DC Extended Universe Review

I'm happy to be a supporter of the DC Extended Universe despite the bad reception some of them have received.

Since Justice League (2017) has been out for a while now and the next entry Aquaman (2018) is a year away, I feel now is the time to talk about my thoughts.

I can easily understand why many are more drawn to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as they feel more light-hearted and self-aware. However I prefer these because I prefer the more darker and gritty approach as I feel it gives these more of an edge and feel a bit less conventional that I keep going back to them more as a result.

I’m not saying these films are flawless, for some there are clearly interferences from the WB producers and all of them are guilty of using a little too much CGI. However they all have some excellent production values, the costumes are top notch, the sets and locations are visually appealing, many ambitious casting choices and despite some of the interferences the directors all have a great vision.

Here I will talk about each film individually, I will try to look at them as films in their own and will try to avoid comparing them to the source materials or other adaptations as much as possible. Also …

Spoiler Warnings!

Man Of Steel (2013)

A pretty dark reinterpretation of Superman's origins and while not as groundbreaking as Superman (1978) it's still great.

I like that they made Superman/Clark Kent more complex with his struggle to control his powers and the difficult decisions he has to make. Superman in many different media’s is often seen as a highly positive role model, not necessarily a character for the audience to relate to but someone they’d aspire to want to be like. However with so many portrayals like that before it make’s sense to try something different. I personally enjoyed this new side, I loved his struggle to control his powers and his own morals like a normal person, he’s determined to save lives but there are consequences in doing so. I feel Henry Cavill did a great job in the role, he may not be the Superman we’re all used to but juggles the complexity of the character and his evolution to a superhero and a person. 

Amy Adams is great as Lois Lane, she may not be as sarcastic or witty as other version but she’s probably the most proactive version I’ve seen of the character. I love that she knows instantly that Clark is Superman, after all she is supposed to be an award winning investigative journalist and yet every other version of the character can’t tell that her colleague is Superman. Here she’s definitely intelligent and uses her journalism skills, which leads her to learn all about Clark’s character from the start and she gets to join him on his journey. Michael Shannon is wonderfully menacing as General Zod, he may overplay it at times however he can be genuinely frightening and he is an interesting agenda for taking over the world.

Russell Crowe as his biological father Jor El and Kevin Costner as his adoptive father Jonathan Kent, make great father figures for Clark. Diane Lane is also great as his adoptive mother Martha Kent, as well as Laurence Fishburne as Lois’ boss Perry White.

The opening 15 minutes set on planet Krypton is very creative and I would’ve liked to have spent more time there. With the advanced technologies, rich costumes, the cities and the creatures, it’s got a very Pan’s Labyrinth 2006) meets Avatar (2009) look it. Which contrasts with the planet earth which is more gritty and washed out. The film is also filled with Christian imagery, as the Superman’s origin story in many medias is seen as an allegory for Jesus and Moses and this film takes advantage of that as we seen a lot of reflections in the story with the bible.

I know many felt the Metropolis battle at the end was too violent and depressing, but that’s exactly what would happen if these super villains would attack the city, Unlike like Superman 2 (1980) where everyone survives and there was minimal damage to the city, buildings will be destroyed and people will die.

I feel if you don’t like this new portrayal of Superman, then just stick with the Christopher Reeve films.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

It's very dark and controversial and I love it! This the entry that I would happily defend the most, it’s not perfect by any means but it’s one of the most ballsy superhero films I’ve seen.

This is probably the darkest and most bitter portrayal of Batman I've ever seen. There are those that feel that Ben Affleck’s Batman should’ve had his own film before this or Justice League (2017). While I do welcome a solo film in the near future, I don’t feel it was completely necessary. For one The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), which explored Bruce Wayne/Batman’s character in great detail, had only ended four years prior. Also this is just as much Batman’s film as Superman’s and they do a good job incorporating Bruce’s backstory in the film, we also learn just as much about Batman/Bruce Wayne’s character as we do in Batman (1989). I feel this adds some mystery back into his character, making his actions unpredictable. I know it bothers a lot of people that he kills as it goes against his moral codes, however it has been suggested in this film that he has been Batman for a very long time and the years has taken a toll on him and that he’s lost his way. It makes for a great conflict with Superman, who is still dealing with consequences of Man Of Steel (2013), as the public are conflicted on him after the Metropolis battle. Therefore we have two great heroes who are morally complex as discovered by the evil genius Lex Luther who is able to pit them against each other.

Henry Cavill once again does a great job portraying the different sides of Clark Kent and Superman. Ben Affleck is also fantastic as the most sinister portrayal of Bruce Wayne and Batman. The way Cavill and Affleck contrast each other is perfect as their scenes run parallel that when they appear on screen together they play off of other brilliantly. The fight scene between Batman and Superman is intense and had me at the edge of my seat.

