This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
First to the comics, the Justice Society of America gave fans the best of all their favorite DC heros. DC later rebranded them to the Justice League to compete with the easily remembered "Avengers".
Years later, both comics are competing on the big screen.
This is where DC and Marvel diverge. Marvel took time with establishing each character. Whether a sub-character of a movie (like Black Widow in Ironman 2) or a core character (like Thor), each Marvel property was carefully crafted before the big together film.
DC, just fast tracked their movie.
Throw the Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman into a 2 hour flick and see what happens. The result is different.
The major strength of this movie is the lesser known characters. Aquaman is this brooding seaman who wants nothing to do with the surface dwellers unless it has alcohol in it. While overtly masculine, Jason Mamoa's portrayal of Aquaman takes the campy "king of the sea" and puts a different spin on him that begs the question as to what issues he has to overcome.
Cyborg is a tortured soul who sees himself as no longer human, but holds onto his humanity. His inner struggle against the machine that is his body makes for a intriguing character.
Meanwhile, the Flash is just annoying. He's an autistic sevant who doesn't know how to interact with people. He's always delivering odd lines that were meant to be funny, but come off as uncomfortable. The CW's (Arrowverse) Flash TV series has a more likeable Flash.
Wonder Woman got her own movie. It was really good. Not much to say, except, go see the Wonder Woman (2017) movie.
Superman didn't have much to do in this movie (as it's a sequel to Batman v Superman). As such, there's not much to really judge on.
Please stop casting Ben Afflick as Batman. He doesn't fight well, he doesn't act the part, and the only redeeming factor he has is his chin looks like the comic books. I don't think Afflick is a bad actor, he just doesn't play the role of Batman nor Bruce Wayne well enough for me to enjoy the character. If he's not barking out orders, he's getting beat up. This is not the Batman I expected after the Dark Knight trilogy.
Gather these characters together and set them against Steppenwolf. Yeah, the first thought that came to mind was Magic Carpet Ride, but apparently Steppenwolf is a major badguy in the DC Universe. I think more people have heard of the Dakotaverse than Steppenwolf.
This "really tall" CGI bad guy has the goal of destroying the earth by terraforming it into Apokalyps (his homeworld).
Can the Justice League defeat the inter-galactic homesteader?
I think you already know the answer.
Where the movie failed was its rushed attempt to get the audience to have more than intrigue with the characters. Just because you're intrigued doesn't mean you're onboard. That's a major problem. Also, if you didn't see Batman v Superman, you're missing some of the events. All you know is that Superman is missing for the first half, but not the significance of how they get him to return.
Compared to the many animated Justice League movies (most notably, Justice League War), this film focuses too much around a weak Batman. Batman is supposed to be strong, resourceful, and ingelligent. This Batman is dull, and merely painting by numbers throughout the film. There's no sense of a greater plan at work.
There's also the gritty tone. This is a much darker film than the Avengers movies. THis makes it a welcomed change from the norm of bright and colourful movies where characters are quippy. For me, the contrast made Justice League more acceptable despite its faults.
With low risks, no real time to know the characters, and a very weak Batman performance, Justice League may not be the movie for you. While the contrast is welcomed, the movie is built on an abysmal failure called Batman v Superman.
Despite its flaws, I would still recommend this movie. It's the movie the DC we got, not the one we deserved.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
First to the comics, the Justice Society of America gave fans the best of all their favorite DC heros. DC later rebranded them to the Justice League to compete with the easily remembered "Avengers".
Years later, both comics are competing on the big screen.
This is where DC and Marvel diverge. Marvel took time with establishing each character. Whether a sub-character of a movie (like Black Widow in Ironman 2) or a core character (like Thor), each Marvel property was carefully crafted before the big together film.
DC, just fast tracked their movie.
Throw the Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman into a 2 hour flick and see what happens. The result is different.
The major strength of this movie is the lesser known characters. Aquaman is this brooding seaman who wants nothing to do with the surface dwellers unless it has alcohol in it. While overtly masculine, Jason Mamoa's portrayal of Aquaman takes the campy "king of the sea" and puts a different spin on him that begs the question as to what issues he has to overcome.
Cyborg is a tortured soul who sees himself as no longer human, but holds onto his humanity. His inner struggle against the machine that is his body makes for a intriguing character.
Meanwhile, the Flash is just annoying. He's an autistic sevant who doesn't know how to interact with people. He's always delivering odd lines that were meant to be funny, but come off as uncomfortable. The CW's (Arrowverse) Flash TV series has a more likeable Flash.
Wonder Woman got her own movie. It was really good. Not much to say, except, go see the Wonder Woman (2017) movie.
Superman didn't have much to do in this movie (as it's a sequel to Batman v Superman). As such, there's not much to really judge on.
Please stop casting Ben Afflick as Batman. He doesn't fight well, he doesn't act the part, and the only redeeming factor he has is his chin looks like the comic books. I don't think Afflick is a bad actor, he just doesn't play the role of Batman nor Bruce Wayne well enough for me to enjoy the character. If he's not barking out orders, he's getting beat up. This is not the Batman I expected after the Dark Knight trilogy.
