Justice League has been highly anticipated for years. We must admit that this is a big film and while I thought it was just okay, there were plenty of cool moments that left my friends and me feeling excited.
Before I continue, here’s a fair spoiler warning! I get nit-picky.
Sure, the film wasn’t as great as everyone expected it to be (especially since those trailers were pretty badass), but it was still relatively enjoyable. I’m just glad they’ve learned from Suicide Squad and didn’t add a track every two minutes. The use of ‘Icky Thump’, while appreciated, didn’t flow as well as I would’ve hoped, but it was still the best song they could’ve used to introduce us to Aquaman’s true bro-ness.
First and foremost, let’s talk about our heroes.
Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) is on a mission to save the world and he knows he can’t do it alone. He does his fair share of research and comes across others with special abilities and he wants to recruit them. Weirdly enough, some of the lines in this film that made me chuckle came from Batman himself. While The Flash did garner the most laughs, I like that the writers gave Bruce a softer, lighter side in this film.
From the get-go, I was all in for Ben Affleck as Batman. Even in Batman v Superman (a film that made me laugh at the wrong times), I thought he killed it. I personally do not understand all the fuss of wanting him to step down and possibly have Jake Gyllenhall as the caped crusader and I do not believe that recasting Batman at this point is going to do DC any favours. I’d love to see another Justice League film where the Hall of Justice has been built while Ben Affleck stands over a big round table look all cool as he does.
Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is back and like Bruce, she wants to save the world. The two go on a recruiting mission and gather up the Super Friends. It goes without saying that Gal Gadot crushes it yet again. In fact, all the Amazons are just straight up killing it. Early in the film, we get a cool fight scene between the Amazons and Steppenwolf, as he just landed in Themyscira in order to steal the first Mother Box. The Amazons do their best to prevent him from acquiring it and they’re eventually defeated, leading Hippolyta (Connie Neilsen) to send Diana a message of an upcoming war.
However, the first time we see Diana in action is during a bank robbery and unsurprisingly, she shows us how effortless it is for her to take down bad dudes. Even after watching her in action in her debut Wonder Woman film, I will always be pleasantly surprised by her abilities and fighting capacity.
The relationship between Bruce and Diana has definitely developed since we last saw them. Some fans speculate that because of this film, we could possible see a romance forming between the two. I personally would prefer that to not happen, but you never know with DC films anymore.
Our favourite speedster finally gets his big-screen appearance! Barry Allen aka The Flash (Ezra Miller) easily steals the show numerous times. The film very clearly portrays Barry as a socially awkward person who is in over his head. He admits that he’s never been in a fight and that he just “pushes people and runs”. Watching the film, it’s obvious that this takes place just as Barry is learning about his powers. His lack of experience proves that he hasn’t gone up against classic Flash villain the Reverse Flash and that he has never been in a real fight before. The stakes have never been high for him.
A moment I really enjoyed in this film was when the (almost) newly formed band of heroes attempt to save a group of innocent civilians from Steppenwolf. Barry confesses that he doesn’t think he’s up for the upcoming battle, having never been in a fight before and that he also doesn’t like bugs (in reference to the bug-like creatures called Parademons). Bruce takes up the mantle of Barry’s mentor and tells calmly tells him to just save one person and after that, he’ll just know if he’s ready for this life.
Surely enough, once Barry manages to save one person, he gains the confidence to get back in the game and save the people. And so, The Flash is born.
A big surprise for me in this film was Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher). I honestly thought his character was introduced and developed the best. We learn that he was created by his own father Silas Stone (played by Joe Morton) after a car accident that left Silas’ wife deceased. Silas couldn’t live without his son after his wife had died and decided to use the Mother Box at STAR Labs to bring him back and essentially created Cyborg.
At first, Victor is hesitant to join Bruce and Diana on this mission. He thinks of himself as a monster – someone who would be thought of as an ‘alien’ by society. Every day, he finds himself changing and acquiring new abilities. He speaks of having an unknown language in his head that he doesn’t even understand. At one point, he’s able to hack into Bruce’s computer and sees all the footage that Bruce has of the other heroes.
He speaks to Diana through Bruce’s computer and she convinces him to at least meet her to talk. Initially Victor denies the offer of joining this new super group but after learning his father had been kidnapped by someone clearly not human, he joins Bruce, Diana and Barry to start saving the world.
Unfortunately, the character that had the least impact on me was Aquaman (Jason Momoa). Now, this has nothing to do with Momoa’s portrayal of the soon-to-be King-of-Atlantis. I thought he was equally as badass as the others, but he didn’t receive as much screen time that I thought he would and really didn’t have a lot of background to his character.
A self-proclaimed loner, Arthur Curry declines Bruce’s offer to join this mission by claiming he works best when he’s alone. He swims off back to Atlantis, only to find a new and hostile visitor stealing the Mother Box that was guarded in his home. It’s here when we’re briefly introduced to Mera (played by Amber Heard) who appears to have a little beef with Arthur. The two very obviously don’t get along but she still recognizes him as the son of the Queen of Atlantis, Atlanna.
