I sent my husband, Foster, to a screening of Justice League. I didn't want to see it. Straight up, I was like "nah". Foster is a huge nerd, and my eyes totally glaze over when he starts talking to me about nerd things. Which is my way of saying, he's legit. I'd trust his feelings on this one.
Not terrible.
That's what I thought upon finishing up the viewing for Justice League.
I will admit, walking into the theater, I wasn't expecting much. The DCU has been, shall we say, not super-successful in creating its counterpart to Marvel's offerings. Their pre-2017 movies had not been well received, (Suicide Squad, BvsS, etc.) and I know that they are trying to dig themselves out.
What I liked about this movie is that they didn't spend a lot of time diving into the backstory of every character. We know already about how Batman begins, that Dianna is an Amazon, that Flash is fast, etc. These aren't new heroes, but new circumstances. This is, however, the first time we've gotten screen time with a few new additions. Ezra Miller is the shining standout of the new cast. His fun, playful spirit almost makes him exactly what we, the viewers, are; a spectator. We get to experience the wonder through his eyes, and his inclusion makes all the difference. Gal Gadot is also still perfect as Wonder Woman, and carries the gravitas of being THE Amazonian princess flawlessly.
Now, full disclosure, I am much more of a Marvel fan, so please forgive my critiques here; I will try to be fair. I do think an issue with some of this film is what Ben Affleck brings to the team. As Batman, I expect him to BE the Batman. Not to be stronger or faster, but smarter than the problem at hand. In the trailer, we see him respond to the question, "What's your superpower?" with "I'm rich". That rings a little hollow for me, seeing as this movie is (loosely) based on Geoff Johns New 52 offerings, when the same question was answered by "I can keep us on point." I don't feel like he was the leader they deserve, nor was he the leader they got.
I do wish that Jason Mamoa had been given a meatier chunk. He did a pretty fair job as Arthur Curry, the Aquaman, even if the writing of the film really didn't give him much to do. He's definitely not the joke that has followed his character for years, and I wanted him to show it.
Visually, there are some distractions with the face of Steppenwolf, even with Cyborg.
Now I tend to recommend movies to people based off of one particular merit. Should you watch this in a theater, or wait until smaller screens. And I DO recommend this film to be viewed in a theater. It's a good, enjoyable, waste of time. Is it the best superhero movie ever? No. Would I watch it in theaters multiple times? Also a no. But, do I regret seeing this? Absolutely not.
So go, remember that it is only a movie, (sorry, my nerd brothers and sisters) and enjoy.
-Foster
-also, stay ALL the way through the credits. Because missing the end would be a huge injustice to you.
Note from Karah Leigh: See? Huge nerd. He totally lost me at Geoff Johns.