The Justice League is formed! If you saw the other films like Wonder Woman, then this movie wipes out what was established there and just continues on from Beavis (BvS). Then, I will say with these considerations that the movie is entertaining and I enjoy superhero romps. It reminded me of a two part Smallville episode with movie effects and budget. I will say that Zack Snyder is credited as director and I find all of his films distasteful, but this one is good. The script is written by Chris Terrio who wrote Beavis and Joss Whedon who of course wrote and directed The Avengers (2012). Some spoilers ahead!
Let’s get to it, Gotham, a rooftop burglary is interrupted by the Batman (Ben Affleck). The robber tries to shoot the Dark Knight, but ends up with his legs tied and hung from the roof. He gets a signal and drops the robber to see some strange creature flying upwards. Batman fights with the parademon, these were countless soldiers of Apokolips introduced in The New Gods #1 (1971) by Jack Kirby. This is the beginning of the New52 Justice League comic book. Batman manages to net the parademon against a wall, but it disintegrates leaving a three box pattern. I think Affleck is starting to really get into the part, Batman has the vision of what will happen, and what it takes to stop the threat. I would like to see him continue.
Let’s get to it, Gotham, a rooftop burglary is interrupted by the Batman (Ben Affleck). The robber tries to shoot the Dark Knight, but ends up with his legs tied and hung from the roof. He gets a signal and drops the robber to see some strange creature flying upwards. Batman fights with the parademon, these were countless soldiers of Apokolips introduced in The New Gods #1 (1971) by Jack Kirby. This is the beginning of the New52 Justice League comic book. Batman manages to net the parademon against a wall, but it disintegrates leaving a three box pattern. I think Affleck is starting to really get into the part, Batman has the vision of what will happen, and what it takes to stop the threat. I would like to see him continue.
Metropolis, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is working on cat stories because she lost her drive with the death of Superman. She meets with Martha Kent (Diane Lane) who has sold her Smallville farm. Paris, gunmen shoot people without a blink, this violence is carried over from Beavis. Above them on the statue of justice is Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). She captures one of the gunmen with her Lasso of Hestia and he tells her that there is a bomb that will take out three blocks. Wonder Woman bursts through the door and goes into action. The leader takes out a machine gun to fire on the hostages, Wonder Woman runs, deflects the bullets with her bracelets, and knocks one innocent away from the bullets. Very cool Wonder Woman scene! She gets rid of the bomb in the suitcase and knocks out the leader. Wonder Woman is a different character than in her movie, but I just like seeing her character in a battle again.
At the Batcave, Alfred (Jeremy Irons) goes over the potential candidates to help in the battle. Alfred becomes important as a coordinator for the group and to help keep Bruce Wayne on track. In some northern European place overlooking an iceberg-covered sea, Bruce Wayne has traveled there to reach a town. He asks the locals about Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa), a bearded man (who is Arthur) watches him, and Bruce sees pictures on the wall of the three cubes. Arthur goes out unconvinced by Bruce, very cool to see the waves engulf him, and dives into the sea.
Mamoa has Aquaman as a man helping out innocents, but not a part of them, later it is brought in that he is not a part of the surface world or Atlantis. The later part where he confesses about his place is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Themyiscra, the island has some strange effects that are less than the beauty that was in Wonder Woman (2017), Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) has guards surrounding a Mother Box. These are the living computers from Kirby’s Fourth World, but have a sinister purpose here. It releases a Boom Tube and out of it comes Steppenwolf who is voiced by Ciaran Hinds, Mance Ryder from Game of Thrones. He has a horned helmet like Ares and is massive in his armor. He easily defeats the Amazons and Hippolyta sends the Mother Box through collapsed walls and across the plains on horseback.
Mamoa has Aquaman as a man helping out innocents, but not a part of them, later it is brought in that he is not a part of the surface world or Atlantis. The later part where he confesses about his place is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Themyiscra, the island has some strange effects that are less than the beauty that was in Wonder Woman (2017), Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) has guards surrounding a Mother Box. These are the living computers from Kirby’s Fourth World, but have a sinister purpose here. It releases a Boom Tube and out of it comes Steppenwolf who is voiced by Ciaran Hinds, Mance Ryder from Game of Thrones. He has a horned helmet like Ares and is massive in his armor. He easily defeats the Amazons and Hippolyta sends the Mother Box through collapsed walls and across the plains on horseback.
Still, Steppenwolf defeats them, takes the Mother Box, and Boom Tubes away. Hippolyta has a flaming arrow and looses it from a bow. It falls into a temple honoring the Amazons and lights it as a beacon. An arrow that travels hundreds of miles without the flame going out? Paris at the Louvre, Diana is restoring a statue when she sees the news of the beacon. The story of Steppenwolf is revealed. He is a conqueror of worlds who tried to take the Earth some time in the ancient past. The Amazons with Hippolyta united with the Atlanteans (on land) and the “Tribes of Men.” They were able to push Steppenwolf back and stop him from uniting the three Mother Boxes.
