JUSTICE LEAGUE REVIEW

You know what?  I went in with hopes that it would be okay.  You know---just okay.  I left feeling like I had actually watched a superhero movie with some good old fashioned comic book joy.  Looks like it was smart of Zack Snyder to get Joss Whedon's help on Justice League.  Zack is an incredibly talented, artistic director but his work is always brooding and dismal.  So for him to have the partnership of Joss Whedon (Firefly, Buffy, Avengers 1 and 2) seems to have had made the difference.  Rumor has it Joss re-shot 20% of the film after Zack Snyder left because of his daughter's tragic death.  My sympathies for Zack and his wife Deborah Snyder who was also the film's producer.    

Justice League had a few more advantages going in.  One is Wonder Woman.  Her presence alone adds some class.  Her movie was, well, wonder-ful.  The Flash is that character I didn't expect; quirky and a character who added a good does  of humor.  Aquaman is the bad-boy version of Thor in this one and I am sure the women dig him.  Batman is well played by Ben Affleck (another pleasant surprise), Cyborg is a cool guy and the Justice League's brooding Iron Man.  But I will tell you something that is even cooler.

Superman is back.  Big time.

That shouldn't be a spoiler to anyone.  I mean he died and came back in the '90s after saving Earth from Doomsday.  What I mean by Supes being back though, is that the joy of his superhero-ness is back.  He is the boy scout.  He is heroic.  He is just in time.  He smiles.  He laughs.  He isn't the dour-faced, lost, lonely and confused person.  He is Superman.

Another great actor in the movie is Danny Elfman's music.  He was a smart choice for composer.   From the opening scene the DC franchise has new life because of the music. That's because the man knows Superhero music.  His music set the tone.  It was an actual orchestra playing the music.  His music gave the film color.  He used just the right amount of nostalgia with the Batman theme and even those inspiring glimpses of those iconic three notes from John Williams' Superman score. Getting Danny Elfman on the team was indeed a wise move.

The bad guy Steppenwolf?  He was lacking.  He is a flat character who wants to destroy and rule the world.  They should have got a human actor to play him.  The CGI was okay on him and in some places better than others.  Dark?  Yes.  Scary?  No.  Personality? None.  The thing about Luthor and Loki who were played by humans was that they were - uh - human.  Even Ultron, who was a CGI baddie, was human because of Joss Whedon's writing and James Spader's voice.  Humans are better.   Steppenwolf had a cool, menacing voice, but--meh.

There were other cool moments like the cameo of Marc McClure who played Jimmy Olsen in Superman the Movie. 

Stay til after all the credits.

At a reported budget of $300 million and only a opening weekend of $86 million, I hope that we get more of the League.  I want to see more.  But we will see.  I think the reports of the re-shoots and the fact that Man of Steel and Batman V Superman were flat in many ways hurt the League's initial profits.  It was a smart move to release Wonder Woman film earlier this year and that helped them make the $86 Million.

All in all I would say its worth a theater seat.   Nothing like a good old fashioned Superhero film.

'Nuff Said.