MovieChat Forums > Justice League (2017) Discussion > Actually kinda liked it...

Actually kinda liked it...

posted 7 years ago by [deleted]
2 replies | jump to latest

It’s probably just that I went in with really low expectations but I actually enjoyed this movie. I wasn’t a fan of Batman v Superman or Suicide Squad but this one definitely felt like a step in the right direction.

What worked:
- 2 hour runtime. BvS dragged like crazy for me and the reduced runtime for JL seemed to benefit the film.
- The Flash character as comic relief worked well. Never read the comics are watched other iterations of The Flash so I don’t know too much about this character but I really liked the nervous energy that Ezra Miller used to portray him.
- Superman smiling. In his limited time in this film I think he smiled more than he did in MoS and BvS combined. I felt no emotion upon his death in BvS but have to admit that his reunion with Lois Lane and Martha Kent was nice. I’ve long said that Henry Cavill seems like a likable and funny person in real life and I was glad to see them translating some of that to the screen.
- Gal Gadot remains solid as Wonder Woman
- Thought the overall interaction of the characters worked well.

What didn’t work:
- Steppenwolf was a boring big bad and his army of flying bugs seemed equally generic.
- Cyborg and Aquaman were under-developed. They (and probably Flash) would’ve benefitted from having solo films prior to JL. I don’t think extending the runtime for JL would’ve been the answer.
- A couple loose ends I would’ve liked cleared up. At the end we see Clark Kent removing his glasses and going to the iconic ripping open of his dress shirt. How were the coincidental resurrections of both Superman and Clark Kent explained to the world? Considering Lois Lane was calling him Clark within earshot of several cops I thought they were preparing to do away with his dual identity but the end made it seem this wasn’t the case.

Bottom line for me is that this was far from a perfect movie but still a giant improvement over MoS, BvS, and Suicide Squad.

[–] Darren (1461) 7 years ago

I enjoyed the movie as well. It wasn't great, but I was entertained. I disagree about the 2 hour run time though. And I also can't really see how you can claim the 2 hour run time worked, and then turn around and note that the Flash and Cyborg were underdeveloped. They were underdeveloped because of the 2 hour run time. Ditto Steppenwolf. The 2 hour time made it impossible to fit that in and still have the rest of the story take place. I think those two heroes and the villain could have been fleshed out much better with a 2 1/2 hour run time. That wouldn't have fixed all the problems the movie had, but it would have helped develop those characters and even out the pacing -- as it is, I thought the first part of the movie felt rushed, like they were in too much of a hurry to assemble the team.

It really is a shame. This could have been a great movie, but as it is, it's a mediocre one with some really good moments, and some very good character interaction, which I thought was the best aspect of the film, especially the dynamic between Bruce and Diana. I liked the scene where Batman snaps back that HE'S not the one with real problems moving on, and then taunts her for being in hiding for a century, and not living up to her potential to be an inspirational hero like Superman, because she hasn't gotten over Steve Trevor's death yet -- that's classic Batman, pissing people off and pushing their buttons to get what he needs out of them.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Well my feeling was that both Aquaman and Cyborg (and Flash too) should've had solo films prior to JL. I feel like D.C. Put the cart before the horse with this film and I would've liked more patience with developing the DCEU.

Some movies tell a great story in 90 minutes while others can make a 2 and half hour run time fly right by. But for me I remember how badly BvS dragged with that longer run time and I know I wasn't alone in feeling that way. I think splitting the difference and settling on 2 hours was the right move.