Warner Bros.' Justice League is about to be unleashed upon the masses, but early reviews and reactions have been rather divisive. Our own reviewer, Matt Goldberg, was not impressed, while Perri Nemiroff and John Rocha of the video team had a sunnier take on it. I've got my own thoughts, of course, which I'll be doling out in detail as I walk through the film's successes, surprises, and stumbles in a spoiler-packed review. Dig it?

Starring Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha "Why'd You Say That Name?" Kent, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Jim Gordon, Amber Heard as Mera, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, and Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf, Justice League soars into theaters on November 17th.

Before we get deep into spoiler-territory, I wanted to share my general thoughts on the film, but in case you're still unclear about just what Justice League is about, here’s the official synopsis:

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

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Image via Warner Bros.

For fans of DC Comics who've waited to see their favorite superheroes and villains leap off of the medium's glossy pages and onto the big screen, Justice League is for you. It's the cinematic version of a page-turner, akin to feverishly flipping through the pages of a newly purchased and highly anticipated comic book issue so that, before you know it, you've already consumed the whole thing before your parents' car pulls into the driveway, just in time to start over and read it again. Justice League simultaneously feels like a solid live-action version of some of best moments from the excellent animated series of the same name. This thing is a cartoon brought to life on the big screen, so if that's your speed, you'll enjoy the ride.

Is it perfect? Far from it. The edit has more cuts than Victor Zsasz, the plot is so simplistic that even Bizzaro would have no trouble following along, and the big bad villain, not helped in the least by his very apparent CG-ness, feels underpowered to the point of being an unworthy catalyst for uniting the heroes. And despite showing some clever and unique aspects in early fight scenes that grab your attention, this action-focused originality peters out by the time we get to a final eye-glazing sequence that brings the movie to a close. All of this is unfortunate, but by no means are these weaknesses coffin nails for this film or sins that aren't shared by similar big-budget superhero stories.

Overall, Justice League is a lean and mean tribute to DC Comics characters and their fans, a fun ride that sets the stage for future adventures. Celebrate this one in good spirit, DC fans!

Rating: C+

Spoilers from here on out!

Uniting the League

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Image via Warner Bros.

Here's what works and what doesn't when it comes to our lead characters, the members of the Justice League. Batman, Superman (who returns, let's get that out of the way), and Wonder Woman have the advantage of not only decades of familiarity as DC Comics' Holy Trinity, but also being featured in multiple films ahead of Justice League. Because of this, they take a bit of a backseat when it comes to character moments when compared to the relative newcomers on the scene: The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. There's still plenty to love and enjoy no matter who your favorite character is, and I'm happy to say that there's no real weak link in the lineup. Let's look at our heroes one by one:

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Image via Warner Bros.

Batman

Bruce Wayne and his alter ego have softened somewhat since his time as a Murder Bat in Batman v Superman. I mean this both philosophically and literally since Wayne is starting to feel his mortality now that's his body is getting tenderized on the regular by super-powered foes (and friends). With that in mind, Wayne bends his considerable resources towards tracking down his league recruits, assisted by Alfred (of course) and Diana. Bruce is even overmatched by his fellow heroes, a fact he knows full well but learns again and again as each of the teammates get their licks in on the mortal man. It's a bit of a beatdown for ol' Bruce throughout the film, but he takes the punishment for the good of the team in order to force them into cooperation by pushing each of their buttons. It's not the most subtle performance, but Affleck's "I'm too old for this shit" Batman is a stark reminder that he's a mortal among demigods.

Where Batman really gets to shine is when he shows off his tech. In order to even the playing field, Batman has to bring bigger toys, bigger vehicles, and bigger guns to the party. Justice League brings all the ingenuity of the Batman we've seen in Batman v Superman and points it at Steppenwolf and the Parademons instead of at his fellow allies. And while Batman's gruff exterior and serious nature brings necessary conflict to the team, he does have two more sympathetic moments: The one that works is when Bruce acts as a sort of mentor to Barry Allen, who's quite new to this whole "battling" thing. The one that doesn't is when Batman gets too hokey-jokey, clearly an addition from Joss Whedon and one of the few of his that falls flat. Overall, Batman gets a solid play, but it remains to be seen how much longer he'll do battle alongside the newly assembled Justice League.

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Image via Warner Bros.

