Justice League

The world of movie making and the stories behind the scenes has always fascinated me; from the production hell that was Waterworld to Spielberg's testing experience making Jaws. To be a fly on the wall would be so interesting to see what it was like but I'm not sure if I would want to be in the room where the DC execs are trying to desperately salvage their franchise that should rival Marvel's success. The days of Christopher Nolan are long behind them and, while I didn't mind Man of Steel or Batman v Superman, their attempts have generally disappointed with the rare exception that was Wonder Woman. Was that a fluke or will their equivalent of the the Avengers with Justice League continue WW's success?

Wisely distancing itself from the awful Suicide Squad, JL sees Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman team-up to fight a big baddie on the hunt for several devices that will grant him unrivalled powers. Sound familiar? The baddie in question is a CGI'ed Ciaran Hinds playing Steppenwolf who is the latest in a line of forgettable villains. We're given hints of his arrival in those weird flashbacks/'flashforwards' from BVS but sadly this whole film felt like an excuse for DC to group a bunch of heroes together and try their hand at what Marvel achieved in 2012.

However, if DC learnt anything from their mistakes it was that they needed to lighten-up a bit and the let series have some fun. Wonder Woman tried this approach and was two thirds great as a result. Sadly Justice League takes the other third and produces a two hour explosion fest that has become a cursed staple of DC's films, and just when I thought they had learnt their lesson! But there are a few saving graces with Jason Momoa's cocky Aquaman as a stand-in for Thor and the visually exciting moments with Ezra Miller's Flash that provide some relief and a change of pace from the usual.

Unfortunately this is no Infinity War, lacking that sense of heart and character which has made Marvel find such success in the last ten years. In one of the worse kept secrets, Superman's resurrection should been that game-changing highlight where the film would shift gears as the symbol for justice returns to save Earth but the script just wasn't there to resonate any emotion. I think this alone symbolises Justice League's greatest problem and now, as rumours of Affleck and Henry Cavill might depart the franchise, DC has to find that magic with Wonder Woman 2 and Aquaman if this series has any hope of finding a future.