One of the biggest stories out of the summer and into the later stages of fall was whether or not DC Comics and Warner Brothers could follow the success of this past summers Wonder Woman with their own superhero team up movie Justice League. The one thing the company wanted to avoid was another mishap like Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, but I decided to check out the film and present it as this week’s Movie Of The Week. The film seems to take place a year or so after the events of BVS with the world mourning the death of their beloved Superman (Henry Cavill). The world will soon be under distress once again when mysterious madman Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) comes to Earth to try and collect three boxes that will surely usher the end of the world. Batman (Ben Affleck) has to find a way to unite all these interesting beings that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) had unveiled to try and fight against Steppenwolf before it’s too late. The film also stars Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa (Game Of Thrones) as Aquaman, Ezra Miller (Trainwreck) as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Amy Adams (Nocturnal Animals) as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons (The Lion King) as Alfred, Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman) as Queen Hippolyta, J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man) as Commissioner Gordon, Amber Heard (Pineapple Express) as Mera, and the film was directed by Zack Snyder (300).
I have over the last week or so have heard some mixed emotions about the film itself and whether it lives up to the billing or not and while some of it may be frustrating to you at least hear me out. I had a couple of concerns heading into the film with one being how are they going to work all of them together in one film and what was the overall feel of the film going to be. Is this the greatest film in the whole DC Universe? While in the end I truly believe now that BVS was good, this was a better film than that, but not better than Wonder Woman. I thought the way they presented all of the characters certainly worked for them because it felt sort of natural to me. The film in my opinion had the right amount of humor to go along with what DC’s overall look is and the chemistry feel natural to me as well. The action scenes were great and I even loved some of the sets they visit like Atlantis, etc. The one thing I sort of had an issue with was some of the CGI in the film because some of it was kind of cheesy at times. Other than that, it was a fun film to go in and watch without trying to be to analytical and judgmental. I was just super excited because my favorite superhero finally made an onscreen appearance in Aquaman. You don’t have to take my word for it, but I would at least give it a watch or two especially if you love some of these characters as I do. I am going to give Justice League an B+ for a final grade.
As you all certainly know by now, I am a huge fan of the DC Animated films because I feel they have the edge on Marvel in that department. Plus, there are only 15 days left (including today) and I’ve been wanting to see today’s film Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis because I am an Aquaman fan. Arthur Curry (Matt Lanter) has always been in search of answers to certain questions his whole life, but when his surface father is killed in a mysterious attack, it sends him into a downward spiral. After certain unrest in Atlantis, Queen Atlanna (
I feel like every DC character story starts with them either being a drifter trying to figure out their place in life or an alcoholic trying to find their place in life. That was definitely the case in this film as Arthur Curry is a drunkard trying to figure out exactly who he is after the death of his father. I thought that the film was definitely a cool origin story for Aquaman that gives you some insight into who he is and what he can do. The film also introduced us to new scenarios like Wonder Woman and Superman dating which was a little different for me. One of my favorite things about the film is when he actually learns to use his powers especially the one where he summons the aquatic life like the shark that eats a certain villain in the film. The battle scene between the Justice League and the hydra/squid creatures was pretty cool and the overall battle scene at the end was good as well. Shazam is really starting to become one of my favorite characters as well because he looks like an adult, but he’s really just a kid so he acts like one in a way (his humor at least). My only criticism of the film is the little love story angles that you get, but I do understand why they did it (for subplots of course). I thought the voice acting was good and the story was well written. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
If we have learned anything from past films that involves time travel is that you never change anything from the past because you risk screwing up the present timeline you live in. That is definitely the case with today’s film Justice League- The Flashpoint Paradox. Barry Allen (Justin Chambers) a.k.a. The Flash has lost his mother and after an encounter with Professor Zoom (C. Thomas Howell), the world as Barry knew it has changed drastically. Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) was murdered instead of his parents, Aquaman (Cary Elwes) and Wonder Woman (Vanessa Marshall) are at war with each other, and Superman (Sam Daly) is no where to be found in Metropolis. Now, it’s up to Barry to try and figure out exactly what happened so that he can change it back to bring back the world that he knew. The film also stars Michael B. Jordan (The Fantastic Four) as Cyborg, Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting) as Thomas Wayne, Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad!) as Etrigan the Demon, Steve Blum (The Boxtrolls) as Lex Luthor/Captain Thunder, Nathan Fillion (Castle) as Hal Jordan, Ron Perlman (Hellboy) as Deathstroke, James Patrick Stuart (The Penguins Of Madagascar) as Captain Boomerang, Hynden Walch (Adventure Time) as Yo-Yo, and the film was directed by Jay Oliva (Batman Vs Robin).
