Batman V Superman didn’t resonate well with a lot of movie goers. It was very dark in both feel and look. There are fans of BVS that swear it is near perfect and the true vision of Zach Snyder. I am not one of them.
Wonder Woman had a much brighter and lighter feel. It had times of heaviness but balanced it out with some humor and fun. This approach pulled in a lot of fans. It became the standard film for the DCEU.
Would the Justice League return to the dark nature of the BVS and Man of Steel or will it have a Wonder Woman and Marvel like feel?
Plot:
(There will be major spoilers– be warned)
There is a war coming to all of the Earth. The destroyer of worlds, Steppenwolf, has returned with his army of Parademons.
In the past, Steppenwolf was defeated by an alliance of Amazons, Atlantians, humanity, and the “gods”. This includes a Green Lantern fighting on their side. Now the “gods” are gone, Atlantis is submerged, the Amazons are stuck on Themyscira, and there is no Green Lantern protecting Earth.
After Superman’s death, the Mother Boxes activate to bring Steppenwolf back to Earth. His ultimate goal is to destroy the Earth to regain favor with Darkseid.
Batman understands a war is coming. He has seen it in his dreams. He fought a creature (Parademon) in Gotham that seeks fear. He begin to recruit other heroes to join him in the battle.
Steppenwolf quickly regains 2 of the three lost Mother Boxes. He fights his way threw the Amazons on Themyscira. He surprises the Atlantians and takes the second box. He has difficulty finding the third box.
After much recruiting, Batman brings together Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Flash, and Aquaman to join the team. (Major Spoilers) They come up with a plan to resurrect Superman by using the last Mother Box. They bring him back to life but a confused Kryptonian is not a good thing. Lois shows up and settles down Superman but they fly off. During this, Steppenwolf regains the last Mother Box.
The newly found Justice League bands together without Superman. They take the battle to Steppenwolf before the three Mother Boxes can combine and destroy the Earth. The Battle ensues but not even their combined forces can stop Steppenwolf until Superman shows up. His added abilities keep Steppenwolf at bay while Cyborg and Superman pull apart the three Mother Boxes.
The Justice League saves the day by teaming up. They defeat Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons. They are sucked into a boom tube after their defeat.
What I liked: (More Spoilers)
The feel of this movie was much more the flavor of Wonder Woman or the Avengers than Batman V Superman. There are times the tones are dark and dreary but they are balanced out by lighter, more colorful and fun moments.
The Flash adds humor to the DCEU that has been in short supply. Adding humor to a heavy movie helps the fans adjust to the intensity of the film. It also reminds us that this is a fun popcorn movie.
The ensemble cast is a good one. Adding Cyborg, Flash and Aquaman makes this group more interesting. Each brings their special strengths and abilities but also adds their individual personalities and quirks to this team.
Superman. I have complained in the past that I haven’t recognized the Superman of the Zach Snyder era. I hadn’t seen a Superman that I liked since Superman Returns (yes bad movie but Brandon Roth was Superman). The brooding Kryptonian is not my Superman (#NotMySuperman). But this resurrected Superman is my Superman. Sure, he is a bit of monster until Lois shows up. But his confusion is explainable. He becomes the hero I know by the end of the movie. He is a beacon of light and helps Diane become the beacon that Wonder Woman was during World War I.
This movie was a straight forward Superhero movie. It has the problem that brings the team together. It makes this group of individuals work together as a team. It is a simple formula but it works wonders. This was the way to introduce the team and get fans on board.
What I Did Not Like: (Spoilers)
There are scenes in the trailers that are not in the movie at all. The scene in the trailer with Alfred talking to someone off screen isn’t there. He tells this person that they have been expecting him. There was much speculation about who this person was. This isn’t answered because the scene doesn’t take place. There are other clips that don’t make this movie.
There are times the action appears to drive the plot. The movie plot comes across at forced. It tries to keep up with the action.
I don’t like the look of some of the costumes. I really don’t like the Flash’s costume. It looks very mechanical and militarized. Similarly, I am not a fan of Cyborg’s armor. I hoped it would look more like his partial armor from his New Teen Titans days drawn by George Pérez.
Review:
This movie is the movie I wished I had gotten instead of Batman V Superman. It introduces our characters in ways that make sense. It is fun and light at times and yet dark and intense at others. It isn’t a perfect movie. It misses some opportunities but nails many other ones.
This movie is PG 13 for a reason. There is a lot of comic book action and some cursing. It has moments of intensity and death. I will let my 8 year old watch this at home where he doesn’t have to focus on it constantly but not in theaters.
This a good movie. It is worth your time and money to see it in theaters. This movie should bring in comic book fans, action movie fans, and those who just want to see a fun popcorn movie. I recommend this movie for anyone that was doubting. The critics may not love it but I believe many regular movie goers will enjoy this film.
My Grade: B+
Other Reviews
IMDB: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes: Audience: 85% Fresh
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 39% Rotten
Stay Geeky my Friends!
