Justice League

[Sir Slash]

I actually liked the first two Thor's and the third one. But they're very different types of movies. I prefer the more serious/dramatic films like the Marvel movies up to Capt. America- Civil War. The more humorous current films like Thor 3, and the Guardians of the Galaxy's are a bit silly for my tastes but are done very well. I think Marvel's trying to give us something new all the time-- maybe too hard. And I think they're looking over their shoulder at the DC films and are becoming a little scared. I liked WW but just in an average way and none of the other DC films have really grabbed me at all.

[JudgeDredd]

I actually liked the first two Thor's and the third one. But they're very different types of movies. I prefer the more serious/dramatic films like the Marvel movies up to Capt. America- Civil War. The more humorous current films like Thor 3, and the Guardians of the Galaxy's are a bit silly for my tastes but are done very well. I think Marvel's trying to give us something new all the time-- maybe too hard. And I think they're looking over their shoulder at the DC films and are becoming a little scared. I liked WW but just in an average way and none of the other DC films have really grabbed me at all.

That made me laugh a wee bit. I have no idea why Marvel would be worried about anything DC is throwing out.

Though I will grant you they seem to make money - but if the trend of bad movies continues (I'm counting WW as a blip - though it wasn't great either), then that money might dry up.

[JasonPratt]

I like the first two Thor films, too; more than most people I imagine. They couldn't quite figure out what to do with the Jane Foster character to make her work, without the mechanic of the original Thor comics situation (where he's human and even half crippled in a secret identity), but Natalie Portman took a couple of pro shots at it. In hindsight I think that Kat Jennings' quirky character (Darcey) would have made a better Jane Foster simply because she'd be a better fit into the oddness going on.


Watching DC flounder around trying to course correct in janky half-formed lurches, is entertaining in a way, I suppose. But it isn't like DC will ever simply be taking money away from the MCU at this point.

How the DCEU proceeds from here will be critical. Their primary problem (aside from aggressively stupid scripts, going back at least as far as Dark Knight Rises) is that too many people who don't respect or even understand the traditional appeal of the characters have been in charge of bringing those characters to the screen.  (Edited to add: and yes, I would argue at freaking length that this problem applies to DKR, although not to the first two BatNolan films.)

[JasonPratt]

[mirth]

This was a solid B. Good not great. Cast was solid. Story was meh. Steppenwolf was meh. Henry Cavill finally settled into the Superman role and the character felt truly heroic for the first time in 3 tries. Momoa made Aquaman cool and a bad ass. Some nice moments of interplay between the characters, but not much I would consider as depth. Definitely one of the better DC outings, but still not on par with the best of the MCU.

I would still like to see a standalone Batfleck movie even though it doesn't sound like we're going to get one.

[Sir Slash]

Maybe if WW dropped her top the theaters would fill-up. Of course then they would never finish filming cause all the other actors would be stuttering all their lines.

[JudgeDredd]

So Angry Joe likes it

And Mark Kermode hates it

However - Angry Joe liked Suicide Squad which I thought was an absolute shambles.

Turns out, even he says the story was a bit gappy. Mark Kermode is much more cutting about the story having holes as well as terrible CGI and too many characters with lots of things no making sense. Sounds to me - on the basis of both reviews - that it's exactly like Suicide Squad.

I'm not punting money to this. I couldn't do Suicide Squad level disappointment again.

[mirth]

Sounds to me - on the basis of both reviews - that it's exactly like Suicide Squad.

It's far better than Suicide Squad. It's far better than Man of Steel or BvS. It is CGI heavy, but most movies are these days. And you do get a feeling about missing scenes. Again, not surprising since they cut so much for time. I didn't feel like it ruined the story, but I look forward to an extended cut for the home video release.

[JasonPratt]

Saw it this weekend (with Dad and the Bro) along with Thor.