Superman

Yes, the Big Blue Boy Scout is back! Remember how I said Batman's strengths in this movie were his tech and his ability to be a motivational asshole? Well, both of those come to bear in the resurrection of Superman. The League is under the impression that the invading Parademons and the Mother Box-stealing world-conqueror Steppenwolf are enough of a threat to require the Kryptonian's return, but they're not all in agreement on how to do it, or even if they should. Aquaman and Wonder Woman are squarely in the corner of, "Don't mess with the dead alien god," while Batman, Cyborg, and The Flash all recognize the need (and the ability) to give him life. They do so using the Mother Box technology, which "destroys as it creates" but is able to resurrect Superman. (If you're asking yourself, "Doesn't this mean that someone, like, I dunno, The Flash and Cyborg has to dig up Superman's corpse first?" The answer is yes, yes they do. And it's uncomfortable.)

So while Cyborg acts as the go-between for the technology on the Kryptonian ship and that of the third Mother Box, The Flash provides the electrical power to activate it, and Batman stands back and hopes that his former foe will remember their Martha bond. While the resurrection is successful, fans witness Superman go dark for a few minutes in a terrifying fight sequence that shows off the Kryptonian's powers and hints at the control over them he'd normally exercise under different circumstances. (I was very concerned that a dark Superman would be the Justice League's villain for this movie, but I'm happy to say it doesn't last long.) He easily dodges Cyborg's unintentional cannon blast, nearly kills Batman, is at least an equal match for Wonder Woman, and is even able to track and keep up with The Flash. The only thing keeping him from going completely dark is the arrival of the "big guns", ie Lois Lane. Thankfully, a reunion with Lois, and eventually Martha Kent, finally allows Cavill's Superman to be a bright, colorful beacon of hope once again. While he sorts his newly revived life out, the League is busy battling Steppenwolf in Russia, but you just know Big Blue is going to swoop in to save the day. (He's also involved in a super-fun mid-credits scene, so keep an eye out for our explainer on that!)

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Image via Warner Bros.

Wonder Woman

Gadot killed it in her solo film, just as she did in Batman v Superman. The trend continues in Justice League, though she has fewer epic or defining moments in this go-round. Those moments include busting into a terrorist attack in progress to defend innocent civilians from both city-leveling explosives and assault weapon fire, an incredible stand-off against Superman himself, and multiple toe-to-toe battles against the villainous Steppenwolf. She's the team's heavy hitter until Superman arrives and she holds her ground with poise and power.

But Diana Prince also gets a few quieter moments that nearly get drowned out in all the action. She's the reason that Cyborg comes aboard the League, having convinced the tortured young man to see his gifts for what they are and to put them to good use. There's excellent chemistry between the two, but there's too little of it in the finished film. There are awkward moments aplenty between Wonder Woman and the rest of the League, but they're more in service of jokes or furthering the plot than character development. Batman's cheap shots about Diana's lost love, Steve Trevor, however cruel, were a clumsy yet effective way of getting Wonder Woman to step up as a beacon of hope and protection in a world without Superman. Now that he's returned, she apparently feels more comfortable with making public appearances while saving innocents. The handling of this is a little wonky, especially considering that the events of Wonder Woman 2 have yet to be seen...

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Image via Warner Bros.

The Flash

Probably the best-known of the lesser-known heroes, The Flash actually gets a decent amount of screen time to flesh out this version of the character. Miller brings an interesting energy to Barry Allen, a take that ranges between socially awkward outcast, to wannabe superhero, to capable member of the Justice League. Barry gets some solo time on the big screen, a rarity in this ensemble picture, when he visits his incarcerated father, Henry Allen (Billy Crudup). There's a big dose of exposition dumps through dialogue in these scenes (as there are throughout the film, which helps to cut down on confusion and improve pacing at the cost of storytelling sins), but it's decent shorthand for the Allens' relationship and for what kind of kid Barry really is.

Barry's in over his head here and his powers as The Flash are only just starting to fall under his control and understanding. As such, he's basically relegated to saving innocent victims from Steppenwolf's machinations, but that's a worthy role indeed. Less worthy but still appreciated are his regular comedic gaffes, some of which elicit real laughter, some of which are cringeworthy attempts to do so. The Flash also gets to throw some punches (well, more like pushes) while the more powerful members of the League do the dirty work, which actually gives Justice League a nice additional dimension to its action scenes. His speed-scenes aren't particularly inventive and you get the sense that we've seen only a fraction of Barry's greater powers, so hopefully that'll improve once we get a solo picture for the Scarlet Speedster.

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Image via Warner Bros.

