Decently made despite some sloppy execution.

Rating: 6/10 (16 November 2017)

After all this time, the Justice League finally assembles in the big screen. For what it's worth, it's an entertaining time and worth the admission. Despite that, the film does have a good amount of issues. But the cast for the most part is great. Their banter and their performance is what really puts the whole film a float.
I've been a fan of the Ben Affleck casting since he was announced. I think he's the best cinematic version of Batman we've got on screen, certainly more comic accurate and more of a brute. Bruce Wayne here goes through a big change in his character and I liked seeing this whole new side of him. He's learning to work together with the other members and his dynamic with Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is nicely handled. Gadot, is great and her performance carries through since her solo film debut, but I still found some her line deliveries kinda weak. The reports are true though, she is used for some downgrading comedy regarding her attractive appearance and the Amazons do wear more revealing armor as opposed to the practical look Patty Jenkins and her design team helped shape. I'm not gonna go too deep in this, but I can definitely see why this would turn off a lot of fans and some general going audience members, especially since Wonder Woman was big step forward.
The new players are good for the most part. Ezra Miller's Flash for me was a tad too quippy. I found it kind of annoying and most of his jokes did not land. That's not to say I didn't chuckle here and there, but I know certain liberties should be taken when it comes to adapting source material, but I couldn't get on board with this Barry Allen. Maybe he'll grow into the Barry Allen I want to see someday. However his display of powers are quite cool to look at.
Jason Momoa's Aquaman worried me in the trailers. I was hoping he wouldn't be another quippy, tough guy/surfer dude character, but he turned out not to be. Well not entirely. Ray Fisher's Cyborg is a bit dry, but he's integral to the plot of the film. I think there's a lot of potential with him.
Now on to Superman. I think people who weren't happy about Cavill's Superman in the past will be happy now. For me, I was already a fan of Cavill's Superman, but it took them three tries and now he is the Superman I think everyone wanted to see. His return elevates the film just a bit more. He is the highlight for me and I'm really intrigued what they do with him next.
Now their villain Steppenwolf, it's not just a weak villain, it's a bad one. A really bad one. Super one-noted, and incredibly forgettable. I'd compare him to Malekieth from Thor: The Dark World. To be fair he wasn't complex in the comics either but, Snyder and his team had the opportunity to really bring something cool to the table. It is very much similar to Marvel's villain problem, and to be honest, DC villains have been extremely weak aside from General Zod. Also the Parademons are fodder. Since Avengers and Age of Ultron, it can get pretty redundant at this point to see a team take out mindless creatures.
The movie is brisk. It's just about two hours, and the banter between the heroes are fun. However you can probably tell that a good chunk of the film is missing in the cutting room floor. There are a lot of scenes where the scene is abrupt and the editing is very choppy. Sometimes whenever something interesting happens it just keeps cutting away instead of letting the scene play out. Corporate meddling definitely took place, which is a shame cause I would have loved to soak up the scenes a bit more.
I will admit the tone shift from BvS made this film feel a little Marvel-ish, not in a bad way. For me I never had a problem of the darker tone. BvS had a lot of good ideas, but it was all just sloppy execution(The Ultimate Cut is a little better). I would rank this third on the list of all the DC films that have been release. Man of Steel and Wonder Woman are better, but Justice League is a step up from BvS, and leaps and bounds better than Suicide Squad.
Despite some problems I'm happy Snyder pulled it off, and I wish him well especially since the family tragedy we went through. At times the film looks and feels like a Snyder film, but there are moments where you can absolutely tell Joss Whedon had his fingerprints here and there. For better or worse I thought it worked at times, and at times it didn't, most of it came from Flash, so take that for what it is. I'm not one who's really picky about CGI but there are times in the film where it's so obvious that everything is CGI.
To cap it off, Justice League is a flawed, but solid entry to the franchise. I'm excited now and more hopeful. Whether or not this film gets praise or negative reception, the excuse of "it's made for the fans," cannot be a way to dismiss bad reviews, that goes for ANY movie.
So to end this review, I hope all the fanboys are just at peace with each other, whether you're Marvel or DC. In the end all we need, at the very least is a decent and entertaining film. Just cause someone else has one opinion doesn't mean it's the end all be all.
6.7/10