Justice League Review

Warner Bros. and DC Comics have once again managed to produce a film that fans love and critics love to hate. Justice League has finally come after the success of its predecessor, Wonder Woman, and it delivers a punch, but not as powerful. Some saw the debut of the amazon as the turning point for their cinematic universe, but I’m afraid the league still has a few kinks to work out. This film was not as good as Wonder Woman, but I will say this film was a vast improvement from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Justice League is a fun, action packed film that fans of DC comics will enjoy and seems to be a step in the right direction.

The movie is mostly centered around Batman, but the focus of the film was on Superman and how the world fell into chaos after his death. So, instead of an invincible alien, Batman and Wonder Woman decide to recruit Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman to fight an incoming threat. A threat with unmatched power that convinces Batman to take an unexpected risk to bring back Superman and solidify the league. It’s a mission that brings everyone together and creates a powerful, but chaotic bond which happens rather quickly. In the end, there was laughter and applause at the end of the film.

Justice League is probably the most comedic film DC has produced, but still manages to keep its dark tone in certain scenes. The best comedy came in the form of Ezra Miller, who plays the Flash, and arguably steals the show. Seeing Flash run and go through the speed force is one of the coolest moments in the film. Ezra brings a witty and almost nerdish feel to the team that entertains the audience every time he’s on screen. Another debut is Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.

I loved the warrior look of Jason Momoa and he his performance was great, but Ray Fisher’s performance is blocked by bad CGI that could’ve been done better in my opinion. The other victim of bad CGI was the main villain, Steppenwolf. He was an ok choice to be the main antagonist, but I’m sure DC fans would’ve rather it had been Darkseid, a popular DC villain hellbent on destroying Superman and Earth. My guess is that DC is saving him for hopefully another film. It’s a good action movie that all about what’s happening, but lacks the support beams that explains why it’s happening.

The story overall was decent, but it could’ve been way better if it was longer. For a story that involves so many iconic heroes, you don’t see much of their lives outside of their uniforms. There’s little time to know the characters or see their homes like Atlantis or Central City. I’m guessing that DC will probably come out with an extended cut on Blu-ray like they did with Suicide Squad and Dawn of Justice. This has always been the handicap with films from DC and why they are trailing behind their competition, Marvel Studios.

DC and Warner Bros. make films with the expectation of the audience to already know the characters and their backgrounds. That’s an alright tactic for the fans, but that creates problems for the general audience who may not have in depth knowledge of each character. If they don’t start giving characters proper time to connect with the audience, then critics will keep bashing their movies every time.

Warner Bros. and DC have had a bad run as of late with their films when Zack Snyder was chosen to direct Superman in Man of Steel. That started this issue of dividing fans and critics as the films kept rolling out. Things hit their lowest when the sequel, Dawn of Justice, came out and began to cast doubt on whether to pull the plug or not. Then there was another bomb with Suicide Squad, but then the princess of the amazons came and the rest is history. Luckily DC’s cinematic universe survived long enough to get to this point, but it’s not for lack of unfortunate events that began to worry DC Comics and its fans.

Rumors started to speculate on whether Ben Affleck was leaving Batman behind due to internal struggles with DC. So far, he’s still onboard with the upcoming solo film The Batman, but things could change. The biggest hit was the announcement that Zack Snyder was leaving production early due to a death in the family. Joss Whedon would take over the rest of way; this lead to various reshoots and cuts that began to raise eyebrows. The change in directors midway turned out to be a blessing because Whedon mixed Snyder’s direction with a bit of what Whedon did with Marvel to bring lighter tones to the film.

My heart wants to give this film a perfect ten as a fan of superheroes, but it gets a seven from a neutral point of view. Justice League could be a step in the right direction if it becomes a success financially, but fans are skeptical with good reason. It’s worth your time if you like superheroes, a fan of action movies and know a little about each character. If you only know who the characters are and not their backgrounds, then you’re going to be lost quick. Hoping for the best; because judging from the two post credits, there’s good things on the horizon if Justice League is successful. 

Kingsman: The Golden Sequel

Kingsman: The Secret Service went from being an unknown film to a global phenomenon after its release back in 2014. The film would be a big break for star Taron Egerton who plays the main character of the film, Eggsy, and the femme fatale, Sofia Boutella. The overall success of the film came from the fantastic story-telling and star power of actors such as Samuel Jackson, Michael Caine and Colin Firth. The film almost resembled the very elements that made the old Bond films such a success in its day. Spies that must save the world by using out of this world gadgets to survive unique death traps and get the girl in the end.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle delivers the same punch that made the first film a success, but with a special twist. This film takes off sometime after the events of the last film; the Kingsman have regrown after the events of Valentine and the loss of certain Kingsman. Eggsy has moved up and become one of the best agents in the service, but his personal life is beginning to suffer. It only gets worse when an attack cripples the Kingsman and events lead them to find allies from across the seas. It’s an action-packed story full of new gadgets and action sequences that make this two and a half hour film feel shorter.

The story is nothing new; there’s an outlandish plot that threatens the lives of millions and Eggsy is now on a mission to save them all and get the girl. Taron Egerton performed as well as expected by being both comedian and action star. Colin Firth makes a surprising return as Eggsy’s father figure and mentor, Harry. Colin comes off almost like an English Nick Fury, but without the loud voice and the harsh leadership. The best addition to the Kingsman franchise is the main antagonist, played by Hollywood icon, Julianne Moore.

