It’s true that the DC Extended Universe has been struggling with its film adaptations of their iconic characters, with previous films Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman and Suicide Squad each having a poor critical reception despite box office success. While the cinematic universe’s last entry, Wonder Woman, broke this chain of critical dismissal, there was a lot riding on Justice League. A good mix of action, humour, spectacle and character, Justice League learns from the mistakes of past films, creating a fun and entertaining movie in its own right.
In an era where superhero movies are in no short supply, it’s difficult for a film like Justice League to stand out. Despite its iconic characters, the film follows many common tropes; from a forgettable villain and a plot to destroy the world, to a few magical glowing cubes and galactic invaders. Despite many similarities to Marvel’s The Avengers – partially due to Avengers Director Joss Whedon’s work on the Justice League script – the film still fits to director Zack Snyder’s unique style, without being too bogged down by the doom and gloom of Batman vs Superman.
While the film’s introduction is a bit slow at times, this is largely due to the amount of characters being introduced, as the film didn’t linger on these scenes any more than needed. Between familiar locations such as Gotham, Metropolis and Themyscira as well as the introduction of Atlantis and Central City, each character’s individual world fit neatly together within the film, offering just a glimpse at each. This can also be said about the interactions between characters, with newcomers The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman fitting in nicely with the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman.
While everyone will have their own favourite character, The Flash is no doubt a stand-out performance (though that’s coming from a dedicated Flash fan). The entire cast is impressively well-rounded, with even smaller roles like Louis Lane and Commissioner Gordon played in earnest by heavy-weights Amy Adams and J.K. Simmons. As well as playing into the overall plot, which is well established through previous films, these characters (among a few surprising additions) give die-hard fans and casual movie-goers alike plenty of teases to the greater universe.
Despite not being particularly revolutionary in terms of story or direction, Justice League definitely hits its stride in terms of its place in the greater DCEU. Learning from the mistakes of Batman vs Superman, the film introduces many new aspects of the greater universe while still leaving room for the future of the franchise. While on a whole DC’s films may be behind the standard set by their competition at Marvel Studios, there’s a solid improvement in terms of what we can expect from more films to come from the franchise.
By no stretch a perfect for a superhero film, Justice League is a step in the right direction for DC. Despite being a franchise that has had its fair share of ups and downs, all the effort might have just paid off in Justice League. While it won’t be a film loved by all, fan or not, it’s an indication of what’s to come from the iconic comic book company.
A welcome change from the conventional darkness of DC films, Justice League strays away from the shadows and takes a much-needed step towards the light.
