The DCEU (D.C. Extended Universe) movies have not been doing very well regarding execution and quality. Ever since the release of Batman V. Superman" Dawn of Justice (BVS), a depressing, morally repugnant and mean-spirited slog of a film, which I am now officially declaring the absolute worst movie of 2016 (this includes the ultimate cut), Warner Brothers has been struggling to survive their own train wreck. The only DCEU movie that is actually any good is Wonder Woman, as that film is actually a superhero movie about heroics, having the courage and desire to help people and the power of love. Which is what all superheroes are ultimately about in some shape or form. After all of that, I still had no faith in the Justice League movie.
Regular readers of my blog will remember my essay on the production woes of Justice League, so rather than recap the issues here in this review, I will instead kindly direct you to the said article below for more details. The short version is that the Justice League underwent a truck ton of last minute changes, creative differences, and massive tonal shifts, that nothing about the film's creation made the movie itself sound even remotely promising. So, imagine my surprise when I went to the theater to see a late night showing of Justice League, and found myself...enjoying it. Really, no kidding, I watched the whole film, massive flaws and all, and I still found myself laughing, smiling, and having a pretty good time. Furthermore, I strongly suspect that the main reason for said enjoyment was the lack of Zach Snyder's ill-advised guidance. More on that in a moment.
The story takes place about a year or so after the events of BVS as the whole world mourns the loss of Superman, while Batman is preparing for an upcoming mighty threat foreshadowed in said previous movie, by building up a team of other superheroes to combat it. His journey leads him to recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, who all side with him and Wonder Woman to prepare for the arrival of Steppenwolf, an evil demi-god bent on destroying and conquering the Earth. This threat turns out to be so powerful that Batman decides the best way to tackle it, is to bring Superman back from the dead so he may once again become the worlds savior, and restore hope to all humanity.
The biggest problem with this film is also, incidentally, its greatest strength. As part of Warner Brothers and DC Comics attempt to salvage their own trainwreck, one of the creative decisions made in this film is to basically pretend that BVS never actually happened, and pretend that the events leading up to this movie were entirely different and not yet chronicled. On the down-side, this is yet another example of DC Comics lousy habit of ignoring the problems they created, rather than trying to actually fix them. As such, Justice League is filled with blatant continuity errors, plot holes and tonal shifts that would otherwise make the experience annoying to sit through. On the other hand, this makes Justice League a much better film. Because by ignoring the events of BVS, the movie takes it upon itself to become a better experience with likable characters, great action sequences, and a greater understanding and appreciation for heroics and saving lives.
As I stated before, I suspect the main reason Justice League is better than it could have been, is due in large part to the absence of Zach Snyder. When Mr. Snyder had to stand down from post-production due to an unfortunate family tragedy, the reins were picked up by Joss Whedon, who was initially brought on as a co-writer for the screenplay. He then proceeded to reshoot most of the film, change the intended tone, and drastically change the color pallete. As such, while it may be impossible to determine precisely how much of the film was indeed Whedon's or Snyder's, I am of the firm opinion that Justice League is, in reality, a Joss Whedon film, and they left Zach Snyder's name in the directors credit to be polite. Which, given the circumstances, I have no objections to.
Despite this film having dramatic changes in tone, glaring continuity errors, zero pay off to the events previously depicted in BVS, and a color palette that looks more aesthetically pleasing but not well suited to the production design, Justice League is a much better film than it has any right to be. It's a DC superhero movie that better reflects what superheroes are all about, and is an excellent step in the right direction for the future of DCEU movies.
Is this movie worth seeing?
Surprisingly...yes.
Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Maybe.
Why?
While it is an excellent attempt to salvage something better out of something that was still potentially horrible, it may not be entirely good enough to justify a theater ticket.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
Justice League essay
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