Cyborg

Fisher and his take on Stone and Cyborg are hands-down my biggest pleasant surprise in Justice League. With next to no presence in the film's early marketing, audiences are left to learn about Cyborg in the movie itself. It actually works very well. Sure, Cyborg's origin story--a talented football player of genius intellect who is killed in a car crash and resurrected when his father Silas (Joe Morton) uses a Mother Box to rebuild his body--is doled out in exposition, but Fisher handles the complicated character with ease and subtlety. We also get a nice helping of father/son dynamics that reveals a colder sort of relationship than that of the Allens.

Cyborg is a character who's more machine than man, and an alien machine at that. He's constantly plagued by "uploads" in an unknown computer language that change his form without his permission. And while he tries to unravel these personal mysteries in connection with the bigger threat of Steppenwolf and the Mother Boxes, he's also coming to grips with his own dwindling humanity and what that means for those around him.

Cyborg is actually the coolest, most competent member of the team. With computer-like precision and dedication to a task, he's unable to be distracted once he sets his metal mind to something, even if that distraction is a massive ax buried into his silicon shoulder. There's a moment in the film when the League members are acting up and Diana mutters something to the effect of, "Children. They're all children," but it's Cyborg who's the mature, intellectual, and strategic core of the whole thing, and the take-charge member of the team. A nice surprise, for sure! (And a nice surprise for the fans, too, when Cyborg gets some more recognizable armor by the movie's end.)

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Image via Warner Bros.

Aquaman

If Cyborg was my biggest surprise, then Aquaman was my greatest disappointment. That's not to say that Momoa wasn't up to the challenge. In fact, it's his sheer presence and force of will that keeps the character afloat. Aquaman is simply not given anything to do, especially not with consideration to his source of power; he's a literal fishman out of water. Other than a nice introduction that reveals his snarky, borderline belligerent personality that hides a helpful streak where seafaring humans are concerned, the only time we see Aquaman get his feet wet is in a brief battle against Steppenwolf and an equally brief back-and-forth with Mera.

He does, however, get a hilarious scene just before the film's climactic battle. And that battle features Aquaman (and Momoa) going Full Bro. It was eye-rolly enough to have him walk into a raging sea while drinking a bottle of whiskey with The White Stripes' "Icky Thump" playing in the background, so letting him surf on Parademons and shout, "Yeyah! My man!" was at least in character. I was just left wanting to see more from Aquaman and wanting more for Momoa to work with. Luckily, he'll get a standalone film in 2018 from director James Wan.

Supporting the League

Let's take a look at the film's supporting characters, some of whom played pivotal roles while others were little more than window dressing or reminders that there's a world outside of the Justice League.

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Image via Warner Bros.

Steppenwolf

Good gravy, Marie. People do not like Steppenwolf. Part of that is understandable considering that he's an all-CGI villain who has the bog standard motivation of being a "world conqueror." It's something comic-book-movie-going audiences have seen over and over again, so that's nothing new. However, Steppenwolf's on-screen action, most of which is spent zipping into and out of boom tubes, ordering his Parademon forces around, battling Amazons, and gathering up Mother Boxes, is decent enough to satisfy the film's need for villainy. Innocents are threatened and killed, towns are destroyed, and world domination is imminent. What more do you want?

Well DC Comics fans want a little more from a character so closely tied to Darkseid. But in the service of introducing a villain to more casual audiences, I felt Steppenwolf served as an okay herald for a much bigger bad to come. He's just bad enough to require the disparate superheroes to work together for the first time ever in order to take him out, even if the arrival of Superman drastically tips the scales in the heroes' favor. Ultimately he's no match for the combined forces of the League, but it's his own villainy (and specifically his newfound fear) that ends up being his demise.

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Image via Warner Bros.

Lois Lane

Remember Lois Lane? Played by five-time Oscar-nominee Adams, Lois makes a very brief appearance in Justice League, but those few minutes are pivotal to the way the plot plays out. After a brief chat with Martha Kent about tough times since the death of Superman--the Kent's house is in foreclosure and Lois is covering Missing Cat stories in between Pulitzers...--Lois is brought in as Batman's "big gun" to keep a freshly resurrected Superman from going rogue. Back in Kansas, the betrothed are getting ready to move into the reclaimed Kent homestead (thanks to Bruce Wayne buying not just the property, but the bank that owned it), though Lois will have to watch Superman fly away to save the world once again. It was time well spent even though it wasn't much time at all.

