A Step In The Right Direction

Rating: 7/10 (21 November 2017)

Batman needs a shave.
He can also use a shower, by the look of things—the brooding countenance he's displayed in more recent motion picture adventures seems to have developed into a full-scale funk in "Justice League," or at least a particularly sullen attitude which eventually results in a couple of beatings at the hands of his superhero friends.
In "Justice League," when an alien despot named Steppenwolf arrives on Earth with his army of deadly cicada-like minions, Batman must recruit a league of superheroes, including Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash, to work in tandem with himself and Wonder Woman to defeat the alien threat and save the world.
The alien invaders are the least of the superheroes' worries in this picture, compared with the obstacles of clunky dialogue, one tired characterization, and a few plot details which just don't make any sense.
From that perspective, Batman's attitude and unkempt appearance are probably understandable, and even more so considering the troubled history of this latest picture from the DC Comics universe. In fact, Steppenwolf and his alien friends might be partly responsible for saving "Justice League" from complete failure.
In development since 2007, "Justice League" was as of 2014 meant to be the first installment of a two-part series, Zack Snyder's next project after 2013's "Man of Steel" and 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Once begun, the picture's principal photography lasted from April until October of 2016, after which Snyder brought aboard writer/director Joss Whedon to write a few extra scenes to be shot later, during May of 2017. But the expanded production schedule of the picture was interrupted in March by the tragic death of Zack Snyder's adult daughter (wife Deborah is also one of the producers of "Justice League").
After the funeral of their daughter, both Snyders returned briefly to the production, but soon abandoned the project to grieve their loss.
Whedon's duties were expanded by Warner Bros to include directing the additional scenes he'd written for the picture. Whedon had previously guided 2012's "The Avengers" and 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron" for DC's comic book rival, Marvel Entertainment.
Following the surprise worldwide success of "Wonder Woman" in June, two more months of additional reshoots were added to the production schedule. And along the way, the picture's budget kept growing until the final cost reached a mammoth $300 million, making "Justice League" the third most expensive movie in motion picture history, behind the two latest installments in Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
Whedon was given three objectives by Warner Bros.—lighten the picture's tone, expand Wonder Woman's presence, and deliver a picture with a running time of two hours or less Both "Man of Steel" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" had drawn severe criticism for their overlength.
The good news is that Joss Whedon has accomplished all three of the Warner objectives. Despite its failings, "Justice League" moves like lightening at 119 minutes, and contains a plot which is both compelling and relatively easy to comprehend—no small accomplishment in these days of absurdly complicated science fiction.
In addition, during the action sequences which occupy much of the film, the screen is filled with images which are eye-filling, and colorful in every sense of the word.
The single worst-kept secret in the DC universe is the identity of the iconic superhero who's resurrected from the dead in "Justice League." And of the dozens of ways available to regenerate a departed character in comic book-driven science fiction, the filmmakers in this picture have chosen the solitary option which involves grave-robbery, resulting in the film's gamier moments.
As an example of the film's clunky dialogue, after the character is revived, his description of the experience is the single word, "Weird." When pressed on the point, he elaborates, "Really weird."
The rookie members of the Justice League fare quite well in the picture— Jason Momoa as Aquaman is earthy, plain-spoken, and raucous, Ray Fisher as Cyborg gives Batman competition for sullen attitude and self-pity, and young Ezra Miller as The Flash displays a hyperactive Howie Mandel- like persona—endearing or grating, depending on your taste. In a world of demigods, Miller's Flash is the audience's surrogate, delivering observations and asking questions the viewer might, if given the chance.
But the lion's share of "Justice League" belongs to Ben Affleck as Batman and especially the delightful Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Despite Affleck's lazy and repressed performance, his character moves the plot alongeffectively allowing an opportunity for Gadot's star to shine even brighter. If Affleck's performance seems tired and stale, Gadot's is a breath of pure oxygen.
"Justice League" moves the DC superheroes closer to the rarefied air of their rivals at Marvel. And while DC has a way to go before becoming a real threat to the Marvel entertainment colossus, "Justice League" is a big, and very entertaining, step in the right direction.