I was surprised and pleased that Danny Elfman was brought on board to write the music, as we got several callbacks to his iconic Batman theme. He even managed to work in a couple of almost-but-not-quite-but-you-know-what-we-meant Williams Superman theme chords. (And one of those was in a dark Superman scene! -- appropriately with a dark anti-theme.)

I remember one gaping plot hole, but I don't remember enough to recall the details -- seemed like something accidentally cut for the last-minute time constraints imposed by Warner Brothers.


Having heard about a (relatively) massive backlash for sexying up WW and the Amazons, I was on the watch for that kind of thing... but I didn't really find it. I mean, I saw what people were complaining about but it's pretty damn minor. Dressing a bit like a runway model when not out in "fashionista" mode, I can understand some complaints on, including the infamous floss-bra when it shows up, although even that wasn't actually as ludicrous as the complaints made it sound. I actually almost missed the first "butt" shot (the second was a little more obvious), and most of the Amazons in the actual film aren't wearing the leather bikini outfits. The outrage about the Flash dropping onto WW is baffling, since if she buffers his fall a visual implication would be unavoidable AND THE FILM MAKES INSTANTLY AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE THAT NOTHING WAS MEANT BY IT! (Why Gal Godot was vocally annoyed by this I have no idea. The outfit(s) she walks around in while doing streetwork, which makes her look a little like a high-class streetwalker, I could understand, but considering she got this far by being a model whose main job was to model that and much more provocative outfits, maybe she should have some dang perspective. But then again, this might have been her projection against Brett Ratner? I looked for his name in the production list, but it seems like only Ratpac Entertainment per se was involved, not him specifically.) Some complaints are simply the opposite of what was on the screen: when Aquaman is talking about the other members (because he sat on the lasso, which was lying on the Batmobile for literally no good reason other than to set up the joke) he isn't complimenting the men about what they bring to the team. He's dissing them as being useless and in his way! -- then gushes over Diana.


The film itself I was pretty good to go with. I appreciated that the writers used Superman correctly during the final battle: rescuing civilians between adding some extra punch. He finally acted like the character. (But the writers got to tease evil Superman, too.)

[mirth]

I was surprised and pleased that Danny Elfman was brought on board to write the music, as we got several callbacks to his iconic Batman theme. He even managed to work in a couple of almost-but-not-quite-but-you-know-what-we-meant Williams Superman theme chords. (And one of those was in a dark Superman scene! -- appropriately with a dark anti-theme.)

Agreed. Having Elfman do the score was nice touch and the nods to past themes were well done.

I appreciated that the writers used Superman correctly during the final battle: rescuing civilians between adding some extra punch. He finally acted like the character.

Yep. He finally felt like Superman. It was a real strength of the movie and I wasn't expecting that after how he was portrayed in Man of Steel and BvS.

[mirth]

Interestingly, Danny Elfman was a very late addition to JL

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/justice-league-danny-elfman-hates-reboots-scrap-classic-themes-1059632

[JasonPratt]

I kept waiting to hear his similar theme for the 90s "Flash" TV series, too, but I don't think I ever did.

One downside is that he barely used any of the excellent WW theme (only once for her introduction...?). And didn't really use the John Williams Super-theme, only faked it closely. So was that "only for the ego of the director or the composer", Elfy? How about when you only used the excellent established "Avengers" theme (on a similar last-minute call from Whedon) in half-assed minor fashions? Can't blame that on the director, can you? Granted, you might blame De Palma for your refusal to use the classic Mission Impossible themes only once or twice in very limited fashions. But "dropping in" the theme that way (the article's description -- Elfman made it sound like he had done a lot more), isn't the same as "taking the themes and using them in a way that feels fresh".

But at least the Batman theme is there, and a "twisted" version of William's Super-theme. It's a start.

[JasonPratt]

Now for the only review that truly matters other than your own opinions:

The just ice review. With a cube of ice.

[mirth]

Now for the only review that truly matters other than your own opinions:

+1

[OJsDad]

Mirth,

   Do you think they should have broken this up into 2 movies.