I’m done.
I’m done with the DCEU (DC Extended Universe). I’m done defending “Man of Steel” for its darker and more serious take on Superman. I’m done trying to convince others that Ben Affleck is actually an excellent choice to play Batman. I’m done pretending I actually enjoy “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” because the warehouse fight scene is amazing. I’m done getting excited for films like “Suicide Squad” that have excellent marketing, only to be inevitably let down in the theater. I’m done with the inconsistency of tone and style that has plagued this cinematic universe. With the release of “Justice League,” I’ve decided that I am done with Warner Brothers’ disastrous take on these beloved DC heroes.
When Batman (Ben Affleck, “Gone Girl”) has suspicions that an alien invasion is on its way, he travels the world, recruiting heroes to form a team to fend off the force. With the help of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot, “Furious 7”), The Flash (Ezra Miller, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”), Aquaman (Jason Momoa, “Game of Thrones”), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Batman and his team take on a new deadly force, Steppenwolf and his undead insect army.
“Justice League” is bad. Shockingly bad. For being the film that Warner Brothers has been building up towards for many years, it’s incredible just how bad this movie really is. Sure, the addition of Momoa and Miller brings new personalities that are fun and likable, but to balance them, Fisher’s Cyborg may be the worst character in the entire DCEU. He’s boring, uninteresting, and profoundly unlikable. He adds little, if anything, to the story or struggle the Justice League find themselves in.
Then there’s Steppenwolf, a villain so unremarkable that even one of the film’s directors, Joss Whedon (Marvel’s “The Avengers”), would agree. This CGI laden baddie is such a pushover, never possessing any attributes that would make him a viable threat to Earth or the League. Without a properly explained motivation and any semblance of a personality, it’s disheartening to see the great union of DC heroes take on such a pathetic foe.
His plan is to destroy Earth using a collection of cubes (which I am certain will never make a return in the films). These magical items are eerily similar to the “Infinity Stones” from Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, “Justice League” wants so desperately to be Marvel’s “The Avengers”, it’s almost off-putting. There are so many similarities between the two movies that it’s distracting.
Ultimately, that’s my biggest problem with “Justice League.” It’s just discouraging. I felt almost betrayed by Warner Brothers as they effectively proved their inability to produce a compelling superhero movie worthy of any amount of excitement or passion. They’ve effectively proven that they don’t care about their properties and giving them the films they deserve. This is the end for me. I no longer care about the DCEU.
I honestly feel bad about the criticism I had for “Thor: Ragnarok.” Sure, it’s nothing new, but I would take that, if the film is good, over something offensively terrible like “Justice League. It’s an awful movie and I cannot stress the following statement enough: Do not watch it.
Score: 4.5/10.0