Amy Adams again gets to explore Lois’ adventurous side as she actively investigates Lex Luther’s plan and plays a key role to taking him down. Jesse Eisenberg is brilliantly over the top as Lex Luther, he can be pretty annoying but he is convincingly crazy as well as intelligent. When he talks about the philosophies of his agenda, there is no doubt he believes everything he is saying and the craziness in his performance lets you believe he is insane enough to go through with it. Gal Gadot is fun and mysterious in her brief role as Wonder Woman. Jeremy Irons is well cast as Bruce’s butler Alfred as well as Holly Hunter as Senator Finch. Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne reprise their roles as Martha Kent and Perry White and they are great as usual. I also appreciate Kevin Costner’s reprising his role as Jonathan Kent in a cameo.

The movie beautiful to look at, the cinematography from the close-up of Martha’s pearls on the street at the beginning to the dirt on the coffin is top notch. Zack Snyder continues using Christian imagery and biblical allegories, with the stories and the characters reflect the actions of Jesus, the Devil, Saul and many others, as well as heavy nods to Excalibur (1981).

This film is by no means flawless, there are some issues I have such as most of the teases for Justice League (2017) felt pretty forced – the dream sequence, Flash cameo, the digital files on the super humans. These moments could’ve been left out and in fact would’ve better at the beginning of Justice League (2017).

The infamous ‘Martha’ moment though I will defend. Batman did NOT spare Superman’s life because his mother has the same name as his own mother. It was that it humanises him after he declared he doesn’t see Superman as human. By saying that his mother is about to die makes Batman realise Superman cares about someone that he’s begging Batman to save her. It ties into his own tragedy that he wishes he could’ve saved his parents and that Superman has feelings and emotions like a human. Add in the fact that he learns that from Lois, he sees a human being whom also cares about him deeply as she throws herself on top of him to save his life. At that moment Bruce realised he had become what he himself become the very thing he swore to fight off. If he had killed Superman he would’ve sunk to the level of the man who killed his parents.

The climax involving Superman, Batman and Woman vs. Doomsday is extremely fun and adrenaline pumping. It’s also incredibly devastating as it ends with the death of Superman. As a result the ending to this film is a little depressing, which is pretty fitting for the tone and story it was going for. It works as a bookend to the beginning with the death of Bruce’s parents, as their death marked the birth of Batman, Superman’s death marks as a rebirth of Batman. As Bruce expresses to Diane his regrets and declares to protect the world from what’s to come. The final shot with the specs of dirt floating from the coffin, just like Superman leaves us with the feeling of hope.

The Ultimate Edition may be longer, almost three hours does fill in gaps in the plot, characters get more time to shine and their actions make more sense. I feel in later years this film will be much more appreciated and could even earn a cult following.

Suicide Squad (2016)

I guess this could be a so-bad-it's-good movie. The story is pretty nonsensical and feels kind of out place with the other entries. That being said it's still fun and has memorable characters with a great cast.

The film decidedly goes for a different tone than the previous two, with a stylish first act with the different introductions to the main characters with wild punk-rock colourful visuals and a great soundtrack. But after that, the film becomes mostly conventional with a few moments of good action and character moments.

Cara Delevingne is good at playing weird characters, however as the Enchantress she makes a weak antagonist. Enchantress really did have potential to be a great villain and she had a really creative design, if she was in a different film she could’ve been awesome as she’s supposed to be extremely powerful but is largely wasted and out of place here. I feel the problem is that the movie tried to be just as large as the previous two and therefore had the need to include a powerful antagonist. I feel this film would’ve been much better if they went smaller scale, a sort of indie-movie feel with a more low-key antagonist.

Will Smith is great as expert assassin and devoted father Deadshot. Jai Courtney is wonderfully energetic as Captain Boomerang. Jay Hernandaz makes a pretty sympathetic villain in El Diablo. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc is fun with the little he has to work with and his make-up is awesome. Joel Kinnaman is well cast Colonel Rock Flagg who takes charge of the Suicide Squad. Karen Fukuhara is good but sadly wasted as Katana.  Viola Davis is one of the best actresses on film and TV today and is absolutely perfect as Amanda Waller. She is a devious government official and one look from her lets you know she’s in charge.

Jared Leto makes a pretty interesting Joker, certainly different from the many interpretations we’ve seen. He doesn’t get much screen time and is mostly there as a tease for future films as well as to service Harley Quinn’s story. I actually didn’t mind that, since this the first live-action Joker since the late Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance in The Dark Knight (2008). It allows the audience a taste of what the new Joker is like without taking away from Heath Ledger’s legacy. It was interesting to see this new side to his character, as in other portrayals he uses and abuses Harley Quinn so to see him go through the trouble to rescue her it makes you question –does he really love her? Or does he have his own agenda for rescuing her?  

