By Nadia Ranaputri
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Ciarán Hinds, Connie Nielsen.
After introducing DC's holy trinity that is Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, DC is bringing out the big guns for its latest superhero fest: the Justice League. Guess what? It's quite the ride.
Following the events of Batman v Superman, the world mourns their fallen hero Superman, who, by the end of Batman v Superman, sacrificed himself to defeat Doomsday. Bruce, who promised Superman that he would not fail him in death, unites a team of powered individuals with the help of Diana Prince for the upcoming invasion, that would later be known as the Justice League.
Justice league has to carry the weight of introducing new characters such as Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash, and boy, they delivered. It's in no way, the glitzy here's-everything-you-need-to-know-about-them introduction that Suicide Squad attempted, but terrifically failed at. In fact, the drama between them and the people in their lives, as well as their history added so much more to what could have been an oversimplified story. It's also elevated by the performances of Momoa, Miller, and Fisher respectively. The added lightheartedness to the characters was certainly a well-needed aspect, especially when you have a character like Barry Allen, whose portrayed with an equally needed vibrant charm by Ezra Miller.
Justice League, like Wonder Woman, finally realizes the most prominent thing they should have focused on a long time ago: the story they're telling now. It doesn't lay its future plans straight to the table as a quick reminder that it's a thing that they're actually doing like Batman v Superman. Instead, it lays what it has done, not what they're currently doing or what they're about to do. If you were to compare the DCEU with how a meal is brought to the table, then Batman v Superman is the appetizing main course that's already a complete meal on its own, but because the cook wants to impress his guests, he cooks up a lot more than he could chew, leading to the guests feeling full and unable to take more food. Suicide Squad is the loaded fizzy dessert that explodes and covers the entire table with its uneven bright colors. No matter how colorful the table gets, it's still a downright mess. Wonder Woman, followed by Justice League, is the complete meal on the table that is served with just the right portion for the guests to feel satisfied.
Justice League has gone through some troubling production over the course of filming, and while it went through quite a difficult process, it's obvious that despite its flaws, there's still a labor of love that goes into crafting these characters, particularly the team dynamic. Yes, it's a little slow in the beginning. After all, there was no team yet. What makes the team's dynamic even more interesting is that it was almost similar to the Avengers, how the team had grown into a full team after the belated members had seen the threat directly, and were affected by it. Justice League follows a similar format, as Steppenwolf's appearance that affects each of the heroes becomes a driving force for them to become a team. However, there is a downside to this dynamic. Even when Steppenwolf's appearance becomes this driving force for the team, it doesn't feel as earned as it was in The Avengers. This was because of how unstable DC's universe has been. Other than Wonder Woman and Superman, other heroes haven't gotten the chance to establish themselves, particularly Batman. So when they become a team, it feels too rushed to the point where it doesn't feel as genuine as they'd probably hoped it would be.
Justice League still has aspects that need improving, especially with how it handles some of its many arcs. It still suffers the same fate as Batman v Superman: too many things happening at once. To hammer this right home, it somehow manages to be generic both in terms of the action and plot (you have to hand it to BvS for having the upper hand on avoiding a generic plot). However, Justice League handles its pacing far more well in two hours than BvS had in their over two hour runtime. The action on the other hand, was something else. With the exception of The Flash (whose effects and action sequences are exceptional), there's not much else that stands out. It's all a huge CGI fest that lacks any real punch or even a sense of urgency, as all you're seeing on screen is an obvious CGI overload.
In the midst of all of this, it's the villain that becomes the film's biggest downfall. The villain was nothing but a cardboard cutout, thin and empty. Steppenwolf's presence is neither frightening nor memorable. He's right up there with the other "I just want to destroy the earth for no particular-reason other than I hate humans" villains like X-Men: Apocalypse's En Sabah Nur and Ultron from the second Avengers. The CGI doesn't do any favor either, as Steppenwolf ends up like a walking game animation from Injustice 2 between the human characters. Detailed, but hardly able to blend in with its live-action aspect.
But by the end of the day, I had a good time with Justice League, despite it not being as memorable as I hoped it would be, now that I think about it. It was a few steps up for the DCEU, especially in terms of how it handled most of its pacing. My friend who saw the film with me, went into this film with low expectations, having been disappointed by DCEU's previous installments. He came out of the film astounded by how good it was. My reaction greatly differed from his, but it was nice to see someone really enjoy it. In some ways, the DCEU has learned from some of its downfalls. I believe that the DCEU has so much potential, it's just that they haven't fully grasped it. There's a lot to be enjoyed in Justice League, especially if you're a sucker for DC Easter Eggs. While Justice League isn't exactly DCEU's best, there's still hope for the DCEU to find its footing once again.
Stars: 2.9/5
Trailer
 |
| Image source: IMDB |
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Ciarán Hinds, Connie Nielsen.
