Justice League Review

Justice League

Release Date: 16th November 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

RatPac-Dune Entertainment

DC Entertainment

Cruel and Unusual Films

Atlas Entertainment

Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (with the participation of)

Lensbern Productions (uncredited)

Syncopy (uncredited)

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 121 minutes

Budget: $300,000,000

Box Office Gross: $657,926,987 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After Superman's heroic sacrifice brought back his faith in humanity and inspired him, Bruce Wayne gathers a team of metahumans, including his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to form the Justice League and must confront an enemy more menacing than what they've faced.

Cast

Ben Affleck - Bruce Wayne/
Batman

Henry Cavill - Clark Kent/
Superman

Gal Gadot - Diana Prince/
Wonder Woman

Ezra Miller - Barry Allen/The Flash

Jason Momoa - Arthur Curry/Aquaman

Ray Fisher - Victor Stone/
Cyborg

Ciarán Hinds - Steppenwolf

Connie Nielsen - Queen Hippolyta

Jeremy Irons - Alfred Pennyworth

J.K. Simmons - Commissioner

Gordon

Amy Adams - Lois Lane

Diane Lane - Martha Kent

Julian Lewis Jones - King Atlan
David Thewlis - Ares (Cameo)

Amber Heard - Mera

Joe Morton - Dr. Silas Stone
Lisa Loven Kongsli - Menalippe
David Thewlis - Ares

Sergio Constance - Zeus

Julian Lewis Jones - Ancient Atlantean King

Richard Clifford - German Archaeologist

Kobina Holdbrook-Smith - Detective Crispus Allen

Francis Magee - Ancient King of Men

Doutzen Kroes - Venezia

Brooke Ence - Penthesilea
Hari James - Trigona
Ann Ogbomo - Philippus

Samantha Win - Euboea

Marc McClure - Officer Ben
Sadowsky

Gary A. Hecker - Creature
Vocals
Joe Manganiello - Mr. Wilson (Uncredited)
Billy Crudup - Henry Allen (Uncredited)
Karen Bryson - Elinore Stone (Uncredited)

Robin Wright - Antiope (Uncredited)

Jesse Eisenberg - Lex Luthor (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Director - Zack Snyder

Superman Creators - Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Justice League Creator - Gardiner Fox  

