The new DC film, 'Justice League' hits UK cinemas this week, following the success of 'Wonder Woman'. Directed by Zack Snyder (with the help of Joss Whedon), 'Justice League' is the sequel to 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', which received mixed reviews. Will the same happen to the upcoming film? Given the latest reviews, it would appear that way!
"This hodgepodge throws a bunch of superheroes into a mix that neither congeals nor particularly makes you want to see more of them in future", said The Hollywood Reporter. "It's a patchwork in which the stitching is all too obvious".
Some articles have thrown particular shade at 'Watchmen' director, like The Wrap, whose article is titled, "DC Superheroes Battle in Vain Against the Power of Zack Snyder", followed by, "there are some laughs and excitement, but this is another film that looks like Axe body spray smells". The Guardian went with, "Good, evil and dullness do battle".
For it's part, Variety don't seem to have forgotten the damaging reviews 'Batman v Superman' received. "'Justice League'...has been conceived, in each and every frame, to correct the sins of 'Batman v Superman'. It's not just a sequel - it's an act of franchise penance". IndieWire had a more scathing review, depicting the group as "strictly dimestore 'Avengers'." Having been on the receiving end of so much criticism, it's almost as though Warner Bros accept, "the Marvel formula works", and "attempt to replicate it." The article concludes with, "decades ago...Batman and Superman protected a war-torn America, forever changing popular culture. It was the D.C. universe that invented this game, so it stings to see it replicate the same old moves".
Many have also picked up on Ben Affleck's more than noticeable lack of enthusiasm in his role as Batman in both films. The Hollywood Reporter took note of how the actor, "looks like he'd rather be almost anywhere else."
Praise for the cast
Despite the negative reviews, on the whole, the cast were applauded for their individual roles. Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot, is "just as kick-ass as she was this summer but in a less imaginative, one-note way", according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Gadot doesn't have to say much to make her character click; she's impervious to a screenplay otherwise marred by its stabs at cleverness", says Indiewire.
Entertainment Weekly drew attention to Ezra Miller's character, The Flash, who is very much the comic relief of the film. The Wrap continued that, "'Justice League' comes to life the most...in the interaction of its players, more often than not when they're out of costume". Perhaps the most negative comment with regards to the cast came from The Guardian: "Some rough justice is needed with the casting of this franchise".
The conclusion is best summed up by Entertainment Weekly: "Justice League is better than its joylessly somber dress rehearsal, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But it also marks a pretty steep comedown from the giddy highs of Wonder Woman." For Variety, the film "is never messy or bombastic. It's light and clean and simple (at times almost too simple)".
