a slightly better step in the right direction for DC.
we know it's a superhero team up film going in, so they're gonna pretty much rush through the new characters origin stories (that's what the solo films are for). we know they existed from the epic "quicktime files" that ppl love referencing lol. so i'm not mad at that.
i think everyone in this thing is pretty well cast.
Batfleck is giving us a Batman we haven't really seen portrayed on screen yet: aged and not giving much of a fuck.
Momoa's Aquaman was badass. his solo film is gonna crush it (i been a Momoa fan since Stargate: Atlantis, which is also funny considering). his chemistry with Bats should be explored further as they play well off each other (both actors are fairly quippy n funny, makes sense pairing em together).
Cyborg was definitely a grower. was played well, n gave us hints of his story resulting in a complicated r/ship with his dad. didn't need to expand on it. but suffice to say he was pretty integral to the team's success.
Flash has been portrayed many times, and while i didn't mind what they did with Barry here, the actual special fx of him running are handled better in the CW show than it was here (when he's running while he's accessing the speed force, it looks like he was slo-mo jogging, which kinda takes me out of the moment and that particular power). CW Barry's running has him moving his arms and legs ridiculously fast to match the speeds he's traveling. but that's a small nerdy gripe (it's hard to make a dude look cool while running fast, but CW did a better job).
Supes was obviously coming back. and i'm not sure he came back 'evil' for the brief scenes he was wrecking shop. the film follows the GoT checklist of resurrection by stating that 'you lose something' when you come back. so i didn't see it as 'evil Supes', just a disoriented god trying to find his footing & spark his memories. it's good to see him joking around a bit, seems like the group dynamic is what's going to turn around any negative opinion on Cavill's take. i always dug the animated series version of Supes, spesh when paired with Batman. Bats was always able to bring out the wry sarcastic humour out of Supes.

Steppenwolf. he's a villain. he destroys worlds. he DID namedrop Darkseid so at least they're still thinkin of using him down the line. but we've all been here. MANY times. it's a staple so it's never going to change. ah well.

look, i'm surprised i even enjoyed any of this, considering the iffy track record so far (MoS + WW aside). it could be cos of the Whedon influence that slightly tempered Snyder's cinematic voice (although the reasons that even happened was tragic as fuck) & added some jokes. i didn't really find the mix of tones jarring. god-like characters can't all be serious brooding loners. you live like a fucking god, you *should* develop a sense of humour. cos the stakes are never that serious lol (unless you're Bruce).

at this point, there is no competition with Marvel's run, or with their planning & execution of their cinematic universe. & i'm not a fanboy either way, just a film nerd judging from what's released. Marvel's vision came out of an understanding of their characters, and the ability to leave the world wide open enough to include anyone or anything. DC's entire cinematic run feels slapped together and not well-earned. like they threw everything at the wall in the hopes it would stick, ride that wave that Marvel set up.

i don't even wanna be one of those dudes saying "well, if they can make the NEXT one like this and this and this, they could still turn it around...!".
no.
other than an Aquaman solo joint?
there is no 'turning it around' anymore.
the tone and feel of this universe has already been established since MoS. i don't think much will change. and the only 'step in the right direction', and the only thing that'll keep bums in seats, are the characterisations of these beloved comic heroes. in that respect, forming the JL is the DCEU's best bet to continue limping on and (who knows) maybe pull off an out-and-out commercial and critical success down the line with a future JL movie (technically that's not me saying they'll 'turn it around', just that they can make a win using the formula they've already been working with).

V.

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