dir. Zack Synder
This Review is SPOILER FREE
Justice League presents a very interesting cinematic conundrum. It's a superhero film that on one hand is one of the most entertaining films of the year with enough action, humor and comic book antics that one expects from the superhero genre but on the other hand is a confusing and somewhat patched together piece that either subtracts too much or adds too much in some of its sequences. But either way, it is certainly a fun and exhilarating ride from start to finish and is most certainly memorable when compared to some other superhero films.
Picking up post Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad, Batman is looking to form a special team to protect the earth from Steppenwolf who wants to turn the earth into a suitable home for an even bigger entity. Most of the core of the film is centered on Batman trying to band the league together despite their differences in both abilities and personality. All the heroes give excellent performances with Ezra Miller (The Flash) and Jason Momoa (Aquaman) standing out and alongside Ben Affleck's (better than awesome characterization of) Batman and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. The tone is much lighter than Dawn of Justice without veering into camp or self-awareness and still connecting to the previous entry in the overall universe. The special effects within action scenes and some more emotional pieces range from average to mediocre but with the brisk frequency of the film, you'll hardly notice unless you're really looking out for that and any other flaws with a fine toothed comb.
That aspect is definitely where this movie earns some higher marks than say Thor: Ragnarok or Spider-Man: Homecoming. It keeps going and chugging along it's own track without having entire sequences, character arcs, "Next Time on..." segments or dropped plotlines clog up or slow down the film. Now, granted, there are still some of those elements scattered along the film but like The Flash, they arrive and then dissipate within seconds.
Where some of the film trips in on itself is when its trying to connect itself to the other films in the DCEU, fix things that were set up previously, and make every audience member happy, all at the same time which makes it feel a tad disorienting and loose like someone who is happy with their final project but is still fixing it all the way up until it is presented.
The strong points (which also include Danny Elfman's score and the insane and blood-pumping action-sequences) mostly outweigh the weaker ones to make for a super-fun, entertainingly brisk and satisfying end of the year blockbuster.
