Justice League

#StokerScore 6/10

Have you ever booked yourself a holiday, you know, done all of the research and then booked it all yourself, rather than let a travel agent do it all for you? You have that feeling of pride that you've navigated all of the hurdles yourself and that you'll enjoy the holiday that much more because of it? And then have you read a review site shortly before going on said holiday, a review that tarnishes your expectations so that on your ultimate arrival at your destination of choice you can't help thinking about the two or three things that the negative review pointed out?

I've been telling myself for the last few weeks that I want to like this film, that while I know it's going to be a mess, especially considering its journey to the screen, that somehow there will be redeeming features, that it's a bloody Justice League movie, for Pete's sake, and made on a superhero-sized budget rather than a Roger Corman shoestring. Well I have good and bad non-spoiler news for you, dear readers.

Is it better than I expected? Well, no...not really. Instead it is exactly what I expected. The story doesn't stick exactly to the formula I had in mind as the helping hand that defeats the villain doesn't come from an entirely unexpected source. This is a superhero movie dressed as a classic Spaghetti Western. It has all of the familiar ups and downs and takes absolutely zero risks. 

I will say that Warners are trying to be less dark in the tone of their movie, but ultimately, without the background of the new guys, it just didn't really matter. The Flash steals the movie in a childish way. Aquaman gave the audience a physique to ooh and aah about that more than made up for the scantily clad Amazons, and Cyborg, well he was just the exposition explainer. Batman and Wonder Woman were my favourite characters, probably because I know them better, and who's fault is that, Warner Brothers? 

The movie was short, just under 2 hours for the one that I saw, yet it could have done without certain scenes and would have benefitted from the inclusion of others. 

I was left feeling that there's nothing these guys couldn't really handle and that the over-riding message was "always give the ball to the best player in your team", even if you have to drag him out of retirement to do it.