While Aquaman was a great addition to the scenes he was in, especially the scene where he pretty much uses a Parademon to fly back to the ground, it left me wanting more. I guess we’ll just have to wait for his solo movie for that.
And of course, the Man of Steel has returned. There was no mystery to this as the trailer straight up shows him in it. Batman v Superman even alluded to the fact that he was still alive as they showed pebbles floating above his coffin.
But here’s where there’s a continuity error. By showing the pebbles floating above his coffin, BvS essentially told us that Superman (Henry Cavill) was still alive, or at least in a state of sleep. However, Justice League disproves this by flatly saying he’s dead and the team needs to resurrect him.
They use the last Mother Box and the Kryptonian ship to bring him back by submerging him in the same pool Lex Luthor used to create Doomsday back in BvS. Once he’s back, he abruptly flies off to the site where his statue had been ruined. In a state of confusion, Superman doesn’t know who he is. He attempts to take down the people he will soon call his friends, while Diana tries to get him to find himself.
There’s a really cool scene here where Wonder Woman, Cyborg and Aquaman are all physically up against Superman trying to take him down, while The Flash speeds by, thinking he’s faster than Superman and that he’d have the upper hand. While everything around The Flash is moving slowly and he’s looking at Superman, you see Superman’s eyes start to move – proving he’s just as fast (if not faster) than Barry and he manages to take Barry down as well. I thought this was a good addition to the film as it shows that Barry is still learning and now he knows he truly isn’t the fastest man alive.
Expectedly, Superman’s humanity is brought back by Lois Lane (Amy Adams). Bruce calls Alfred to bring out “the big guns” and we see a car pulling up to the wreckage, only to reveal an emotional Lois Lane. She takes him to his childhood home, trying to remind him where he comes from just before Martha Kent (Diane Lane) pulls up and reunites with her son.
As for our villain…. well, Steppenwolf wasn’t the greatest. An all-CGI character played by Ciarán Hinds was underwhelming and left me sitting in the theatre saying “alright, just show us Darkseid already” because I kept expecting him to show up. Steppenwolf was ultimately lack-luster and had weak writing. He wanted to conquer Earth by acquiring all three Mother Boxes and essentially wiping out the human race. He’s accompanied by his unpleasant looking Parademons who feed off fear and together they attempt to wreak havoc upon Earth.
And so the battle begins. We have Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, The Flash and Aquaman heading out to attempt to take down Steppenwolf without Superman, as he was still finding himself. Superman does eventually join them and while he only has a few scenes in the battle sequence, he does prove to be the extra muscle they needed.
Steppenwolf is ultimately taken down by his own Parademons after Superman and Cyborg rip the Mother Boxes apart and the Parademons smell fear on Steppenwolf.
Easter Eggs/References
Batman Theme (1989)
The classic and well-received Batman theme song has made its return in Justice League! The iconic Danny Elfman tune can be heard well throughout the film, but more prominently when our heroes first meet James Gordon.
Commissioner James Gordon
We finally get to see J.K. Simmons as James Gordon in the DC Extended Universe. We first see him at the station while a colleague shows him a photo of a Parademon drawn by a child, saying he thinks its Batman. Gordon obviously doesn’t believe Batman would randomly turn and start killing people, saying “I’ll go talk to him”.
The Flash theme song
Even Barry Allen receives his own backing track to accompany him while he speeds into action. Very reminiscent of the CW’s version of The Flash, I was thoroughly excited when I noticed the tune playing along to Ezra Miller’s scenes.
The Lanterns and Gods
During an epic first battle with Steppenwolf in form of a flashback, we see the villain’s first defeat as he was taken down by the Amazons, Atlanteans, the old Gods and of course a Green Lantern.
We briefly see a Green Lantern aiding the warriors against this battle, only to be defeated and have his ring leave his body, presumably in an attempt to find its next owner. This was the Easter egg that excited me the most. Fans, including myself, have been eager to see how the DCEU would introduce the Green Lantern (we all knew they were going to, because how they could they not right?) and while this was brief, it gave us what we wanted and didn’t take the focus away from the characters we already received.
As for the old Gods, Diana states that the Amazons and Atlanteans were aided by Gods during this first battle, and we can only assume she specifically meant Zeus, who we briefly saw during the battle.
Gorilla Grodd
While Barry is only at the first stages of his life as a superhero, the film gives us hints that Barry has already faced a classic Flash villain – Gorilla Grodd. While Barry tries to explain to Bruce that he isn’t a speedster and simply a competitive ice dancer with a few special skills, that skill set includes his knowledge of sign language; but more specifically, Gorilla sign language.
Atlantis
We get a quick look at Atlantis when Steppenwolf steals the heavily guarded Mother Box. Not only do we see the lost city, but we have a glimpse of how the upcoming Aquaman film will tackle conversing underwater. Mera creates an air bubble in order to have a conversation with Arthur, also showcasing a bit of her abilities.
The Penguin
While conversing with Alfred, Bruce talks about how he missed the good old days when things weren’t as dark as they were right now and when his biggest concern was “exploding, wind-up penguins”, a gimmick used by The Penguin back in Batman Returns in 1992. This additionally hints to the fact that in his 20 years of being the Batman, he has definitely gone up against classic villain The Penguin.