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Image via Zack Snyder, Vero

The Amazons

If there was one sequence that made me want to return to the world of Wonder Woman, it was this epic action set piece between Steppenwolf, his Parademons, and the defenders of Themyscira. For me, this was the most inventive battle of the bunch even though it came very early on in the first act. It's a thrilling sequence that sees the warriors playing keep-away with Steppenwolf as he attempts to gain control over the first of the Mother Boxes here on Earth. Ultimately, their efforts are for naught, but it's a fun ride nonetheless.

For others, the Amazon costumes drew attention and controversy well before the film (and any context within it) had been released. The image (seen above) showed some of the Amazons in decidedly less armor than that seen in Wonder Woman. The midriff-bearing "armor" certainly wouldn't be the best in battle, but folks jumped to conclusions in assuming it was merely to please the male gaze. It turns out that, not only are a majority of the Amazon warriors still in their former armor and just as battle-ready as ever, but the few actors who are seen with bared abs have a vital role to play in the above-mentioned battle sequence. They're tasked with dropping massive stone gates in order to trap Steppenwolf and his forces inside a sort of burial chamber where the Mother Box has been kept since the Amazons' last battle with the monster. They do so by wielding giant stone hammers in an incredible display of power, grace, and straight-up badass heroism. To me (a White, cis, male, lower-middleclass member of the human race), it was more of a celebration than intentional misogyny. YMMV

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Image via Warner Bros.

Commissioner James Gordon

Who doesn't love J.K. Simmons? Well, enjoy the thirty-odd seconds of him you get in Justice League, because he's essentially there to explain to a fellow officer that Batman probably isn't a serial kidnapper. He also helps the gathered Justice League (whose rooftop appearance doesn't seem to flummox him too much) come to the conclusion that the creatures who have been kidnapping people close to S.T.A.R. Labs and the Mother Box are stemming from a nearby facility in Gotham harbor. That's about it! Thanks for stopping by, Jim!

Alfred

Getting slightly more screen time than Gordon is Butler/Hacker, Alfred Pennyworth. He's less of a conscience for Bruce Wayne this time around and more of a tinkerer/mother hen who wants to keep Master Wayne safe, and wants him to date a bit more. With so many superpowers packed into this thing, it's easy to see why Alfred's been left out, but a quiet moment with his ward here or there would have done the film some good. As it is, this sort of interaction takes place between Bruce and Diana, so Alfred's on the way out. Hopefully he'll be able to fulfill his butler duties once the newly minted Hall of Justice is up and running.

Cameos

There are some awesome cameos that appear in Justice League, both in the feature film itself and in the post-credits scene. We'll be covering those in an upcoming article!

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Image via Warner Bros.

Music and Miscellanea

The first thing audiences experience when watching Justice League, other than the very silly addition of a Superman side-video that has little to do with the rest of the film, is Snyder's dark and dirty montage of what the world is like without Superman. Accompanying this dismal dirge is a modified version of the late Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows." I may be in the minority, but even in Cohen's gravelly voice, these lyrics are too on-the-nose to be taken seriously. So I can't really blame Sigrid, who sings the movie's version of the song, for how laughable this audio-visual contrast became, but thankfully the movie moves past this sappiness rather quickly.

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Image via Warner Bros.

The rest of the soundtrack, courtesy of the legendary Danny Elfman is a dichotomy: Most of the original score is lost within the cacophony of battle, but the times that the music shines through the most is when it hits character themes we already know and love. It's almost as if these previously established themes are peaking out of the clouds to highlight character moments, but everything else that's left out of the sun is lost, unidentifiable and immemorable. That's actually ... fine? Because this is an ensemble piece, I'm fine with the music highlight each of their individual efforts. An overall League theme would have been nice, but if it's there, it doesn't stand out. The "pop" songs like the overused "Icky Thump" and the ill-placed "Everybody Knows", however, should have been lost early on.

All that being said, the parts of Justice League that work add up to an enjoyable whole that winds up being a fun romp with your favorite DC Comics characters. The audience at my screening absolutely loved the heroic moments throughout, especially the arrival of some surprise characters. The pacing and the runtime are tuned just finely enough that it doesn't feel too fast or too slow, while a longer or shorter picture probably would have been pushing it. (I'd still love to see the uncut/extended edition if/when it's released to see what else was left on the cutting-room floor. That did wonders for my opinion of Batman v Superman, though I still loathe that movie with a passion.) There's no doubt that the hardcore DC folks will love this more than most, from the Doomsday Clock reference to the end-credits teaser and every other Easter egg in between, but Justice League is yet another film in the DCEU that general audiences can feel free to celebrate rather than feeling like you have to defend it. Enjoy this movie and this moment!

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Image via Warner Bros.