While it first comes off as corny, she immediately turns into the pharmacist from hell with a sadistic plot and disturbing sense of nostalgia. There are other additions such as Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum; their parts were short, but sweet. Halle Berry makes a surprise entrance in the film as her organization’s lead analyst and technical support. There’s other surprises in store for the audience and we’ll leave it at that. Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the perfect fall movie that’s guaranteed to end the month with a profitable outcome.

This film gets a nine out of 10, because this film gives fans of the original everything they loved about the first one. Julianne Moore was a fantastic villain and the action is a fast-paced thriller that makes the film feel shorter. However, I don’t think there needed to be so many high-priced actors in roles that could’ve been done by others, but it could be used to make a spinoff or use for another sequel. Plus, there were some moments in the film that felt dragged out and could’ve been cut from the final print. Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a spectacular film that lives up to what fans love about the first film and I can’t wait until the next film. 

IT Floats!

This is coming from someone who is tired and frustrated from all the remakes and reboots. IT is by far the best remake of a horror movie since Texas Chainsaw Massacre back in 2003. This film succeeds in many areas that make it surpass the original that came out back in 1990 with acting icon, Tim Curry. IT is arguably one of Stephen King’s most famous novels and Tim Curry brought the infamous clown, Pennywise, to life with his performance. Some fans of the original became skeptical when Bill Skarsgard (Hemlock Groove) was selected to fill the freaky clown shoes.

IT is a novel about a group of individuals that are being haunted by a mysterious clown that terrifies their town and they must confront it. This film focuses on one part and that’s when the individuals were children in their “Losers Club.” As more and more children disappear, they set out to find out who it is and why it is specifically targeting them in their small town. They soon find that they must conquer their own fears before they can confront the demonic clown that is hell bent on making them the next meal. It’s a two hour and 15-minute film full of suspense that gives fans of the original their money’s worth.

The film also gains more momentum by using CGI to show more of the monster that Pennywise was, and giving more to his illusions to frighten the children. Pennywise outfit didn’t get me too excited, but it works well with this film. The illusions that the children suffered were more eerie and shocking than in the original. The main characters have good chemistry together, but the acting was lacking in one of the children for some scenes. I couldn’t say that I was scared because of the original and the novel, but the music and certain scenes gave me plenty to jump about and people were jumping in the theater.

IT isn’t like most horror films that rely solely on the blood, guts and gore. The use of silence, shock and suspense is key to this film’s success and the director did a good job fitting the music to the motion. The film touches on several issues that face children today like: bullying, isolation and child abuse. The film is left wide open at the end with the expectation that there will be a sequel and I anticipate there will be. This was a packed show and more than half of the audience were clapping when the title showed up at the end.

IT doesn’t fall prey to the disaster that was The Dark Tower, this film gives fans what they truly expect to see from something by Stephen King. This is a darker take of the famous novel that will take longer to tell, and we will see that in another film after the success of this one. I’m not expecting a major box office smash, but this film will do well for a few weeks. Congratulations to Bill Skarsgard for doing a good job with Pennywise and I’m sure Tim Curry would approve. IT gets a nine out of ten because I’m still not crazy about Pennywise’s look and the acting in some scenes, but this movie is well worth the price of admission. 

The Tower Falls

Stephen King will go down as arguably one of the greatest writers of our time because of his novels and the films adapted from them. Unfortunately, even the greatest of writers won’t have a decent adaption and that’s the case for The Dark Tower. This film had a lot of promise, but couldn’t deliver in the end, even with the star power of Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. The Dark Tower came off looking like it was going to be an action-packed kickoff to the film adaption of the series. If you’re a fan of the novels then I urge you to avoid this movie if you expect to see a fair adaption.

The Dark Tower is an eight-novel series about a lone warrior known as a gunslinger by the name of Roland Deschain. The gunslingers were an order sworn to protect the tower that has significant meaning. The tower is a structure that stands in the center of everything; it protects all the worlds from the darkness that can’t take over as long as the tower stands. This film is based off the first book, The Gunslinger. Now film adaption of novels are mostly never to the letter, but if almost feels like the director didn’t even try in the film.

The story telling is simplistic with very little backstory and it turns out to be mostly dialogue; there’s only about 20 minutes of action. There were some cool movements during the fire fights, but it was over before you could enjoy it. Matthew McConaughey did a good job portraying the man in black, but the vision the director may have had for the film may not go well with people who had their own opinions. The way the man in black uses his magic will most likely make the audience laugh than amaze them. Everything about this film was quick and for fans who read the novels, this will be the biggest complaint.

From the get go, it starts with here’s the tower and this is how it can come down, but we don’t have the right child which we find out later is Jake. Jake, played by Tom Taylor, was ok but he did have good chemistry with Idris Elba. Idris has yet to disappoint me with any role but he has had a bad habit doing some films that don’t bring in the money. This film will definitely be one of those films that will have a good first week, but that’ll be it. I be shocked if there is enough money made for a sequel.

The Dark Tower is a fast food adaption from the novels and was a huge let down for the fans. Straight to the point with no explanation of why things were the way they were and no back story describing who people are. If you’re in the mood to just watch something to pass the time, then this movie may be pleasing to you. If you’re familiar with the novel and looking for a decent adaption, then don’t even bother to wait for this to come out on Netflix. This film gets a five out of ten, because you might enjoy this if you don’t know anything about the series.