Detective Comics #682
There’s a scene in the film that pays homage to the cover of Detective Comics #682! I personally really love when films manage to squeeze in iconic covers and this truly payed homage to the character as well as his history.
Hall of Justice
At the end of the film, we see Bruce, Alfred and Diana walking into an abandoned Wayne Manor. Here, Bruce mentions they can spruce things up and add a big round table with 6 seats, alluding to the creation of the Hall of Justice. Diana does point out that there can be room for more – so hopefully a future movie will show us all our favourite DC heroes finally together and bickering.
Truth and Justice
One of Superman’s early catchphrases makes its way into the film. During the final battle with Steppenwolf, Superman states that he is a defender of “truth and justice”. While the original catchphrase is “Truth, Justice and the American Way”, I doubt using the exact phrase would’ve fit into the scene well.
“Do You Bleed?”
One of the scenes that made me chuckle was when Superman (while still recovering from being brought back to life) picks Batman up in rage. He claims to remember Batman from their previous battle and uses the Bat’s line back on him – “Do you bleed?”, as he proceeds to fling Bruce around like it’s no big deal.
Sure enough, when he does fling Batman to the ground, Bruce simply goes “yep, something is definitely bleeding” as he writhes around in pain.
ACE Chemicals
While the team gathers to meet James Gordon, we get a brief glimpse at a neon sign that reads “ACE Chemicals”. As most fans know, ACE Chemicals was the place where The Joker had his origin story by falling into a vat of acid. David Ayer also incorporated this location in his film Suicide Squad.
Flashpoint
I can’t help but think about that Justice League foreshadows the events of Flashpoint. It was confirmed that The Flash’s standalone film would focus on the events during Flashpoint. During Justice League, we see Barry going to visit Henry Allen (Billy Crudup) in prison and Barry very obviously is still trying to move on. In the comics, Flashpoint is the result of Barry running back into time to undo the events of his mother’s death because he wants his family back together and this is still very evident in this film.
The New Gods
Steppenwolf states that he “will take his place with the New Gods”, making viewers wondering whether we’ll soon come across Apokolips, Darkseid or New Genesis.
Classic Superman
We finally see Superman making use of his Super-breath while he aides the heroes during the battle with Steppenwolf! It’s great to see that Justice League has brought some of Superman’s elements from back in the day.
In addition to the super-breath, we see Clark out on the streets only to look up to the sky and sense danger, and in true Clark Kent fashion, he rips the top half of his shirt to reveal his Superman suit underneath, which was another treat for fans.
“Booyah!”
When the Justice League finally do defeat Steppenwolf, we hear a well-known catchphrase from Cyborg. While it was a short one, it was definitely pleasantly surprising especially for fans of Teen Titans.
How about those end credit scenes, though?
The first one shows us The Flash and Superman attempting to race each other. This is an obvious nod to the fact that the two heroes have raced each other plenty of times in the comics. But of course, the film doesn’t show us the winner – perhaps for the fans to debate on who truly is the fastest?
But I will admit that the second end credits scene was the best. We see a guard in Arkham Asylum trying to get Lex Luthor’s attention in his cell, only to reveal that the inmate wasn’t Luthor, but just a random prisoner with a bald head.
The scene cuts away to another being and I erupted. I had completely forgotten that Deathstroke had been cast in the DCEU so I wasn’t expected him to show up. The scene features Joe Manganiello as the beloved mercenary talking to Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) about forming a “league of their own”. Are we about to see The Legion of Doom? Or maybe the Injustice League? Either way, count me in.
I’ll be honest, I went into the theatre expecting to be completely disappointed. DC/Zack Synder don’t have the best track record and my low expectations were backed up by the fact that this film had two directors and there were surely a lot of scenes that would’ve been cut out. However, even though the film was messy, it was still a lot of fun.
The CGI on Superman’s face was less than enjoyable. If you’re like me, blissfully unaware that Henry Cavill sported a mustache during the re-shoots, you’re going to be sitting there wondering why Superman’s face looked weirder than usual. I’m sure they did the best they could to scrub out the mustache, but ultimately it threw me off and like my reaction to Batman v Superman, I couldn’t help but laugh when I wasn’t supposed to.
This film was hurt by the fact that characters like Aquaman were not built up enough. DC has been struggling to catch up on the Superhero-movie trend, trying to shoehorn characters in all at once without already establishing them. The reason that Marvel succeeds is because they’ve taken their time with their franchise. They’ve been working on characters and story lines for almost 10 years, giving them time to build on the superheroes so that they’re developed enough to be celebrated on the big screen. DC has very obviously scrambled to put out a Justice League movie, now that we’ve already gotten two and a half movies that focus on The Avengers. They’re rushing to catch up and that’s where they’re hurting themselves.
I understand why a lot of people were left disappointed and underwhelmed and I wholeheartedly agree that this film should have and could have been great. But here’s to hoping that the extended version of this film can save it.
