Justice League: A Review

Before I get going, you're all given a very clear and firm Spoiler Warning!!!! Everything in this review from here on in is fair game, so consider yourself spoiler warned.

So in the run up to Justice League's release, there was a lot of behind the scenes goings on that ultimately led to quite significant reshoots needing to take place in order to at least ensure that the movie ever got released. Coupled with the switcheroo of Directors late in the game due to tragic circumstances involving Zack Snyder, this film was always going to struggle to sell itself to the critics. Then the initial release began, and we saw a steady stream of comments from professional critics tearing this movie apart, leading it to landing a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the review aggregate. This lands it a higher rating than Suicide Squad and Batman vs Superman, but puts it far below the spectacular reception for Wonder Woman, which sits at 92%

Simply put, the numbers weren't great, and if I'm honest, the trailers didn't really sell the movie well either. There were some incredible parts to the trailer, but it seemed to be tonally inconsistent even in what was supposed to be a 2 minute highlight reel of what was being sold as the team up movie we were all hoping for. But I went in with an open mind and an excited heart as I still wanted this to be great, for the sake of the future of the DCEU, and the 'darker' brand of superhero movies that DC and Warner Bros were trying to create. I'm glad to say that, while the movie was by no means perfect, it was still one hell of a ride.

I won't bore you with the story, but I'll list a few of my biggest pros and biggest cons about the movie;

Pro: The Justice League Finally Getting Their Own Team Up Movie

It may seem basic, but the main selling point of this movie was the fact that we're finally getting a proper Justice League team up movie for the first time ever. How can that not be an amazing thing to see the main players of the League on the big screen, in live action, at the same time?

Con: That Fucking Moustache

I won't post the picture here, just google it. The CGI moustache clusterfuck is one of the most laughably ridiculous things in modern cinema. Costing a reported $25 million to remove Henry Cavill's moustache from the reshoot footage, and the end result, only make this whole thing more comical.

Pro: Aquaman is Cool!

Now I, like any other homosexual male, along with pretty much every heterosexual female, and probably some heterosexual males, LOVE Jason Momoa. He's a man's man. A real man's man. And by God he has managed to make Aquaman look both badass and sexy as hell. Just seeing him on screen, with the other members of the League was tremendous, and this only makes me more excited for the solo film.

Con: The CGI... Not So Much

I've already mentioned the moustache, but honestly, the CGI in this movie is pretty bad. There are some good moments, don't get me wrong, but it's very obvious oftentimes that you're watching something with a bunch of CGI. The whole point of CGI is to make it look as real as possible, right? So why did I feel like I was watching a dark Pixar movie half the time?

Pro: Ezra Miller as The Flash

I'm a firm believer that most every movie needs at least a little comic relief. If you go overly serious then you risk depressing the audience, so it helps keep the mood steady if done right, and while there's issues with the balance of the humour. Whenever The Flash was on screen, Ezra Miller just ate it up, making me smile at the right moments, and feel bad for him in others. He was a great choice as Barry Allen, and he was just fantastic.

Pro: Superman Unleashed

One scene late in the movie sees the resurrection of Superman to help the team defeat Steppenwolf. Once he is brought back from the dead, he's confused about his surroundings and this new team he's faced with. He sees them as enemies and attacks them with everything he has, and this is just an incredible scene to watch. It gives us a glimpse of Superman's true power and acts as a kind of tease as to how truly strong Supes can be when he's truly unleashed.

This wasn't as bad as a lot of the professional critics try to argue, but it also wasn't the best movie in the world either. Plot holes, tonal inconsistencies, shitty CGI and an even shittier villain would usually have made for an easily forgettable film. But, dude, come on, it's the fucking Justice League!!!

Score: 7.5 / 10