Give me 'Justice' or give me death.

Rating: 6/10 (17 November 2017)

The long awaited live-action DC Superhero team-up we have all been waiting for has arrived. 'Justice League' brings our favorite heroes together, but does the film come together as well as the team does?
1. When an intergalactic foe (Steppenwolf) threatens all life on Earth, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) reunites with Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to assemble heroes from every corner to defend the world. With 'Justice League' being the 5th installment in the DC Universe, this movie undeniably feels a little rushed although it does have the appearance of a stand-alone film. It is quite obvious that DC and Warner Bros. are trying their hand at reverse engineering these characters by introducing them in one big ensemble and then gradually branching them off into their respective films. Is this DC's best movie? Not at all, but it's far from their worst.
2. One the positive side, Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) is the most prominent character in the film more so than anyone else. If there's one person that gives life to this film.....it's her. The quiet moments between Gadot and Affleck (Batman) are by far the most interesting. There is a conflict between them in a sense of a love/hate relationship which hints at a possible budding romance. The other standout character was surprisingly Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg. Maybe it's just me, but characters struggling to regain humanity that was stripped of them always resonates with me and Cyborg is just that. The least interesting member of the league however, is Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash. He clearly serves as the comic relief but he had more misses than hits. Most of his one-liners fall flat and the ones that do get nothing more than a chuckle.
3. The one person I wanted and expected more of was Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman. Momoa obviously has fun with the role but never quite proves himself to be the badass we know him as from the comics. For someone with super-strength and command of the seas, his range is limited mainly because of the script. I'm certain 'justice' will be done to his character in his upcoming solo film, but I was disappointed that he wasn't as engaged as he should be. Not to spoil anything or explain what takes place, but the brief moments we get of Henry Cavill in the film, he finally proves himself as the Superman fans love. Probably the best set-piece in the film involves him about half-way into the movie. That sequence in particular was far more exciting and thrilling than the climax.
4. Every moment in which all the league members communicate and talk amongst each other is where the movie succeeds. Despite being the only human of the team, Ben Affleck holds his own and works best in every scene he has with Gal Gadot. Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf is about as underwhelming as they come. Never is his ultimate plan thoroughly fleshed out nor his objective justified. All he serves as is just a plot device and a reason for there to be a 'Justice League'. The film drops Easter-eggs every so often including two post-credit scenes. If you can manage to be patient, the scene at the very end (not spoiling anything) hints at the possibility of the solo 'Batman' film (starring Ben Affleck) that everyone has been waiting for.
The scenes directed by Snyder, opposed to the re-shoots by Joss Whedon, are as knight and day. Not saying that's a bad thing, but the film feels very choppy without a proper flow. I wasn't bored but nether was I even mildly entertained. 'Justice League' is by far better than 'Suicide Squad', but until it establishes a stronger script, pacing and less over-the-top CGI action, it will not succeed at matching the standard of MARVEL.