Ben Affleck and Ezra Miller make small but memorable cameos as Batman and the Flash.

 Of all the great cast, it is Margot Robbie who steals the show as Harley Quinn, not only is she extremely beautiful but she is full of energy, has all the best lines but also adds in little subtleties that show there is a soft and sympathetic side to all this craziness. Despite having a completely different costume, she does at many times feels like the original character from Batman The Animated Series (1992-1995) brought to life (I really appreciated the quick moment of seeing her in the iconic jester costume in a recreation of the Alex Ross picture, below). It’s no surprise the WB want to keep her around as the character, not just for Suicide Squad 2, but also a Joker and Harley movie and leading a Gotham City Sirens movie which is a female villain team up story with Poison Ivy and Catwoman, she’s also been tipped to voice Harley in her own animated show and Robbie herself stated she’s even got another separate film she’s about to do.

 It is the weakest entry in the DC Extended Universe so far, the story and structure feels like they’re making it up as they’re going along. But it does have a guilty pleasure charm to it. The performances and their chemistry are worth the watch and offers potential and room for improvement in the proposed sequel.

Wonder Woman (2017)

This film had a lot to live up to, with the three previous films doing bad critically as well as the only other female superhero films such as Supergirl (1984), Catwoman (2004) and Elektra (2005) were just awful. Also the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years had been teasing a solo movie for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow but so far hasn’t made it yet or any female lead film. I just don’t understand why female lead superhero films are so hard to make.  This film however has beat all of the odds! Wonder Woman is not only the best of the DC Extended Universe films but is also one of the best superhero films of all time.

Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman! She delivers on her promise from her part in Batman V Superman (2016) and even more, I can’t honestly think of a more perfect casting choice. As Diana Prince/Wonder Woman she’s incredibly likeable and her character's journey and development is amazing. Moments that should be annoying such as the fish-out-of-water aspects and the feminism of a strong woman during WW1 period were actually handled pretty effectively; they felt necessary to the story and were never overdone nor do they feel preachy. Her naivety over human goodness and belief of traditional good vs. evil doesn’t get too annoying either and it pays off perfectly as she gets to her final battle.

Chris Pine is brilliantly cast as spy soldier Steve Trevor, he is equally as likeable and fun as Diana. I love that he never talks down to her or feels the need to act macho around a strong woman. He is always respectful to her, encouraging her to embrace her power and is a great soldier and does his equal share in the action. The chemistry Gadot and Pine share is magical, in the short space of time they were able to create a compelling love story. Steve’s sacrifice is truly tragic and powerful enough to bring out Diana’s journey to a perfect climax.

Connie Nielson is great as Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyta, as well Robin Wright as her mentor and aunt Antiope. Lucy Davis is also great and hilarious as Steve’s bubbly secretary Etta Candy.

The villains of the film are probably not the best things about the film but serve their purpose for the story. Ares in particular may not be particularly exciting or menacing but worked for Diana’s journey to learn of the grey moralities of humanity.

The hidden island of Themyscira is warm, beautiful and colourful and serves a great contrast to the WW1 set London, which is cold, grey and misty.

The No-Man’s Land action scene is iconic, as we see Diana come out and take charge as Wonder Woman. It is extremely epic, brilliantly directed, the fight choreography is excellent.

Director Patty Jenkins does an amazing job, considering she only has one other film on her CV Monster (2003) she handles the action scenes extremely well. She keeps the film at just the right tone; it can be emotional without being too depressing and is able to be light-hearted and funny without being too silly. The film is extremely well paced as the two and a half hours goes by fast. The character development feels very natural and flows well with the narrative from beginning to end. 

Being Wonder Woman’s first official movie, it does a great job making this feel like a self-contained story with enough ties to the other films that are subtle enough that non-fans won’t need to watch the other entries to enjoy.

Justice League (2017)

It's too short but it is non-stop entertainment. The interactions between the DC heroes are excellent and by far the best parts of the film as each member now have well defined personalities and relationships.

After playing the most sinister version of Batman in Batman V Superman (2016), Ben Affleck get’s to portray a lighter side to his character. After Superman’s death we see he’s learnt the error of his ways and wants atone for them. We still see glimpses of that dark side in him, so you still feel it’s the same Batman. We also get to see that passion in him as he takes leadership of the team and the need to save the world. Henry Cavill gets to portray the Superman that fans wanted to see, after portraying a naturally dark newly resurrected Superman by the third act he is light-hearted and positive.  While it would’ve been nice to see more of that dark side as it has been heavily suggested there are cut scenes of him as evil wearing a black suit. It was still a refreshing change to the character after three films of development and let’s us look forward to his future portrayals of the character. Gal Gadot once again shines as Wonder Woman, it was great to see a continuation of the mysterious character she was in Batman V Superman (2016) mixed in from the backstory we had in Wonder Woman (2017). Also like Batman, she takes leadership of the team and feels very natural not forced. Her dynamic with Batman is perfect, they have clear respect for each other but there’s also sexual between the two that is not acted upon.

