason Momoa brings an unbridled macho swagger to Aquaman which is a fun take on the character and it works far better than expected.  Ray Fisher might be overlooked but he shouldn’t because he’s delivers one on better performances in the whole film.  Anyone who’s a fan of the character from Teen Titans will instantly recognize as soon as Fisher shows up.  It’s an impressive turn that can get lost in the overall shuffle but it really shouldn’t.  The villain, Steppenwolf who voiced by Ciarán Hinds, isn’t memorable or terribly deep, he’s more of a mechanism to the overall plot.  Hinds, to his credit, gives the character a commanding presence and he plays it loose enough that you can tell he’s enjoying the outlandish bombast of the character.  The action sequences are all fun and well plotted out with the arrival of Steppenwolf on Themyscira being an impressive high point.  Justice League is a film that checks all the boxes for fans and general audiences.  It’s hard to see anyone not having a good time with this film especially long time DC fans.

B+