“Justice League” Critical Consensus

Justice League is finally coming out, and the question on everyone’s mind is… is it any good? Critics are saying “eh, kind of,” currently giving it a 43 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

There does seem to be a general agreement that this is an improvement over most of the films in the DC Extended Universe; the critical score of each has been at best mixed and at worst negative, with the notable exception of this year’s Wonder Woman (currently at a 92 percent Rotten Tomato rating). Though each movie has its fans, much of the audience has been similar turned off from Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad for their dour tones, confused plots and underdeveloped characters.

In contrast, Justice League has been billed as a return to “humor, hope and heroism,” in the words of DC Comics writer and executive producer Geoff Johns. In that regard, most critics seem to feel that the film delivered.

For one, director Zack Snyder seems to have foregone one of the main flaws of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice especially, where the plot is very complex and attempts to make multiple social or philosophical points. Here, it is more straightforward: there is an alien invasion and a bunch of superheroes team up to stop it. As a result, characters who had previously been stated to appear—such as the Flash’s love interest, Iris West (Kiersey Clemons), or Aquaman ally Nudis Vulko (Williem Defoe)—have been cut.

The characters seem to be a big strength here, according to most reviews; while the plot is rushed enough to keep them from having a lot of development, each has a distinct personality and a small arc. The dynamics between them are said to be well-done, with Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen/The Flash being a particularly popular addition to the cast for his silly and nervous personality.

All of these factors makes this much more of a popcorn movie, for better or for worse, lacking the deeper moments that other superhero films have managed to pull off along with the awesome visuals. Overall Justice League is meant to be a conclusion to Zack Snyder’s trilogy of DCEU films while setting the stage for new entries; the next, Aquaman, comes out next year.