First off, I’d like to say that I’m a fan of the DC Films that have been released so far. Well, aside from Suicide Squad, which Warner Bros. heavily interfered with. Aside from that, I thought the films were pretty good. Man of Steel is underrated, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice gets far too much hate, and Wonder Woman was pretty good – Justice League looks to be in line with those 3.
The majority of the critics, however, don’t like (or understand) Zack Snyder’s overall plan for the DC Films Universe. It was supposed to be dark at the beginning, and then Justice League was supposed to be the transition from dark to light. If you hate them for other reasons, fine, but saying it’s too dark is essentially buying into what Snyder was selling in the first place.
Had Wonder Woman been a Snyder directed film, I’m positive it would have received an enormous amount of backlash. He wrote and produced the film, and even cast Gal Gadot in the title role, but still doesn’t get much credit for it.
When it comes to the first set of released Justice League reviews, some are good and some say the film is just “awful”:
Variety: “Justice League,” the latest link of Tinkertoy in the DC Comics universe, has been conceived, in each and every frame, to correct the sins of “Batman v Superman.” It’s not just a sequel — it’s an act of franchise penance…Every moment feels like it’s been test-driven for our pleasure. As a piece of product, “Justice League” is “superior” to “Batman v Superman,” but it’s also about as close to generic as a sharp-witted high-octane comic-book movie can get. There’s hardly a trope in it you haven’t seen before.
Vanity Fair: The film is, plainly stated, terrible, and I’m sorry that everyone wasted their time and money making it—and that people are being asked to waste their time and money seeing it. I hate to be so blunt, but it simply must be said this time.
The Telegraph: Justice League is a mess in ways cheaper productions could only dream about. A post-credits scene dutifully teases more to come, but the film’s heart just isn’t in it. After Justice League, there’s nowhere else any of this can go.
EW: The chemistry between the old and new castmembers being the main one, thanks to Whedon and co-writer Chris Terrio. And the handful of call-back cameos from Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, Diane Lane’s Martha Kent, and Connie Nielsen’s Queen Hippolyta are all welcome without overstaying that welcome (the same goes for newcomers like J.K. Simmons’ Commissioner Gordon). It’s obvious to anyone watching Justice League next to the other DC films that the studio brass handed down a mandate to lighten the mood and make things funnier and more Marvel-y. And, to an extent, Justice League accomplishes that. But it also feels like so much attention was paid to the smaller, fizzier character moments that the bigger picture of the film’s overarching plot was a second or third priority. Some day, hopefully soon, DC will get the recipe right again and duplicate Wonder Woman’s storytelling magic. But today isn’t that day, and Justice League, unfortunately, isn’t that film.
THR: Of the main performers, only Gadot pops from the screen at all. For now, her Wonder Woman looks to be the savior of Batman and Superman, though you may end up wondering why she’s wasting her time.
IGN: Warner Bros. and DC Films had two major goals to achieve with Justice League. First, to cleanse the palette of those turned off by the relentlessly grim BvS; and second, to make viewers enjoy these superheroes enough to want to see further screen appearances by them. Justice League mostly succeeds in accomplishing those two key objectives, despite its sloppy execution. It’s messy and flawed but it still offers enough entertainment value (mostly thanks to its likable characters) to make it worthwhile.
Rolling Stone: DC Universe’s answer to the Avengers drops the darkness for a breezier, more banter-filled movie – and loses something in the process.
ComicBook: Justice League is the real deal. It’s an epic ensemble of super heroes. It’s the most fun you’ll have with Batman and his super friends, until their next adventure together, and marks the beginning of a brand new era of super heroes on the DC side of the spectrum.
Forbes: While it’s not likely to score the same level of praise and audience love Wonder Woman enjoyed earlier this year, there’s no doubt Justice League is headed for higher audience scores and more sustained, stronger weekly holds compared to Batman v Superman.
Nerdist: The action is phenomenal, and there are at least two if not three sequences that are as epic and exciting as anything we’ve seen in superhero cinema.
The Los Angeles Times: Justice League is a seriously satisfying superhero movie.
The Guardian: Ben Affleck’s unconvincing Batman deadens the long-awaited DC adventure as superheroes team up to save planet Earth from destruction, but not boredom.
So there you have it. If you’re like me, you’ve already got your ticket to see the film, and will be watching regardless of what a few people seem to think. Keep in mind, these are most likely the same people who praised Wonder Woman, so if you liked Wonder Woman and the other DC movies, you’ll probably end up enjoying this one as well.
Justice League’s synopsis: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes — Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash — it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Are you looking forward to Justice League? Are you a fan of the DC Films that have been released so far? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments!