The results are in, and Justice League is … enjoyable. There are definite problems with the film, and many a diehard comic book fan will find many reasons to dislike it. But I go into these kinds of movies hoping to be entertained and to care about the struggles of the main heroes. I got that from Justice League.
The first 30 or 45 minutes of the movie are a bit cluttered. On their own, these scenes are alright, but having them all together in the first part of the movie makes them feel disjointed. The villain, Steppenwolf, is laughably bland and forgettable; he basically wants what nine out of 10 super villains want, and that is to destroy the world and re-create it in his own image. And some of the effects, especially on the villain, can be a little too video game-ish for my tastes.
What saves this movie is the Justice League itself, specifically Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Cyborg. Gal Gadot continues to inspire, delight, and kick butt as the Amazonian demigod that she is, serving as the emotional backbone of the League. The way they show Flash’s speed was a unique take that was different from X-Men’s Quicksilver and different still from the CW’s Flash. It made for some cool moments amidst the action. Aquaman was fun and not as bro-ish as some of the trailers would lead you to believe. However, his backstory is glossed over pretty quickly, and I hope we get to see some of his origin in his solo movie. Batman was still the unexpectedly good Batman that we had in Batman V Superman, though his 180 on his attitude toward Superman from BvS may be a bit jarring for some fans. Speaking of the Big Blue Boy Scout, Superman was a lot better in this movie than in his previous DCEU outings. He actually acts like a beacon of hope in this movie, which fits, given that the S on his chest literally means “hope.” This movie had more hope, more color, more comedy, and more enjoyment than Batman V Superman ever had.
I know that there are plenty of people who will find plenty of things to dislike in this movie; that is your right as a human being with your own opinion. There are things that even I had issues with in this movie. But a lot of times, when you go to the movies, your enjoyment of a movie depends on how much you let the things that you like raise you up and how much you let the negatives bring you down. The negatives in Justice League brought me down a little bit; but to deny the fact that there were good things in this movie would be a disservice to the people in front of and behind the camera. If you haven’t liked a lot in the DCEU, Justice League probably isn’t going to change your mind. But if you allow yourself to go into this movie with an open mind and an understanding that this is an awkward stage in the lifecycle of the DCEU, then entertainment may be served to you as Justice is served to wrongdoers. Justice League is in theaters now.
The Sack Score: 7/10