Batman Creators - Bob Kane

and Bill Finger

Woman Woman Creator - William Moulton Marston
Fourth World Creator - Jack Kirby

Story/Screenplay/Executive Producer - Chris Terrio

Screenplay/Director: Additional Scenes (Uncredited) - Joss Whedon

Executive Producers -

Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas,

Michael E. Uslan, Benjamin Melniker,

Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curt Kanemoto

and Daniel S. Kaminsky

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Jim Rowe

Producers - Geoff Johns, Charles Roven

and Deborah Snyder

Co-Producers/Unit Production Managers -

Marianne Jenkins and Gregor Wilson

Casting Directors - Kristy Carlson,

Lora Kennedy and Kate Ringsell

Horse Master - Daniel Naprous

Production Designer - Patrick Tatopoulos

Concept Artists - Ed Natividad,

Christian Scheurer, Dan Walker,

Victor Martinez, Robert McKinnon and

Alex Caldow

Concept Illustrators - Jerad Marantz,

Ian Joyner, Constantine Sekeris and

Brooke Dibble
Supervising Art Directors - Christian Huband

and Helen Jarvis

Supervising Art Directors: Additional

Photography - David Allday and

Lorin Fleming
Art Directors - Matthew Gray,

Paul Laugier, Samuel Leake, Keith Pain,

Andrew Palmer, Hayley Easton Street,

Helen Xenopoulos and Peter James

Art Director: Additional Photography - Su Whitaker
Set Decorator - Dominic Capon

Property Master - Ben Wilkinson

Supervising Armorer - Joss Skottowe

Costume Designer - Michael Wilkinson

Assistant Costume Designers - Stephanie Porter,

John Norster and Margie Fortune

Costume Supervisor - Ken Crouch

Costume FX Supervisor - Graham Churchyard

HOD Prop/Costume Effects Modeller -

Pierre Bohanna

Makeup Designer - Victoria Down

Makeup Designer: Ben Affleck - Kate Biscoe

Director of Photography - Fabian Wagner

2nd Unit/Additional Director of Photography -

Jean-Philippe Gossart

Aerial Director of Photography - David B. Nowell

Aerial Coordinator - David Paris

Aerial Coordinator (Uncredited)/Helicopter Pilot -

Marc Wolff

First Assistant Director - Misha Bukowski

First Assistant Director: Additional Photography -

Jamie Christopher

Key Second Assistant Director: Additional Photography -

Matthew Sharp

Supervising Location Manager: Additional

Photography - Martin Joy

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Damon Caro

Stunt Coordinator - Eunice Huthart

Assistant Stunt Coordinator - Marc Mailley

Fight Coordinator - Mike Lambert

Fight Choreographers - Freddy Bouciegues and

Matthew Rugetti

Picture Vehicle Coordinator - Alex King

Special Effects Supervisor - Mark Holt

Special Effects Coordinator - Carmila Gittens

Special Effects Coordinator: Additional

Photography - Lucy Thompson

Assistant Special Effects  Supervisor -

Michael Dawson

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Joe Letteri

Visual Effects Supervisor - John 'D.J.' Des Jardin

Visual Effects Supervisor: MPC - Seth Maury

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Keith Miller

Visual Effects Supervisor: DNEG - Thomas Proctor

Visual Effects Supervisor: Scanline VFX -

Bryan Hirota

Visual Effects Supervisor: Method Studios -

Sean Konrad

Visual Effects: Rodeo FX - Peter Nofz,

Sébastien Francoeur, Andréane Dodier-Villenevue,

Mai-Ahn Tran, James Bond and Colin McLean

Visual Effects Producer - Josh R. Jaggars

Visual Effects Co-Producer - Tricia Mulgrew

Visual Effects Art Director: Scanline VFX -

Claas Henke

Animation Supervisor: Scanline VFX -

Eric Petey

Animation Supervisor: Method Studios -

Daryl Sawchuk

Animation Supervisor: MPC - David Crispino
Animation Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Simeon Duncombe

CG & Compositing Supervisors: DNEG -

Alexander Seaman and Julian Gnass

Pre-Visualisation Supervisor - Steve Yamamoto

Editors - David Brenner, Richard Pearson

and Martin Walsh

Sound Designers & Supervisors - Scott Hecker

and Chuck Michaels

Sound Designers - Phil Barrie,

Casey Genton, Robert Kellough and

Eliot Connors

Production Sound Mixer - John Casali

Re-Recording Mixers - Chris Jenkins

and Michael Keller

Supervising Foley Artist - Gary A. Hecker

Music - Danny Elfman
Composers: Additional Music - T.J. Lindgren,
Pinar Toprak and Geoff Zanelli

Score Recordist & Mixer - Peter Cobbin

Review

Because of my experience over the past years, I had high expectations about the new JUSTICE LEAGUE movie that's said to be DC and Warner's answer to The Avengers. I remember reading a few comics of the Justice League and watching the hit animated TV series from Cartoon Network. Marvel and Disney hit the jackpot with the surprise success of their big-budgeted movie. Audiences everywhere, including comic book fanatics, praised the film that was nothing they'd ever seen. It later inspired DC to make their prominent feature to upstage The Avengers. I have waited for the release of this movie for a long time. The DC Extended Universe was controversial among the fans. The latest and fourth entry, Wonder Woman, was the only one heading in the right direction, as it was the first of these films to set a benchmark for the DCEU. We got a follow-up that underwhelms many fans and over-reliant on visual spectacles.

JUSTICE LEAGUE has a rushed and uneven storyline due to a personal behind-the-scenes tragedy that caused its director, Zack Snyder, to leave through its post-production. Joss Whedon, the former writer/director of the Avengers movies, took over his supervision. I like how Whedon contributed to the writing of the humour and the tone being lighter. The geniuses' visions clashed with Snyder's film-making style being in the picture and Whedon's quips with a sense of fun and entertainment. As these attempts to breathe life into JUSTICE LEAGUE, the movie sometimes works but not on its own. They changed the idea of Superman's resurrection as it could have gotten a better explanation to resolve the ending we last saw in Batman v Superman (BvS). I couldn't agree more that Steppenwolf was a weak villain undeveloped by the numbers and fell into the "wanting to destroy humanity" cliche. But enough about the negative aspects: time to move on to the positives.

Ezra Miller was excellent and funny in the role of Flash. I liked how he conveyed the personality of this character as wisecracking. Jason Momoa gets brought into stardom with a decent portrayal of Aquaman, and so does Ray Fisher for Cyborg. Continuing her Wonder Woman role is Gal Gadot, fresh from her last film and making the character look very attractive. Henry Cavill triumphs in playing Superman, who reverts to his old and heroic self more than the lifeless-driven counterpart in Man of Steel and BvS. Danny Elfman was the right composer for the majestic and upbeat score on the picture and re-used a few themes previously heard in DC's classic features (including his own from Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns).

JUSTICE LEAGUE is no longer an anticipated box-office film as audiences have already seen the missteps from the last two entries that Snyder directed. Though it was a mild improvement, this could have gone to Zack Snyder had he not backed out from post-production. A director's cut might contain elements unseen in the theatrical edition. We will wait to see if this version gets released in DVD/Blu-ray format.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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