BY RICHARD SUPLEE GEEK SPACE CORRESPONDENT For years fans have been calling for a live action Justice League movie and director Zack Snyder finally delivered. And the good news is Justice League is a superhero film that doesn’t require a “ultimate super duper secret Blu Ray exclusive if you turn your TV upside down directors cut” to be watchable.
But the real reason to watch Justice League is these pop culture gods finally share the screen together. And it pays off. Ben Affleck’s Batman feels more complete than the last time we saw the character. Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot effortlessly continues her performance from her solo film just a few months ago and becomes the leader of the team. And Henry Cavill’s Superman finally feels like Superman after two gloomy performances. You can see the joy on Clark Kent’s face as he keeps up with the Flash in a chase scene.
The origin stories of Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) are left vague but they both feel like fully complete characters. Cyborg’s characterization of a man not in control of his body’s alien technology feels a little more told than shown in the film but not enough to ruin this film. Jason Momoa’s Aquaman manages to steal back respect the character lost on the Superfriends cartoon where he only talked to fish. This Aquaman is an utter badass who does not feel at home on land or under sea due to mixed heritage.
Unlike Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) the information is presented clear and character’s motivations make sense. Part of this is the straight forward, simplistic nature of the plot. The alien New God conqueror Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) returns to Earth after 5,000 years to collect three Mother Boxes that will convert the planet into a molten hellscape and the Justice League rallies to defeat this threat once again. One can argue the plot is too simplistic and predictable with a lackluster “I shall conquer for no apparent reason” villain but no one is buying tickets for Steppenwolf anyways. If you want to see a Kyptonian fight side by side with a merman, an Amazon and a crazy man dressed up like a bat see this film.