ENTERTAINMENT

Justice: Not for All

DC Comics: The iconic DC superhero team makes it to the big screen.

By Lucas Shim | Entertainment Editor
December 8, 2017

Justice has been served—but not for all.

Warner Bros. Pictures debuted the fifth installment of the DC films, “Justice League,” worldwide in theaters last month.

Based on DC Comic’s Justice League of America, the highly-anticipated film adaptation of the iconic superhero team is directed by Zack Snyder, who previously directed “Man Of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Ben Affleck stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/Flash, and Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg.

Taking place after “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” where Superman sacrificed his life to save the city of Metropolis, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of superhuman beings, including Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Cyborg to fight off an ancient threat called Steppenwolf, who has returned to take control of the world.

“Justice League” manages to impress audiences with the heroes’ unique chemistries and teamwork as well as the incredible cast performances that brought the characters to life.

The returning heroes, Batman and Wonder Woman, both walk the same path as they face their own demons.

As Batman feels guilty for the death of Superman, audiences observed Bruce attempting to come out of the shadows by opening up more to his team members and admiring the hope and inspiration that Superman brought to the world. Just like in the previous film, Ben Affleck once again manages to give audiences the Batman that everybody has been familiar with in the original comic books.

After losing a loved one in her previous story in the highly-rated film, “Wonder Woman,” Diana Prince tries to reconnect with society in hopes of becoming the heroine that she once was in the past.

After stopping bank robbers and terrorists in London, the beloved demigod attempts to take the next step by stopping Steppenwolf, who crossed paths with her own kind, the Amazons. While the character seems moodier unlike in her solo film, fans still loved her as it reminded them of the warm-hearted performance that actress Gal Gadot once gave in her previous film.

Arthur Curry, also known as the Aquaman, is no longer a comic-book joke that fans can make fun of anymore, especially because he can do more than just talk to fish. Displaying a temperamental and rebellious behavior, Aquaman is the most unstable team member of the league who wants to be left alone from all surface dwellers.

However, audiences have noticed that the character did not receive enough screen time like the other characters did, and although actor Jason Momoa did give an excellent performance, the writers made the character almost too “human” and less foreign; he should have been more mature and loyal, considering he is the “King of Atlantis.” In other words, the character felt too much like the actor himself.

Barry Allen managed to become the fan-favorite league member and the spotlight of the cheers and laughs. Actor Ezra Miller was able to give off an excellent performance as an awkward and nerdy teenager.

Miller’s performance spoke true to the Flash from the original comics since it highlighted his inexperience in real battle with other super-human beings while allowing his quirkiness to shine through. His chemistry with the more experienced team members allowed a hilarious transition throughout his journey on becoming a true hero like in the comic books.

Victor Stone, a former football player, is the heart of the team. Dealing with the aftermath of an accident that took most of his body away, Stone is a living cyborg that develops new robotic enhancements and skills day-by-day. As he is recruited by Wonder Woman to join the team, Victor faces the ultimate question as to whether or not he can still reconnect with society.

One of the major characters, Superman, who obviously returns according to multiple promotional videos and photos, is finally the iconic superhero that comes straight from the comic books. Rather than displaying a moody and sad behavior like in the previous DC films, this reborn Superman is the hopeful and heroic icon that everybody is familiar with.

Each of the characters manages to display chemistry with one another as they face off against Steppenwolf and his forces.

The film has a more colorful and brighter cinematography that was distinctive from the previous films, “Man Of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” This is most likely because of the backlash that both movies received because they were considered too “dark” and “moody” by a majority of audiences.

“Zack always intended for the Justice League to rise out of the darkness, and maybe even bring Batman with them. Maybe an inch.” – Actor Ezra Miller

Adding on to the improved cinematography, the movie’s score is phenomenal for the sequences. Composer Danny Elfman, who previously wrote songs for Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” manages to construct songs that display heroic themes from the 1989 “Batman” and 1978 “Superman.”

However, many fans who enjoyed the darker tones of the previous films demanded the return of Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, who composed for “Man of Steel” and “Dawn of Justice.” Those same fans may think that Elfman’s score is unoriginal because it borrows many elements from the score of “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

Although many continue to note the changes that may have benefitted the movie’s debut, there are still many things that “Justice League” gets wrong.

One of the major complaints about the film revolves around the antagonist, Steppenwolf. He may look slightly menacing with his deadly axe, but the villain’s motive is bland and clichéd considering how he wants to take over the world like every villain has attempted to do once before. However, the voice acting by Ciarán Hinds from “Game of Thrones” is indeed superb, and it does not fail to make Steppenwolf at least a tad bit intimidating.

Another negative aspect of the film is the special effects, specifically the CGI used for the backgrounds. In some scenes, while the green screen displays a very bright setting, the shadows and lighting on the actor’s faces make the backgrounds fake or unrealistic.

This is also evident in Steppenwolf’s impractical design. Some audiences have even commented that the character looks like he is from a PS2 videogame. The villain’s poor CGI does not make him as menacing as he should be.

Although there are many issues with the CGI effects, fans can agree that Cyborg’s design is much more improved than his previous versions in the trailers. Flash’s lightning effects and Aquaman’s underwater encounters are indeed a noteworthy contribution to the movie’s action-packed sequences.

Another issue revolves around the poor editing. In order for the movie to have a strong plot, some scenes could have definitely been switched with others.

One major complaint from both lovers and haters has been the film’s extremely short runtime—two hours and one minute.

Even though ”Justice League” is a major improvement over Snyder’s previous DC films, its weaknesses do not do the film any “justice.”

Lucas Shim is currently the Entertainment Editor for The Mirror. He joined during his sophomore year and is now in his second year publication as a junior.

Other than contributing to journalism, his hobbies include binge-watching movies and TV shows, brainstorming story ideas and writing screenplays for his future career as a screenwriter. He is also a volunteer at Pet Orphans of Southern California, where he socializes and walks dogs. When it comes to politics, Lucas chooses to remain open-minded regarding political parties and their ongoing governmental debates.

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