Justice League Succeeds Only Because Of The League

2017 has brought forth numerous comic book movies, that have been nothing short of impressive in terms of how each film lived up to their expectations as well as entertaining the audience on an epic scale. Logan not only proved to be a triumphant finish for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, but is going into award season with strong buzz, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 outdid the first movie commercially despite not being as strong of a film quality wise, Spiderman Homecoming was a very strong reboot of the iconic Marvel character as it ended up being the best Spiderman film since the 2002 Sam Raimi directed film, and Thor Ragnarock defied all expectations not just by becoming a box office juggernaut, but the best installment of the Thor series easily. While 20th Century Fox and Marvel had a fantastic year both critically and financially, the DC universe had much to prove given the hugely disappointing receptions that Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad received despite being box office smashes. With Wonder Woman, director Patty Jenkins and actress Gal Gadot gave many fans hope that the universe was making a turnaround for the better with the films high quality and Oscar talk much like Logan. Wonder Woman is not only one of the best comic book movies of the year, but one of the best origin stories ever made in the same vein as Superman: The Movie and Batman Begins. With Justice League, a lot was riding on it to continue the upward trend of the franchise started by Wonder Woman and set a new course for the DC universe by introducing their first Avengers type film. Now that Justice League has arrived, fans are of a mixed bag about the movie as the film experienced a troubled production, the likes of which hasn't been seen before since Superman ll in which two directors gave their DNA to the films story with Zack Snyder beginning as the films director and Josh Whedon refilming much of the movie, and completing the final product despite Snyder's name still being attached to it. Now having seen Justice League, one can finally say that Whedon's efforts have not been in vain as the movie benefits greatly from the introduction of the newer characters and the chemistry the whole team possesses. It's just too bad the rest of the film isn't up to par with the strength the Justice League team holds.

      To put is bluntly, Justice League is an okay to decent movie that should've been a great one, but the lack of a strong script and two directors different visions meshing together hold it back from being as grand of a film as it should've been. The movie is much lighter in tone than Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad, which helps tremendously, providing more humor and character moments as Whedon's trademark for the Avengers films in terms of having rich character development rubs off here, its just too bad the films plot and antagonist weren't strong enough to follow suit with the strong character development. The story for Justice League picks up directly after the events of Batman V Superman with Bruce Wayne now being fueled by his restored faith in humanity, teaming up with his newfound ally, Diana Prince to put together the Justice League to face a newfound enemy. Justice League for better or worse is bound to the storyline previously established by Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman. Despite the obvious curse the movie possesses in regards to having to follow BVS storyline, it works very hard to right the problems of the DC universe thus far such as making Henry Cavill's Superman a friendlier one in the same vein as Christopher Reeves Superman. The film is less dark and moody like the previous DC entries, injecting more humor and hopefulness to it, and ultimately showing that there is hope for the DC universe with the Justice League team finally coming together, showing audiences that there is a future for this team if the universe continues to right the wrongs of the past.

      What makes Justice League work is the convincing and spot on performances that the main cast delivers with Ben Affleck once again proving that he is the ideal choice for the role of Bruce Wayne while making a terrific Batman. Gal Gadot shines through once again as Diana Prince/ Wonder Woman not only stealing the show with the scenes that she's in, but becoming more and more immersed in the part. Her intimate scenes with Bruce Wayne are some of the best moments of the movie, while making fans heart soar with their hidden romance. Ezra Miller delivers a funny and terrific performance as The Flash although fans of the hit show may feel a bit conflicted in embracing a new version of the iconic character. Jason Momoa is terrific as Aquaman adding to the wit and humor that The Flash brings to the story, and Ray Fisher delivers a strong, likable performance as Cyborg. Other supporting cast shines through in their limited roles such as Jeremy Irons proving once again to be the ideal Alfred from the animated television show, that not only looks after Bruce Wayne but helps him in his quest to fight crime, Amy Adams as Lois Lane trying to cope with the loss of Superman but also helps to make him remember what he fights for, Diana Lane doing a solid job as Martha Kent with her brief moments shining through, and J.K Simmons delivering a brief yet effective cameo as Commissionar Gordon (One looks forward to him getting a larger role in the solo Batman trilogy coming directed by Matt Reeves). Two key performances that are worth bringing up are Henry Cavill making his return as Superman, proving to be less of the dark and moody type of Superman but more of the fun-spirited traditional one audiences know. Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf does a fine job as the films antagonist despite the villain lacking true development and feeling like a watered down version of Tom Hiddleston's Loki from The Avengers. One wishes that a better choice of villain was picked for this role as the stakes never truly felt high for the Justice League team.