First of all, I just want to say that Marvel may be winning the motion picture war, but DC definitely has Animated films and TV shows on lock. DC has really produced some of the most memorable animated films of the last ten or so years and this is definitely one of them. One thing that I wasn’t surprised about after watching the film was that the rating the film received was PG-13. You have to see the film for yourself to know why, but it is definitely a violent film.You’ll be shocked by some of the scenes of violence, but not in a bad way if you get what I mean. I really loved the concept of what if Bruce Wayne had died which then turned his father into Batman and his mother into The Joker. There is a giant war going on that pins villains and superheroes against each other as Wonder Woman wages war against Aquaman. Then there is the shocking discovery of Superman and what he looks and acts like in the film which is a must see. The one thing that frustrated me is that you made it obvious that Martha Wayne is The Joker, but you never show her at all during the film. The only reason it upsets me is because The Joker is my all time favorite villain. The big reveal at the end of the film is where it’s at and I am not going to give it away, but it’s a must see for anyone that enjoys smart writing. This is definitely one of my favorite DC animated films besides the Suicide Squad one that is out and the Batman: Under The Red Hood. I am going to give this one an A- for a final grade.
Even if you are not a big fan of DC Comics and any of there extended universe, you have to admit that Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is one of the most anticipated movies of the year so far. This is the second film in the DC Extended Universe and it once again stars Henry Cavill (Man Of Steel) as Superman as we deal with the aftermath of what happened in the first film. Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) feels like he has taken the worst hit of all as Wayne Tower in Metropolis came crashing down. Bruce begins to make it his mission to destroy Superman, who at the moment is under a lot of scrutiny in the public eye, but the two may have to put their differences aside as Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) has a devious plan up his sleeve for the world as he unleashes Doomsday. The film also stars Gal Gadot (Fast Five) as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Amy Adams (American Hustle) as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne (Boyz N The Hood) as Perry White, Jeremy Irons (The Lion King) as Alfred, Holly Hunter (Raising Arizona) as Senator Finch, Scoot McNairy (Argo) as Wallace Keefe, Callan Mulvey (Captain America: Winter Soldier) as Anatoli, Tao Okamoto (The Wolverine) as Mercy, and the film was directed by Zack Snyder.
Now the moment you all have been waiting for and that is what did I think of the film? Overall, I will say that I liked the film and that I thought it was a decent effort from DC Comics. The first half of the film in my opinion was not what I wanted at all from them with a lot of unnecessary nonsense. It literally bounced all over the place and the dream sequences were unnecessary. The second half of the film when it starts to fall in place is where the film gets really good. That is what I call the money sequences and it all happens as Lex Luthor starts to reveal himself and his plans for the world leading up to the battle scene. The battle sequence between Batman and Superman is really good right up until it ends. It ends and they become best friends all of a sudden which was about the only thing that bothered me about that. Then it gets really good again when Doomsday is revealed and Wonder Woman comes to play. I liked Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor but at times he seemed to resemble The Joker a little too much. Gal Gadot did a really good job as Wonder Woman so I look forward to seeing a film from her in the future. I really liked Ben Affleck as Batman, but I hated his suit because it made him overly bulky like he was a bodybuilder. Jeremy Irons as Alfred was a real hit in my opinion just because of his wittiness and the way he handles Batman. DC in my opinion is still way behind Marvel as far as the movie universe is concerned, but I look forward to the future as some other Justice League characters were revealed in this film. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade only because of the first half of the film.
365moviesin365dayschallenge 