'Justice League'

I have heard so many negative reviews about Justice League that I was putting off watching it. Was it going to be a horrifying disappointment that would make me want to walk away from the DCEU like some people have suggested? Well, after giving into temptation, I can honestly say that, no, it was not horrifically terrible or world breakingly bad. So let's get into it.

I will be the first to admit that there are issues and one of them is the reshoots. There is so much Whedon in these parts of the film that it hurts. The lighting is not Snyder's style in the scenes that were part of the reshoot. It's just too bright in Gotham. Batman is not supposed to stick out. The shadows should conceal him, not make him stand out more. This is Justice League. Not Avengers 3. Please stop trying to make DC be the bright and sparkly MCU. We like it dark. We want it dark. Leave it that way.

Jeremy Irons is wonderful as Alfred as always and his humor fits well especially when he is talking with Bruce. They have excellent on screen chemistry as Bruce and Alfred, who is still trying to hook him up with someone.

Ben Affleck is still good as Batman. He isn't the best that has ever been but he is better than average in this installment. The dynamic of Diana and Bruce is perfect. Bruce opens his mouth and gets it shut by Diana. Loved that. There are somethings you don't do and talking about someone's lover who died to save her and others... that would be one of them Bruce. I still want Wonder Woman and Batman together. Call me a fan girl if you like but they have a nice relationship building and it would be better than having her fall for someone that is so deeply in love with his partner... I'm looking at you, Supes. Keep it in the cape where Diana is concerned.

Speaking of Diana, Gal Gadot was and still is the perfect choice for her. She continues to be a solid leading lady among this boy's club and has had one of the best arcs in the series. I can't wait for her next stand-alone film and where they might take it from here.

Superman is Superman. He's the pillar of hope that he should always be even in death and I can forgive the silliness with him lifting the building near the end because, hey, can't say it wasn't efficient. Henry Cavill was wonderful and his scenes with Amy Adams were some of my favorite moments. The Kent family was perfection, except for one scene that Whedon tried to insert humor in when it should have been played straight. Why does he feel the need to punctuate deep emotional moments with pointless laughs? Ugh. I hate his writing. Haaaaaate.

Aquaman... can I just say that this is probably the most badass that the King of Atlantis has been since he lost his hand. I've never been over the moon in love with Jason Momoa's acting but I can honestly say that he is greatly improved here and in his more recent work. I wasn't quite sure that I wanted to see a solo Aquaman film but now...bring it on!

As for the Flash, I can definitely see why people enjoyed Ezra Miller's performance. He brought a playful, silliness to Barry Allen that reminded me of the Flash I watched as a kid, which was on the Justice League animated series. This Barry is very much a young guy not sure how to be a hero or if he is even capable of it. He ended up being one of the best parts of the film.

This feels more honest than Avengers and I have to chalk that up to Chris Terrio being a hell of a lot better when it comes to writing these characters. They work perfectly together. The performances are more natural and there is no false conflict here. Aquaman's attitude toward Batman is well played because honestly, a man dressing up like a bat must be pretty ridiculous to someone like the King of Atlantis. The story is well done even if there are silly moments that I could have done without but there are others that did make me smile, like Diana using her lasso on Aquaman and him getting emotional.

If there is one thing these films get right, it's the big three of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. These are the characters that I was most afraid to see under Whedon's direction, especially Diana. I do not trust him with female characters. I never will. And you can tell that there is a difference in Snyder's version and Whedon's version. It would be interesting to see Snyder's full version because I feel like Bruce, in particular, would have been better.

The music was good. I adore Diana's theme and the use of the classic Superman theme later was perfect. The CGI... This is the one part of the film that I have to say is busted. The CGI reminds me of a PlayStation 3 game and it is obvious that it wasn't finished before the final released. Steppenwolf could have been done with makeup and would have been much better. The Hellscape was well designed but way too purple.

In the end, I felt like it was a film of two separate minds that had different ideas what this film should be. One's scenes flow into each other. The others are chopped off like scenes from his other works. I am one of those people that while I loved the film as it is, it definitely needs a director's or ultimate cut to make it whole. There are issues with it but I would give it a solid four out of five.