      On a technical note, the films visual style is eye-catching and impressive with the Cinematography being strong even if the movie goes the excessive route with the CGI, particularly during the chaotic action sequences. The films pacing moves briskly making the movie feel rushed in terms of how fast the team assembles and Steppenwolf's character being poorly developed. One can't help but sense that there is much that was cut from the film that appears in the trailers, implying that a directors cut of this film is desperately needed. Perhaps two versions of the movie should be put on Blu Ray with one being Zack Snyders full directors cut with everything he completed before Josh Whedon took over under unfortunate circumstances, and Whedon's version which removes much of Snyder's dark tone and replaces it with a more humorous approach. The troubled production of Justice League, is a unique one as two directors have meshed their visions together in order to try and make it as appealing to fans as possible. A film that closely resembles the pattern and ultimate outcome of Justice League is Superman ll with Richard Donner starting the production of that film and later being replaced by Richard Lester to add more fun and camp to replace Donners more serious tone. The end result being audiences greatly enjoyed Lesters version, but Donners version later released on DVD in 2006 is generally considered to be the superior version while replacing key moments in Lesters version with Donners original footage. While having two directors give their vision to one story can be an extremely daunting and risky gamble with the film either succeeding or failing because of the different recipes used for telling the story, Justice League largely benefits from Whedon's approach of rich character moments and moments of wit and humor that add to the enjoyment of the story. Whereas the film soars in the chemistry department between the ensemble cast, it falls apart once the movie reverts back to the general storyline which feels rushed and not fleshed out well.

      Its not that Justice League is a failure of a film by any stretch of imagination, as an ensemble crossover film it succeeds solely on the strength of the team and Whedon saving it from being a complete disaster as Snyder's version of the film was reportedly deemed unwatchable. Whedon's involvement with directing the film did more to help the movie than harm it in the end as his additions to the story made the characters more fleshed out and enjoyable with the ounces of humor added, even if it feels a bit forced at times. While fans of Snyder will be unquestionably frustrated with what will seem to them as being a cop out of the dark tone introduced previously with Whedons much lighter tone, but given the current state of the DC universe outside of Wonder Woman, it appears that Whedon's direction is the right one to go for the future of the universe. Despite Justice Leagues faults, the movie is ultimately a fun ride and should be experienced in theaters by audiences and comic book fans. It's most certainly not a perfect film but it's entertaining and seeing the actual team formulate is worth the price of admission alone. A suggestion going forward for Warner Brothers is to continue the lighter trend of telling these stories and replacing Zack Snyder with other filmmakers, that can bring out the soul of the main characters the way Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot did together as a team for Wonder Woman. What hurts Justice League in the end is the lack of strong character development as the subplots involving The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman feel rushed but there's much to behold when they all come together and intereact. Henry Cavill's Superman making a complete 180 from where he originally started out as in Man Of Steel is both fitting and gives hope that the DC universe can start a new path that's more promising and can win back everyone who was let down by Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad. It's a new dawn for the DC universe, but much more work is needed for the next outing involving the Justice League characters such as having a stronger villain, and a more fleshed out storyline. In the meantime, a Blu Ray extended edition release of both directors versions of the film are suggested so the audiences can decide for themselves who did the better job. If one is hesitant on seeing Justice League in theaters, they should take the advice and go watch it but mainly for the strength of the characters who appropriately carry and ultimately save the movie. Justice League is reasonable entertainment, its just not as great and epic as it could've been. The film represents a brand new dawn for the DC universe even if it has moments where its still bumpy. Even Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor feels like he's taken a turn for the better with his more traditional look and style of playing Lex Luthor that comic book fans are familiar with.

                                                                                                              Final Verdict: See IT