The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
DC’s big team-up trends in right direction
‘Justice League’ has its issues, but DC’s big team-up trends in right direction
“Justice League” remembers not to go long without being fun, which helps cover up the silliness of the story.
The opening credits proclaim “Justice League” a “A Zack Snyder film,” but it feels quite a bit like a Joss Whedon joint. ¶ The latest big-budget installment in the DC Extended Universe was, like two of its predecessors — 2013’s promising but frustrating “Man of Steel” and last year’s uneven “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” — shot by Snyder (“300”). ¶ However, a family tragedy took Snyder away from the film, leading Warner Bros. Pictures to bring in Whedon — director of the first two “Avengers” films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — to oversee the post-production phase of “Justice League.” It probably was a smart hire, considering this is the DCU equivalent of “The Avengers,” a movie that brings the big-named heroes together for a big adventure.
That and the fact Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara reportedly ordered that the movie come in at a shorter-than-its-precessors’ two-hour runtime probably are two of the biggest reason’s “Justice League” is more enjoyable than those other flicks, feeling closer to an “Avengers” film, in fact. While still stilted and boring in brief stretches and not quite on par with this year’s largely entertaining “Wonder Woman,” this is the best film Snyder has made for the DCU, even if he got some help along the way. Hey, even Batman needs help. That’s basically the impetus for the story in “Justice League.” The seeds were planted in “BvS” that the Dark Knight (Ben Affleck) worried supernatural forces greater than even he could defeat soon would be descending upon Earth, and began working to put together a super team, starting with Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot).
A collection of super friends is especially important considering the events of “Batman v Superman” led to the death of the Man of Steel (Henry Cavill), a fact a newspaper headline reminds us of early in “Justice League.” It is at this time Batman battles a winged insect man who would seem of alien origins.
“It’s because they know he’s dead, right?” an onlooker asks the Caped Crusader. “Where does that leave us?”
Not long after, Wonder Woman has her hands full taking down a group of terrorists out to blow up four city blocks. (The slick action sequence succeeds in reminding us that this is one capable female, just in case we’d forgotten in the months since her smash-hit origin-story adventure.)
Batman’s and Wonder Woman’s respective alter egos, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince, go on the recruitment trail, Bruce first traveling to a remote Icelandic fishing village to bring into the fold Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), aka the Aquaman.
“I hear you talk to fish,” Bruce states.
Arthur isn’t as receptive to Bruce’s pitch as is Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), aka The Flash, who has the ability to move at incredibly fast speeds but is socially awkward and looking to make friends.
“Stop right there,” Barry says, cutting Bruce off not long after the latter has revealed his true identity. “I’m in.”
Diana has a harder time with Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), aka Cyborg, who lives a largely secluded life following a terrible accident and subsequent procedure overseen by his father that has left his body There’s nothing nearly as terrible as the infamous “Martha” moment in “BvS,” so that’s something. fuzed with alien tech that is continually giving Victor new abilities.
Of course, we know everyone will come on board or we won’t have a movie. And it ultimately isn’t that hard a sell to the holdouts once the movie’s big bad guy, Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds), does in fact arrive on earth to wreak havoc. This is a tall, at least vaguely demonic and axwielding dude who means business.
What’s he after? Well, three cubes known as the Mother Boxes, scattered on earth and protected for ages by the planet’s three tribes — Amazons, Atlanteans and Men — and that, if combined, would generate catastrophic power. (They’re basically DC’s answer to Marvel’s Infinitely Stones but with a much dumber name.)
Even the combined power of these heroes may not be enough to stop Steppenwolf. Fortunately, though, they may have found a way to bring back an old friend — which should come as a surprise to exactly zero audience members.
“Justice League” has its strengths and weaknesses. As with some other superhero movies, it juggles so many characters that not a ton of character development can be done. Really, though, given the number of new faces and reasonable runtime, the story and script — credited to Snyder, Whedon and Chris Terrio (“Argo”) — does a pretty admirable job in that area. The awkwardness of the Flash — he doesn’t understand the concept of brunch and goes in for a fist bump too early in his friendship with Cyborg — is handled well, as is the fact that Bruce feels every bit a man who’s been on this physically demanding job for two decades.
Bruce’s interest in Diana, planted in “BvS,” also is fun.
“I’m only interested in her skillset,” he tells Jeremy Irons’ Alfred.
“I’m sure you are,” his faithful butler responds wryly.
The action sequences are generally solid — a couple of mid-movie fights are well-constructed and interesting to look at even if they don’t get the heart racing — but the big climactic battle royale becomes, as such stretches often do, numbing to watch.
The performances are decent, as well. Gadot was slightly better in “Wonder Woman,” under the direction of Patty Jenkins, but Affleck is his dependable self. Newcomers Miller (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”) is mostly a treat, and Fisher, whose background is in theater, balances things out with a more serious approach. And then there’s Momoa, a former “Game of Thrones” cast member, who’s perfectly cast as the too-cool-for-school Aquaman but is not given all that much to work with here.
Visually, “Justice League” is still a SnyderDC film — the muted, grayish tones haven’t gone anywhere — but it plays more like a Marvel movie. It remembers not to go very long without being fun, which helps cover up the expected silliness of the story as a whole. Well, an early montage over a depressing song is potentially sleep-inducing.
But hey, there’s nothing nearly as terrible as the infamous “Martha” moment in “BvS,” so that’s something.
“Justice League,” as all superhero-franchise movies must do, looks to spin things forward with a post-credits scene, so stay till the very end if you care about that sort of thing.
The DCU still has a long way to go to catch up to the MCU, but its future looks brighter as 2017 comes to a close than it did just a year ago.