Justice League : Review

Following on closely to the events depicted in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Bruce Wayne / Batman (Ben Affleck – The Accountant, Suicide Squad) is on a quest to unite a group of special people, possessing unique abilities and powers, drawing inspiration from Superman’s (Henry Cavill) sacrifice, and selfless act. As the world faces a grave dangers, and a powerful enemy from a time long past, Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds – Frozen).

Joining this intrepid group of metahumans, is Batman’s newfound ally, Diana Prince / Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot – Wonder Woman, Triple 9), to face an even greater enemy. Barry Allen / The Flash (Ezra Miller – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) is on-board, with Arthur Curry / Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Victor Stone / Cyborg (Ray Fisher) rounding off the list.

The film takes time to establish each character, how they were invited into the league, and the amount of persuasion needed to win them over. The story itself presents the antagonist to the audience very soon in the movie, however it then meanders a bit as we get to meet each metahuman, and they get to learn about each other.

While there are many actions scenes, the film is not without some brevity. Much debate as to how funny a seemingly large collection of glib remarks might be, but there are plenty of those to go round.

Visually, there is the expected plethora of visual effects, but these are alas way too dark when presented in the many cinemas in South Africa that are not correctly set up to display 3D in any form that is enjoyable. Vote with your feet, and demand your money back if the film is too dark. Go watch it elsewhere, so you can actually see what is going on, such as Imax. Or, see it in 2D.

As a sequel, Justice League outshines Batman vs Superman, yet it does not quite reach the heights of the recently released Wonder Woman. And this in virtually all aspects. Batman vs Superman lacked a good many things, which Justice League makes up for, on all fronts. With the addition of many new characters, there is a lot of scope now for this cinematic universe, and there are several films already in the planning stages to carry this torch.

Justice League is enjoyable. It has an engaging story, which while slow at times, does form a great introduction to this particular world, where they heroes are a team. With more to come, the film does leave you with a touch of excitement of what will be in the future. If the upward story trend continues, there are sure to be some really interesting and fun films in the DC Universe.

Justice League opens 17 November 2017, in cinemas, in South Africa.

Read a Q&A with Jason Momoa.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb