Review: Justice League: great fun but tries to do too much

I was one of the rare people who liked Batman v Superman. Despite its flaws, I found the 2015 superhero team-up fun and entertaining. It was geek’s wildest dreams come true. Of course, when Justice League was announced, I was completely for it.

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Besides promising the same fun that made BvS entertaining, Justice League opens with a promise: right the misguided DC Extended Universe ship.

As much of a wholehearted promise as it is, Justice League still has a lot to do on its plate. It has to set up the film’s villain, Steppenwolf. It has to introduce the other characters of the Justice League. Finally, it has to squeeze in Superman somewhere in there. To top it all off, Justice League’s production is plagued with unavoidable incidents and reshoots.

Amidst all the things that this movie has to do to revitalize the DCEU, Justice League still pushes a more entertaining film than what was expected. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, is infused with a lot of light-hearted moments, and is an absolute geekfest. It’s definitely a lot better than its predecessor.

Sadly, it’s not without its flaws, especially when it comes to Steppenwolf and the other new characters. Justice League has to do so much in its mandated 2-hour runtime. The debuting Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg were attached with attempts at a backstory. However, with only 5 to 10 minutes each, it’s hard to deliver convincing character development without rushing into it. The film assumes that its audience knows and cares about these characters. Justice League did attempt to show pathos with each character; it’s just difficult to care.

Likewise, Steppenwolf is a monster of the week that just falls short of delivering the same presence as both General Zod or Lex Luthor. His screen time begins and ends so haphazardly that you’ll be forgiven for forgetting him so quickly. A lot of his problems stem from his existing based only on a long exposition scene. Steppenwolf (and his MacGuffin Mother Boxes) enjoyed only a mention in BvS. To sum him up, Steppenwolf shows up, hunts for world-ending boxes, and attempts to end the world. Finito.

For all its flaws, Justice League is still peppered with fun and entertaining moments. Most notably, Superman’s role is the soundest return sequence in recent movie history. It’s grounded in the film’s lore and is a product of the character’s motivation. There’s a believable reason why he returns. Additionally, his return is filled with emotional pathos that makes more sense, compared to other characters.

Despite their lack of character development, the Justice League’s new characters were definite bright spots in the entire movie. They, at least, had clear roles that they filled. Aquaman was the happy-go-lucky badass. The Flash was the powerful comic relief. Cyborg was the pained, reluctant hero. None of them were limited to placeholder characters.

Flawed as it is, Justice League is enjoyable for both casual moviegoers and comic book fans. It’s not a great film, all in all, but you’ll at least have a fun time. If anything, Justice League is hype for future DC properties.