Just like Marvel, DC is trying to make comic book movies. After the excellent Man of Steel, Batman vs. Superman rushed into theaters. There were a few more cinematic detours (Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad) and we finally got a group team-up.
After Superman's death in the previous installment, Batman decides to make a new team to replace Superman. Taking Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Cyborg with him, the team-up should be a success.
I was expecting one successful big movie, but sadly that's not the case. It certainly wasn't helped by the change of director a few months before the premiere. There were a lot of tangents, and so the entire film is split between Snyder's dark vision and the playful vision of Avengers director Joss Whedon.
There were definitely a lot of scenes that were reshot that changed the entire feel of the film. A quirk here and there, a new shot and a new character. You can totally see in the film that it was originally intended to be a dark, joke-free film, like the first Man of Steel.
The film is divided into three parts. The first part is an introduction to the heroes, mainly Batman, Aquaman and Wonder Woman. The history of The Flash and especially Cyborg is given minimal treatment in the film.
The second part is about the main villain Steppenwolf's battle against the Justice League without Superman, and the last part, the third, is about how "You know who..." is absolutely godlike and invincible.
You can see in all three parts that the filmmakers are trying to send a big movie to theaters in the best possible way, but it hasn't worked. The story isn't great, the villain doesn't stand a chance against Superman and the connection between the League members is minimal.
The actors do try, but Batman is really bored, Superman is only in the film for a few moments and is further spoiled by having his moustache removed due to touch-ups. The Flash is the funniest character, but he's again annoying with his catchphrases. Perhaps the only ones who are a bit cool are Wonder Woman and especially Aquaman, who is the most prominent character in the entire film.
I really missed the music that characterized the previous films. New composer Danny Elfman ruined the whole film even more. He's reinvented Batman's (1989) and Superman's (1978) themes, but the rest of the music is just so boring, which is exactly the same as Whedon's previous film (Avengers: Age of Ultron).
Happily, the dubbing in the cinema doesn't spoil it, maybe even improves it. There may be a few new voice actor/dubber combinations, but it's good enough for cinema.
For me, it's a failed film, I expected a lot from it and that makes my disappointment all the greater. It had a lot of things that were enticing, but unfortunately I have to give it only a 50%.
Thank you to Karoline Koblížková for proofreading
Photo: Photo © Warner Bros. Pictures / Zack Snyder
Original release of this article March 16, 2021 – Kritiky.cz
