Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), to face an even greater enemy.
Okay, it wasn’t THAT bad. BUT . . . it wasn’t that great either. A watchable mess. My most coined phrase of 2018 and I’ve barely written this year!
As soon as the film opened with this shot, I feared the worst. I mean, really? Technology that can bring Paul Walker and Peter Cushing back to the silver screen and we get this? Even worse when the scene was completely unnecessary!
The world is mourning Superman and all hell has broken loose (Apparently). The situation perfectly captured in a brilliant sequence as some brutish thugs kick some fruit stalls over. Pfft. I’ve seen worse at the pub down the road.
Thankfully, once Gal Gadot (The saving grace of DC) made her introduction; things got a tad better. The action sequences were entertaining enough and the pace didn’t mess about.
No, seriously! Where I berated Batman Vs Superman for a torturous pace; this chaotic action fest felt a little rushed. I actually wanted more time and depth spent on the new additions!
I was impressed with the cast selection. The surprise turn for me was Ray Fisher as Cyborg. I expected him to be the weakest asset BUT he played the tormented droid well. I know we had a marginally brief origin set up for the guy BUT I would have been happy for a full feature. I loved the father/son dynamic with Silas (A wasted Joe Morton).
Jason Momoa nailed it as Aquaman. Not enough of the big man. Humour isn’t always the answer. But come on, the dude is an underwater god that gets drunk on whiskey?! Lapping up the ridiculousness of it all (Which helped a lot as the film drew to its clumsy conclusion).
Ezra Miller was great as the neurotic Barry Allen. A completely different (and fresh) take to the CW TV series. Bringing some much needed comic relief.
I actually rated Ben Affleck’s performance as Batman in BvS (What?). He nailed the Bruce Wayne persona in JL with aplomb. Even if he had issues deciding on what tone (A bit like the film really) to use as the billionaire.
BUT his performance as the Dark Knight left me wallowing into the abyss. His lines were bad enough without those puppy dog eyes when Superman returned *Shudders*.
However, I did enjoy the chemistry brewing between Prince and Wayne as they worked together to make sure Superman’s sacrifice wasn’t all in vain.
“Moustache Gate” aside; Henry Cavill’s return to the mix gave the missing depth and tension to the piece that I was praying for. Shame, it was all thrown out of the window for a quick smash ’em grab ’em finale.
Ciaran Hinds delivered enough creepy vocal gravitas to the villain Steppenwolf (Every time I type that, I just want to sing ‘Born to Be Wild’). BUT despite the iconic name, he just wasn’t that memorable. I know Jesse Eisenberg’s Luthor was memorable for the wrong reasons BUT at least he stood out!
Amy Adams was (AGAIN!) tragically left on the sidelines. A shadow of her own character waiting for Superman. Yikes. Equally as disappointing was J.K. Simmon’s Commissioner Gordon. A passing encounter? Is that all the Whiplash actor deserves?
BUT once that Danny Elfman composed theme rippled through the speakers and the team united, I was still caught up in it. The dynamic worked. Even if the hokum plot and CGI left me wanting.
I just wish the producers would stop meddling and rushing these projects out. Marvel have perfected a winning formula and are reaching their Endgame (See what I did there). Use their success as a foundation. DON’T grab the same writer and try and do the same thing.
I loved how broodingly intense and dark BvS was. JL tried to be a much lighter and more comical (Laughable for the right reasons?) affair. Too many ideas and too many cooks spoiled the broth by the end.
Great cast, great characters. All we need is a better story, better villain and better effects and we’re pretty much there. Not too much to ask *GULP*
Not the worst DC entry. A watchable, if terribly flawed, mess that killed the time if nothing else.
2.5/5
The MAD MOVIE RANTER 
I liked Man of Steel, was disappointed with Batman vs Superman, and have a sinking feeling that Justice League is a waste of $20 to buy on Blu ray.
Really? I felt like that BUT the other way around. Cavill is a perfect Superman BUT Man of Steel just didn’t do anything for me.
Haha I would invest that $20 on something else. It was watchable BUT not THAT watchable. Maybe wait until there is a half price sale.