Not a Total Injustice

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2020)

Everyone is aware of the troubled Warner Bros. Dr. Frankenstein stitched mess production of 2017's "Justice League", most notably its crude reshoots before theatrical release, but does that mean it's unredeemable in any way? That it's unwatchable? I firmly believe no. It's fun and satisfying for what it is. Especially as an avid fan and reader of its source comic characters (seemingly the movie taking modernized inspiration from Justice League #1-6 of the New 52) there's a base level of contentment within my heart to have the privilege of witnessing these beloved characters in live-action interact together for a historical first time on the big screen; generations before us could only dream of the movie experiences we have now. I personally feel being overly critical, smashing things into oblivion perhaps is too serious and pompous in the modern world when it comes to our entertainment; whatever happened to watching a movie just for the fun of it? Justice League should be that unhindered fun. Let's dig into it...
To briefly summarize its plot, the movie depicts Batman and Wonder Woman recruiting the Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman to save the world after collectively resurrecting Superman from death to defeat Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons attempting to cause apocalyptic ruination of the Earth.
The performances of the entire cast of the Justice League were superb; no heroes or heroine eclipsing another. Interactions and bickering amongst the team had a charm that felt natural and was often times humorous. The costumes for all the characters were faithful to the comic book counterparts but have been designed with fresh stylishness. Ciarán Hinds who provided his distinctive voice for the CGI villain Steppenwolf was menacingly unsettling; equally superb as the cast of the League. Some criticism has been aimed at the CGI of Steppenwolf, but I thought the formidable presence of the character was rendered believably well.
The action scenes of this movie are a pleasure to watch and were choreographed beautifully. The cinematography is stunning to look at and are composed with as much artistry and sensibility as panels of a comic book. Whether it's Batman perched on a gargoyle, or Wonder Woman's motion blur deflecting streams of bullets with her gauntlets, it looks awesome. One visually conspicuous and unfortunately negative aspect of the movie though, is the CGI edited upper lip region of Superman (Henry Cavill) due to the actor's moustache present during this movie's infamous reshoots; it's embarrassingly uncanny valley at times whenever on screen.
In conclusion, I would recommend 2017's "Justice League" to the forefront most unwavering of DC fans primarily, and then to any other audience member not going into the viewing of the movie too seriously or self-entitled like I previously mentioned. Nothing is truly perfect to satisfy everybody. Sure, this movie had a troubled production and it shows with shoddy reshoots so obviously noticeable in the scenes they are in, but hey, this movie's production evolved as it did; it happened - accept the reality. But despite it all, I'm still unwaveringly content for what we got to experience as it is. Enjoyment from this movie is possible if your only intent is to have a fun time and see the Justice League historically united in live-action. For that it's awesome; mission accomplished.