The question of whether or not any movie is good or bad is interpretation, but particularly with Justice League. It’s quite the divisive split around the Internet between people who enjoy it and others that think it was really bad. Not quite as divisive as what is still happening with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but that’s a topic for another time.
I’ve been thinking on this recently, while watching behind the scenes footage of both Justice League and Wonder Woman; as well as the other DC Universe movies. It’s given me some interesting thoughts on the subject. Let me preface this with saying I actually did enjoy Justice League when I first saw it, but I understand the level of what is being discussed.
Let’s begin with the characters, because that’s where every good screenplay (and story) should begin. They are, after all, the ones at the core of the story you’re trying to tell. A lot of the complaints to this movie have been that the characters weren’t really themselves, or didn’t suit what they have been in the comics (especially with Batman for some reason).
Leaving aside the fact that movies, and any change in writer\director\etc makes it an adaptation, that is exactly the point. These characters we see in Justice League are not the characters that we know. This is the very early beginnings of them working together, and with the exception of Batman (and possibly Wonder Woman due to the year) they haven’t been fighting or protecting very long.
Flash and Cyborg have only just begun their “career”. Flash hasn’t even fought against Reverse Flash yet according to canon sources for the movie. Cyborg at this stage has barely left the apartment we find him in.
Even Superman hasn’t really been through much since his reveal in Man of Steel. The follow up with Batman V Superman takes place immediately after as well so there’s no room for him to get to that stage. Speaking of, that movie also doesn’t give Henry Cavill’s Superman a chance to actually become Superman. He’s not the shining beacon of hope that we know of Superman. He doesn’t fully inspire the public, rather makes them afraid. The movie attempts to help that but doesn’t go far enough (in my opinion) to showing him grow that. It’s very clear to that storyline, that Batman is the standout even though it’s technically a Superman movie.
Wonder Woman is probably the closest to the character from the comics, but even she still has a way to go in Justice League to reach there. Bruce states it himself in the movie when he tells her that she should be a beacon, and out there helping instead of shutting herself out from the world for so many years.
Which she has done. Diana up until the Batman V Superman has mostly kept away from the public eye. Now, I’m obviously writing this before Wonder Woman 1984 comes out to cinema, but I suspect they won’t be going totally public with her abilities in the film. I could be wrong, that’s why it’s called theory. But it’s just what I’m thinking currently.
Aquaman is probably the most changed from the original sources, so he can’t by definition be the character we know. Most of that came out when Jason Momoa was announced as Arthur Curry and the first promo pictures came out showing him as very different, but at the same time intriguing. He has a few funny moments, and quips, in Justice League. However, his character doesn’t really change all too much. He has a little bit of change with regards to working with others, but he states himself it’s just this time (even though the audience knows it obviously won’t be).
Batman is somewhere in the middle. He is like his character (we can debate that one all day) but he is if you look at certain points. But he is also the Batman who has been working in Gotham over 20 years. He’s had his day. He’s jaded, and tired. He does change that up slightly just before Justice League as a movie, where he realises what he has done with Superman. But he still hasn’t really grown past it. He’s still pretty disgruntled about the years. To quote from Nolan’s trilogy, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the bad guy”.
He’s reached that point, and past it. He’s basically become the bad guy which is why he doesn’t have the issue with guns the same way as what people know Batman to be.
Overall, these characters are just beginning their journey as part of one group\team. It’s possible the movie shouldn’t have been called, Justice League. But really what else do you call it when all these characters are together like this?
That leads onto the villain of the piece, Steppenwolf. The common complaint about him was that he was a bad CGI villain. He wasn’t strong enough, etc. Well, yes and no. He wasn’t supposed to be. He came to Earth because of the mother boxes awakening after the death of Superman in the last movie. There was supposed to be no one powerful enough to stop him, given how easily he came against the Amazon’s. Remember, the Amazon’s only beat him back the first time with the alliance of themselves, the Green Lantern’s and the humans-showing the strength around teams which is hinting at the Justice League setup. He wasn’t there to take over the planet. He was there to begin the Unity, a terra-forming event to make the planet ready.
Could this have been handled better? Certainly. I’ll be the first to admit that it was a little weak. But this story is about the characters of the League joining up and working together. This is what the dynamic of the film is about, and what the movie for the most part did produce.
The other main thing that fans tend to stick on is the bad CGI around Henry Cavill’s mustache due to reshoots needed while he was filming Mission Impossible and contracted to maintain the look. Was it a bad process? Sure.. But CGI should NEVER be a reason for a movie to be talked about as bad; which is what I’ve seen with Justice League.
Personally, I would have played with the timing a little after the end of Batman V Superman and made reference somewhere to the fact that body hair continues to grow after death. Then leave the mustache there. The movie wouldn’t look weird while you’re watching it, and he can keep his contracted look. Have a reshoot at the end of the film for an end credit sequence where he shaves (possibly even with heat vision) and Lois comes in to say he looks better. Who knows, that was just quick, but the point is they could have gotten around it better and it shouldn’t be any reason to consider this bad.
Which leads me onto this last point.
Fan expectation.
We’ve got lucky as fans in the last 10 years or so. Comic book movies, mostly thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been at a high peak of excellence. The quality of the story telling, and effects, along with perfect casting of characters has spoiled us with what we watch. We do really live in a golden age of television and movies where anything that can be imagined can be brought to the screen. There have been mis-steps along the way, sure. But it’s been amazing to see all these stories grow. Marvel in the cinema realm leading up to Infinity War and the massive success of that culmination. DC in the television space with the Arrowverse and everything they are doing there to connect the characters.
Because of all this success the fan expectation amongst a lot of fans has reached the point where if something doesn’t match what they see in their heads, then they call it out as stupid, or dumb, or terrible. It’s something that really has to stop. Sure, tell people you’re thoughts. But make them discussions and not just “this is stupid”. Have debates, but don’t turn them into arguments. Movies (and television) are visual mediums and everyone is going to have a different idea in their heads about what they were going to see. Accept that.
Overall, I believe that Justice League is actually a good movie and a place that they can move on from quite nicely if they have someone at Warner Bros directing the show well enough. Wonder Woman showed this nicely. As did Aquaman, which James Wan did an excellent job of world building for. I hope Patti Jenkins can pull that same magic with Wonder Woman 1984 this year. I have faith in her directing abilities. But even keeping with how they are going, the DC Universe isn’t dead yet and I think they can pull this all together if someone looks at the strings properly.
Dreaming Screenwriter 