The Justice League movie has been in the works ever since Batman (Ben Affleck) mistook Superman (Henry Cavill) for an adversary, and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) swung by to kick some ass and keep the dudes in check. But after years of preparation -- and more than a few behind-the-scenes shake ups -- how did the actual movie turn out?
We ran our review for Zack Snyder's Justice League this morning, after the embargo lifted. Conner Schwerdtfeger, our resident DC super fan, saw the light in Snyder's vision, writing:
While it's nowhere near as innovative as its Marvel counterpart, and kind of a hot mess in a few fundamental ways, Justice League is also an insanely fun time as it absolutely nails these DC heroes, offers up some phenomenal fan service, and promises a ton of hope for the future of the DCEU.
Conner acknowledged the film's flaws, but also chose to see the foundation on which Justice League has built a few potential story options or things to come. He went positive on the movie, giving it 3.5 starts out of 5.
Looking to focus on the positives, The Hollywood Reporter zeroed in on Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), saying that she basically saves the movie:
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.
And Variety weighs in with a half-hearted salute, calling Zack Snyder's film "the essence of generic competence." Owen Gleiberman is actually more positive in the full review, as he explains:
The film is the definition of an adequate high-spirited studio lark: no more, no less. If fans get excited about it, that may mostly be because they're excited about getting excited. Yet the movie is no cheat. It's a tasty franchise delivery system that kicks a certain series back into gear.
Surely, the geeks liked it, though. Right? ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis is a big fan, writing:
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.
While EW comes in with a lukewarm critique, stating:
Justice League is better than its joylessly somber dress rehearsal, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now the 'but'... you knew there was a 'but' coming, right? But it also marks a pretty steep comedown from the giddy highs of Wonder Woman.... Justice League won't extinguish that hope. Not by a long shot. But it also doesn't quite translate into a winning streak either. It's a placeholder in a franchise that's already had too many placeholders.
This seems to be the overall consensus. While not a great movie, Justice League is better than Batman v Superman, and not as good as Wonder Woman. Judge for yourself once the movie opens in theaters on Thursday evening, November 16!
