Looking Past The Flaws & Hoping For A Corrected Follow Up

Rating: 8/10 (29 March 2016)

Well... what can I say? We are not reviewing an Oscar winning script here, but a life-action comic book. A c-o-m-i-c b-o-o-k. It's rare when put to film that they get a great script. So, with that out of the way, on to the review: -- It was an action spectacle; awesome comic book action, with some small irritating changes - no doubt the writers were either unfamiliar with the character or the person who demanded he acted that way was. This refers to Superman's jerk-behavior and general childish behavior in the first 65% of the movie. Way off from "Man of Steel". There he was more of a think-things-through type of guy; even though he obviously is a whole lot less mentally mature on screen than in the comic books. Anyway... The movie was not bad at all, if a little rushed at the end... it felt as though it should have been half an hour longer, and they cut stuff out to compress it into 2 hours and 31 minutes; hope they release a director's cut on BluRay.
The movie introduces the audience to Aquaman, Cyborg, The Flash, and Wonder Woman; hinting at the upcoming Justice League. And googling DC's production schedule, they are all slated to star in their own movie, starting with Suicide Squad August 5th, 2016, followed by Wonder Woman on June 23rd 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17th 2017; The Flash on March 16th, 2018; Aquaman July 27th 2018; Shazam April 5th 2019; Justice League Part Two June 14th 2019; Cyborg April 3rd 2020, and Green Lantern Corps on June 19th 2020.
Batman is his brooding self, Lex Luthor is insane, for the first part of the movie, Superman acted like he just crawled out of an egg. Wonder Woman was nicely done, if a bit skinny and less believable body-wise (the actress is or was a model...). Which makes one wonder, with all the fitness models hanging around LA... why not one who can act? In the comic book Wonder Woman actually looks like an Amazon, not some mannequin-who-looks-fragile; even though she never loses her femininity in those same comics. If they insist on using "models" why not have them beef up some, like they did with Chris Hemsworth in Thor (2011)? That was impressive. Even if he lost most of that muscle by the time he reprised his role in The Avengers; where he looked like a reformed drug addict... There is no way around it; if Hollywood wants to make convincing comic book movies, like Man of Steel for instance, then the actors need to step up to the plate and look the part as well. Gal Gadot has a pretty face, nice hair; so where is the rest of the Wonder Woman look? You cannot simply project strength with your face alone. It is a movie, not a video chat: you require body and body movements. Simple things, such as the way they stand, make all the difference. Batman and Superman were the most convincing, and the characters that were introduced, such as Aquaman and Cyborg, actually looked the part.
Anyway, other than those points, I enjoyed the movie. Go see it.