After introducing DC's holy trinity that is Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, DC is bringing out the big guns for its latest superhero fest: the Justice League. Guess what? It's quite the ride.
Following the events of Batman v Superman, the world mourns their fallen hero Superman, who, by the end of Batman v Superman, sacrificed himself to defeat Doomsday. Bruce, who promised Superman that he would not fail him in death, unites a team of powered individuals with the help of Diana Prince for the upcoming invasion, that would later be known as the Justice League.
Justice league has to carry the weight of introducing new characters such as Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash, and boy, they delivered. It's in no way, the glitzy here's-everything-you-need-to-know-about-them introduction that Suicide Squad attempted, but terrifically failed at. In fact, the drama between them and the people in their lives, as well as their history added so much more to what could have been an oversimplified story. It's also elevated by the performances of Momoa, Miller, and Fisher respectively. The added lightheartedness to the characters was certainly a well-needed aspect, especially when you have a character like Barry Allen, whose portrayed with an equally needed vibrant charm by Ezra Miller.
 |
| Image source: IMDB |
Justice League, like Wonder Woman, finally realizes the most prominent thing they should have focused on a long time ago: the story they're telling now. It doesn't lay its future plans straight to the table as a quick reminder that it's a thing that they're actually doing like Batman v Superman. Instead, it lays what it has done, not what they're currently doing or what they're about to do. If you were to compare the DCEU with how a meal is brought to the table, then Batman v Superman is the appetizing main course that's already a complete meal on its own, but because the cook wants to impress his guests, he cooks up a lot more than he could chew, leading to the guests feeling full and unable to take more food. Suicide Squad is the loaded fizzy dessert that explodes and covers the entire table with its uneven bright colors. No matter how colorful the table gets, it's still a downright mess. Wonder Woman, followed by Justice League, is the complete meal on the table that is served with just the right portion for the guests to feel satisfied.
Justice League has gone through some troubling production over the course of filming, and while it went through quite a difficult process, it's obvious that despite its flaws, there's still a labor of love that goes into crafting these characters, particularly the team dynamic. Yes, it's a little slow in the beginning. After all, there was no team yet. What makes the team's dynamic even more interesting is that it was almost similar to the Avengers, how the team had grown into a full team after the belated members had seen the threat directly, and were affected by it. Justice League follows a similar format, as Steppenwolf's appearance that affects each of the heroes becomes a driving force for them to become a team. However, there is a downside to this dynamic. Even when Steppenwolf's appearance becomes this driving force for the team, it doesn't feel as earned as it was in The Avengers. This was because of how unstable DC's universe has been. Other than Wonder Woman and Superman, other heroes haven't gotten the chance to establish themselves, particularly Batman. So when they become a team, it feels too rushed to the point where it doesn't feel as genuine as they'd probably hoped it would be.
 |
| Image source: IMDB |
Justice League still has aspects that need improving, especially with how it handles some of its many arcs. It still suffers the same fate as Batman v Superman: too many things happening at once. To hammer this right home, it somehow manages to be generic both in terms of the action and plot (you have to hand it to BvS for having the upper hand on avoiding a generic plot). However, Justice League handles its pacing far more well in two hours than BvS had in their over two hour runtime. The action on the other hand, was something else. With the exception of The Flash (whose effects and action sequences are exceptional), there's not much else that stands out. It's all a huge CGI fest that lacks any real punch or even a sense of urgency, as all you're seeing on screen is an obvious CGI overload.
In the midst of all of this, it's the villain that becomes the film's biggest downfall. The villain was nothing but a cardboard cutout, thin and empty. Steppenwolf's presence is neither frightening nor memorable. He's right up there with the other "I just want to destroy the earth for no particular-reason other than I hate humans" villains like X-Men: Apocalypse's En Sabah Nur and Ultron from the second Avengers. The CGI doesn't do any favor either, as Steppenwolf ends up like a walking game animation from Injustice 2 between the human characters. Detailed, but hardly able to blend in with its live-action aspect.
But by the end of the day, I had a good time with Justice League, despite it not being as memorable as I hoped it would be, now that I think about it. It was a few steps up for the DCEU, especially in terms of how it handled most of its pacing. My friend who saw the film with me, went into this film with low expectations, having been disappointed by DCEU's previous installments. He came out of the film astounded by how good it was. My reaction greatly differed from his, but it was nice to see someone really enjoy it. In some ways, the DCEU has learned from some of its downfalls. I believe that the DCEU has so much potential, it's just that they haven't fully grasped it. There's a lot to be enjoyed in Justice League, especially if you're a sucker for DC Easter Eggs. While Justice League isn't exactly DCEU's best, there's still hope for the DCEU to find its footing once again.
Stars: 2.9/5
Trailer
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