 Ezra Miller as Flash/Barry Allen is fantastic and brings most of the humour to the team. His comedic timings are on point and his facial expressions as her reacts to each character are hilarious. The slow-motion effects mixed in with lightning while he does the super speed are fun to see. Billy Crudup makes a small but memorable appearance as his father. Ray Fisher as Cyborg is great and very sympathetic; he’s like the Frankenstein creature crossed with Robocop but much younger, as he resents his father for bringing him back to life by cybernetic reconstruction. I liked seeing Flash and Cyborg bond as the young members who were not born their powers. Jason Momoa as Aquaman is slightly wasted but has his little moments that are memorable and has some great lines. We get a little glimpse of under the water world and we’re introduced to Amber Heard as his love interest Mera. These little moments have got me looking forward to James Wan's Aquaman (2018) let’s see if he can do nearly a whole film set under water.

Amy Adams and Diane Lane reprise their roles as Lois Lane and Martha Kent, their parts are brief but very important to ground Superman’s emotional arc.

Unlike what a lot of people are saying, I didn’t notice that many tonal inconsistencies. It’s public knowledge that Joss Whedon directed reshoots and handled post-production after Zack Snyder stepped down due to a family tragedy. While I could point out a moment or two that had Whedon fingerprints on them, the overall film did feel like one director did it. As for the infamous CGI removal of Henry Cavill’s moustache for the reshoots, I can only think of one shot where a close-up of his mouth looked weird and even then it was only because I was looking for it. While the film clearly has a lighter tone than Snyder’s previous two entries, but when you look at the early teasers when Snyder was still involved you could argue that he going for that tone anyway. Also just because Joss Whedon directed The Avengers (2012), which was mostly light-hearted and comedic, it does not mean he’s afraid to go dark himself, his TV show Angel (1999-2004) goes to pretty dark and depressing places. The plot itself was relatively simple so he manages effortlessly making it flow well from beginning to end. Also Snyder’s biblical allegories and mythic overtones are still present in this film with all our heroes and their arcs representing different gods such as Poseidon, Apollo, Prometheus etc.

What is noticeable however is that there were a lot of scenes that were cut for time. This is the shortest film of the lot, which the WB had ordered it to be less than two hours long. It’s mostly noticeable in the first act, as the plot kicks off mostly instantly and character introductions are pretty fast that they could’ve had more time to breathe. I already mentioned evil black-suit Superman scenes being cut, while Superman’s resurrection is very well done it could’ve had more time, the decision for the team to bring him back while there was conflict could’ve been longer as well as Clark’s recovery to being alive again could’ve had more time to explore.

Steppenwolf as the main antagonist was pretty generic, at least Enchantress in Suicide Squad (2016) was weird enough to be more memorable, but I feel he was an essential villain for a first team up film. His plot for invading the world and his quest to get the Mother boxes works well enough that it makes sense why the members of Justice League got involved and why they needed to ban together to save the world. There are more interesting villains they can use in future films but for now this was about bringing the team together and the plot and villain worked perfectly fine to make that happen.

I feel this film overall achieved what it set out to do, that is to create a memorable superhero team movie. The characters are all well written, acted, and are likeable they each have their moment to shine and have great chemistry. The action is fun and the two hours really fly by. It may not be the strongest entry in the franchise but I feel it offers nice closure for this five-part franchise and offers potential for future parts.

So I’m overall happy with the five films I got so far and I look forward to what it brings us in the future. We already have James Wan’s Aquaman (2018), David F. Sandberg’s Shazam (2019) starring Zachary Levi, Patty Jenkins will be doing Wonder Woman 2 (2019), as well as a Cyborg film and Green Lantern in 2020, all confirmed with release dates. As well as exciting multiple future entries in pre-production: A Flashpoint film, which may see Ben Affleck exit the role of Batman; Matt Reeves will be directing a Batman film, with or without Ben Affleck; Joss Whedon to do a Batgirl film; Gavin O’Conner to do Suicide Squad 2; Chris McKay for a Nightwing film; Henry Cavill has stated he's working on Man Of Steel 2; I already mentioned Margot Robbie has got a lot of Harley Quinn films under her belt, the only ones with confirmed directors are David Ayer for Gotham City Sirens and Glenn Ficarra and John Requa for Joker and Harley.