This would allow him to return to Apokolips. Steppenwolf does mention the name of Darkseid. The Amazons ended up on Themyscira and Atlanteans went under the sea. There are also the gods, it seems Zeus, and even forces like the Green Lanterns(!), a defeated GL has his ring slip off and fly to a new ring wearer. This all was left out of the Wonder Woman movie. Again, this is a reboot of the Wonder Woman film where the Amazons fought in wars against a warring humanity and then Zeus set up Themyscira. The problem with Steppenwolf is that we see him as the invincible villain and not as a person. He needs a lieutenant to have conversations.
This would allow him to return to Apokolips. Steppenwolf does mention the name of Darkseid. The Amazons ended up on Themyscira and Atlanteans went under the sea. There are also the gods, it seems Zeus, and even forces like the Green Lanterns(!), a defeated GL has his ring slip off and fly to a new ring wearer. This all was left out of the Wonder Woman movie. Again, this is a reboot of the Wonder Woman film where the Amazons fought in wars against a warring humanity and then Zeus set up Themyscira. The problem with Steppenwolf is that we see him as the invincible villain and not as a person. He needs a lieutenant to have conversations.
In the Batcave, Bruce Wayne is checking on the heroes when Diana Prince walks in, and they assemble the team. Bruce was working on a large jet that he says activated when Superman was gone. We saw Barry Allen meet with his father in prison, a cameo with Marc McClure from Superman The Movie (1979) as Officer Ben Sadowsky checking Barry into the prison. A brief scene where Barry gets super speed revenge on an impatient visitor. He meets with his father, Henry Allen (Billy Crudup), whom (if you watch the Flash tv series) is in prison for allegedly killing his wife. Henry wants Barry to forget him and do something with his life.
It picks up with Barry unlocking a warehouse door, entering the darkened room, and seeing Bruce Wayne sitting there. He throws his Batarang, this was seen in the trailer, Barry watches at super speed as it twirls in the air and catches it. Barry quickly joins the team and admits that he has difficulty with people. Miller’s Flash is kinda fun even with the CW Flash show. I don’t understand where he got his armor, I think Bruce Wayne should have supplied it, but maybe that would be too much like Iron Man. I like his enthusiasm, new-to-the- scene superhero, and awkward wonder, but many of the jokes were like dad jokes to me. Atlantis, the Mother Box pulses in the water (shot dry for wet), and Steppenwolf arrives. He is opposed by Mera (Amber Heard) in armor and she uses her power of shaping water to batter him.
It picks up with Barry unlocking a warehouse door, entering the darkened room, and seeing Bruce Wayne sitting there. He throws his Batarang, this was seen in the trailer, Barry watches at super speed as it twirls in the air and catches it. Barry quickly joins the team and admits that he has difficulty with people. Miller’s Flash is kinda fun even with the CW Flash show. I don’t understand where he got his armor, I think Bruce Wayne should have supplied it, but maybe that would be too much like Iron Man. I like his enthusiasm, new-to-the- scene superhero, and awkward wonder, but many of the jokes were like dad jokes to me. Atlantis, the Mother Box pulses in the water (shot dry for wet), and Steppenwolf arrives. He is opposed by Mera (Amber Heard) in armor and she uses her power of shaping water to batter him.
Steppenwolf slams Mera when Aquaman appears and the fight goes on, but ends with Steppenwolf taking the Mother Box. We also see the lead of S.T.A.R. Labs, Silas Stone (Joe Morton), head to a room, where a man in a track suit is restless. The man is actually the very much alive son, Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), known as Cyborg. He was of course one of the founding members of the New Teen Titans first appearing with that team in DC Comics Presents #26 (1980). Cyborg also appeared in the Justice League team in the Smallville tv show and then Geoff Johns brought him with Mother Box upgrade in the New52’s Justice League comic.
The design of Cyborg’s mechanical body has such strange non-human proportions I don’t see how it is functional. Victor says he has found new powers every day including interfacing with every system and now flying. Diana was typing at the Batcomputer when Cyborg’s text converses with her. She wants an in person meeting. On a Gotham night street, she confides that she went into hiding, so she understands some of what he is feeling. Cyborg doesn’t want a part of the team and flies off. Cyborg is kinda interesting, Fisher has Victor as conflicted by his look, and has to struggle to become the hero, I really like Fisher’s portrayal and would be up for a Cyborg film.
The team will come together, using their promo song, and battle Steppenwolf under Gotham Harbor. There is some Russian family that are caught in the Parademon attacks to get the civilian perspective. The team will need another member which may be the fallen Superman (Henry Cavill). Together they take on Steppenwolf on a typical Zack Snyder disaster porn fashion. It’s a green screen CG fest, but there is some fun in it. I really like the defeat of the villain and how the team members work together.
The visuals are not stunning, but it's what you expect seeing the trailers. I have to note Danny Elfman’s score, I like a hook something memorable like Junkie XL and Hans Zimmer's Wonder Woman theme, it’s a basic score here. He brings in the beginning of his theme from Batman and also John Williams’ Superman theme and just fades out. The best part of the movie is the creator credits that seem complete to me. There are two end credit scenes, a Joss Whedon-like character scene, and the last one had the audience losing their mind. There are moments that are good for me, which makes it a good superhero film, even with it’s flaws. Should you see Justice League? I’m all in!
Three Mother Boxes out of Five!
#JusticeLeague, #BenAffleck, #GalGadot, #JasonMamoa, #RayFisher, #EzraMiller, #HenryCavill
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