A Surprising Ode to the DC Fans

Rating: 7/10 (15 November 2017)

After the polarizing reception of Batman v Superman (which I personally liked) and outright negative attention of Suicide Squad, I came in to this movie with low expectations. But I was certainly surprised. Justice League feels natural; it has the Zack Snyder visuals with the crisp Joss Whedon editing to maintain the perfect pacing and energy for the comic book spectacle that is this film.
Justice League is certainly more lighthearted than its predecessors, but it still maintains a tasteful amount of seriousness to it when needed in the storyline. While Man of Steel and Batman v Superman focused on the realistic societal aspects of a world with superheroes, which I think was one of the strengths of the DC films, this societal realism is not as prevalent in Justice League. This would make sense, given that this is literally a superhero team that's getting together; society is less of a concern when they know it's in danger. Also, having too much emphasis on societal realism has shown to hurt the pacing of the films, as noted in previous examples.
Ultimately, the film doesn't feel like it was trying to copy a Marvel formula, and shows DC managed to find the formula that has worked for them. The storyline itself is a basic superhero team versus big baddie and nothing special, but various moments in the story help flesh out the characters and add a fun spin here and there with the skeletal outline to help further develop the relationship between the team members. Nothing in the story feels "forced." The writing/dialogue is decent and characterizes our heroes perfectly to create a unique dynamic between each one. Standout performances are Ezra Miller as Barry Allen and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman (as always).
This film is by no means perfect and certainly has flaws. The film can be visually tiring with the Zack Snyder brand of special effects and CGI backgrounds, and the fight scenes can be repetitive (not nearly as long as Man of Steel, however). The character development can also sometimes be lacking with the supporting characters, as per Zack Snyder style. More can also certainly have been explored with the main characters, especially with Superman and Aquaman's stories that are all but briefly mentioned and minimally explored. But these flaws only apply to minor aspects of the film's overall arc for the group as a team, and don't impact the enjoyment you'll likely get out of this film.
Justice League is, at the end of the day, an ode to the comic book fans. The film is littered with references to the DC Universe that'll make any fan excited, and be sure to watch out for two post credits scenes. It's been a while since I felt this excited and hyped for the future of a franchise (i.e. pre-Avengers Marvel films), and fellow superhero fans are certainly in for a treat for this entertaining thrill ride of a film.
7.5/10