With Superman (Cavill) dead, or at least mostly so, the world is spiralling into grief, opening the door for the evil deity Steppenwolf (voiced by Hinds) to enact his nefarious plan to finally destroy humanity for good. Batman (Affleck) and his butler Alfred (Irons) wearily decide to do something about this, assembling a league of people with extra abilities, starting with the enigmatic Wonder Woman (Gadot). They then go after Flash (Miller), Aquaman (Momoa) and Cyborg (Fisher), but even combined they struggle to contain Steppenwolf. Is it too much to hope for Superman's return?

The plot never quite bothers to make sense of pretty much anything that happens. Steppenwolf's destructive quest is apparently to make earth more like his hellish post-apocalyptic homeworld (huh?). And the script really milks Superman's absence and painfully obvious return to the team. But along the way there are terrific character moments, including nice scenes with side figures like Lois Lane (Adams), Martha Kent (Lane) and Hippolyta (Nielsen).

Affleck has terrific presence as the shattered, sarcastic vigilante, who admits that his only superpower is that he's rich. Cavill is more settled into his role than before, and feels nicely natural in it. And Gadot continues to be sharp, tough and thoroughly engaging. Meanwhile, the film is stolen by the giddy, gung-ho Miller and the rebellious rock star Momoa, both of whom bring witty personality touches into the gang, superbly undercutting the earnestness. Even Fisher, in a less fleshed-out role, as it were, is likeable and human.

It's terrific to see these raw, earthy angles in the DC universe, which has always felt far too serious. So even if the look of the movie is loaded with cliches, the edgy character detail saves the day. And even though the film is still almost ludicrously obsessed with violence, there's enough going on between these people to keep us cheering them on. It also leaves us impatient for the Flash and Aquaman movies that are already in the works. And even some more from the Man of Steel.

themes, language, violence

17.Nov.17

The film's main flaw is still its under-developed, over-animated villains, although a Lord of the Rings-scale backstory helps explain the massive plot to control the multiverse. Or something. And the extra time lets Snyder add details to the main characters, deepening their motivations. Fisher's Cyborg benefits the most in this sense, while Momoa's and especially Miller's scene-stealing skills are even more enjoyable. But it takes even longer to get Superman back, and the charismatic Cavill is a welcome addition to the team, even if his suit has lost its hue.

Snyder also reinstates several deleted characters, offering a parade of enjoyable cameos. But the bombastic, over-serious tone still feels rather ludicrous, broken by only occasional moments of real-life banter or emotion. At this length, the narrative itself becomes enormous and surprisingly gripping, encompassing extended plot threads that spiral out from each of these characters. All of this, as well as quite a few nods to the original comics, won't make much difference to casual viewers, but fans will adore it.

themes, language, violence

22.Mar.21