Review: ‘Justice League’ Needs Work But Is A Step In The Right Direction

“Justice League” brings a glimmer of hope for the DCEU.

Following the events of “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Justice League” unites all of the characters we’ve come to know thus far and then some. Facing a threat set on ending the world, heroes must unite to save the world and preserve humanity.

Cinematics (Cinematography, Acting, Plot, etc.) – 2.5

Immediately I noticed the cadence of the film. “Justice League” is more or less a sequel rather than a standalone film. Picking up shortly after the “Batman V Superman,” the film opens with Batman already on the hunt for a clear and present danger. “Justice League” gets straight to the point following a methodical structure that obviously attempts to establish fan appeasement through its disparate flow. The reshoots and edits probably trimmed quite a bit of fat using the “Batman V Superman” runtime for comparison.

Still, a major flaw with “Justice League” is the visual tone and CGI. Given the time Warner Bros. gave Joss Whedon to cut the film, I wish they would have delayed the release further to give the visual FX team more time for adjustments. The third act suffered from subpar CGI work and color correction. There was also an unsettling juxtaposition of brights with darks that made the film feel more low budget than it should have. I understand that fans wanted a “brighter” film but this still needs some major color correction work.

As far as story flow goes, the DCEU has a formula that is the opposite of the MCU and “Justice League” suffers due to this methodology. While we know Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, this film left me unsatisfied with the lack of character development for Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash. As they get their respective solo films, this may change the viewing experience for “Justice League,” but as of now they have three characters that I’m still excited for yet know nothing about.

Entertainment Value – 3.5

The story was in constant motion at a rapid pace. It almost felt like it was laid out like a trailer as there was little focus on backstory and more on showing off each character’s abilities. It wasn’t the well-rounded, fulfilling experience I was hoping for but it was a fun-filled ride nonetheless.

Like other films that have employed the slow motion effects for fast characters, the visuals with The Flash work very well and are probably the most entertaining eye candy in the film (besides the gorgeous Gal Gadot…). The fight choreography could use a bit of work as well but still meets expectations.

There were few moments where I felt disengaged but with that said, I was entertained for a majority of the runtime.

Re-Watchability – 3

There is not much substance other than introducing the characters for future films. But with that said, seeing these iconic characters come together as a team is an experience that I personally will want to relive again…especially when more DCEU films debut.