Gather these characters together and set them against Steppenwolf. Yeah, the first thought that came to mind was Magic Carpet Ride, but apparently Steppenwolf is a major badguy in the DC Universe. I think more people have heard of the Dakotaverse than Steppenwolf.
This "really tall" CGI bad guy has the goal of destroying the earth by terraforming it into Apokalyps (his homeworld).
Can the Justice League defeat the inter-galactic homesteader?
I think you already know the answer.
Where the movie failed was its rushed attempt to get the audience to have more than intrigue with the characters. Just because you're intrigued doesn't mean you're onboard. That's a major problem. Also, if you didn't see Batman v Superman, you're missing some of the events. All you know is that Superman is missing for the first half, but not the significance of how they get him to return.
Compared to the many animated Justice League movies (most notably, Justice League War), this film focuses too much around a weak Batman. Batman is supposed to be strong, resourceful, and ingelligent. This Batman is dull, and merely painting by numbers throughout the film. There's no sense of a greater plan at work.
There's also the gritty tone. This is a much darker film than the Avengers movies. THis makes it a welcomed change from the norm of bright and colourful movies where characters are quippy. For me, the contrast made Justice League more acceptable despite its faults.
With low risks, no real time to know the characters, and a very weak Batman performance, Justice League may not be the movie for you. While the contrast is welcomed, the movie is built on an abysmal failure called Batman v Superman.
Despite its flaws, I would still recommend this movie. It's the movie the DC we got, not the one we deserved.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Growing up, we had the spinning Linda Carter as the heroine of choice. She could catch shots from tanks, block bullets, and wore the Red, White, and Blue. She was a patriot in one of the campiest series since Adam West played Batman.
This isn't that.
Gal Gadot brings a hopeful but grittier look at DC's queen of the Justice League. Starting with the defeat of Ares, Queen Hippolyta asks Zeus for a child. She's given Diana. Diana longs to be a warrior like her Aunt Antiope. When her mother gives in to her desire, it starts Diana on a journey that changes her destiny.
The whole story keeps the known beats of the Wonder Woman story. Steve Trevor (a spy/pilot) crashes on the island, bringing war to the Amazonians for the first time in centuries and causing Diana to leave the island. From a non-comic book person, it seems to hit all the right notes without requiring people to have read every single comic.
Unlike Captain America, Wonder Woman is set in the trench wars of World War I. Instead of fighting National Soclaist German Workers Partys, Diana is fighting proto-National Soclaist German Workers Partys. The uniforms are different, but everything else screams "we wanted National Soclaist German Workers Partys".
A story point that hit an odd note was the soldier with battle fatigue (aka: PTSD). Throughout the movie, they drag the character along without much indication as to why except that they needed to fulfill the picture shown in Batman v Superman. It felt a bit out of place. As Diana gets closer to the root evil behind the first World War, can she stop it in time before it's too late?
Duh... the answer is always cliche.
But the journey there is filled with exciting battles and great acting by Gadot. Gadot brings a childlike quality to Diana as Diana is experiencing the outside world for the first time. This is very well played.
While I enjoyed Wonder Woman (2017), I was disappointed in the final reveal. The true evil behind everything (while unexpected) felt lazy. The only thing that would have made it better would've been for Diana to make the big baddy cry "MARTHA" instead of uncle.
I would recommend this movie. It's the best of the live-action DCEU movies. While that's not saying much, it brings hope that we might see some good DCEU films despite all the bombs (including Justice League) that have released so far.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Growing up, we had the spinning Linda Carter as the heroine of choice. She could catch shots from tanks, block bullets, and wore the Red, White, and Blue. She was a patriot in one of the campiest series since Adam West played Batman.
This isn't that.
Gal Gadot brings a hopeful but grittier look at DC's queen of the Justice League. Starting with the defeat of Ares, Queen Hippolyta asks Zeus for a child. She's given Diana. Diana longs to be a warrior like her Aunt Antiope. When her mother gives in to her desire, it starts Diana on a journey that changes her destiny.
The whole story keeps the known beats of the Wonder Woman story. Steve Trevor (a spy/pilot) crashes on the island, bringing war to the Amazonians for the first time in centuries and causing Diana to leave the island. From a non-comic book person, it seems to hit all the right notes without requiring people to have read every single comic.
Unlike Captain America, Wonder Woman is set in the trench wars of World War I. Instead of fighting National Soclaist German Workers Partys, Diana is fighting proto-National Soclaist German Workers Partys. The uniforms are different, but everything else screams "we wanted National Soclaist German Workers Partys".
A story point that hit an odd note was the soldier with battle fatigue (aka: PTSD). Throughout the movie, they drag the character along without much indication as to why except that they needed to fulfill the picture shown in Batman v Superman. It felt a bit out of place. As Diana gets closer to the root evil behind the first World War, can she stop it in time before it's too late?
Duh... the answer is always cliche.
But the journey there is filled with exciting battles and great acting by Gadot. Gadot brings a childlike quality to Diana as Diana is experiencing the outside world for the first time. This is very well played.
While I enjoyed Wonder Woman (2017), I was disappointed in the final reveal. The true evil behind everything (while unexpected) felt lazy. The only thing that would have made it better would've been for Diana to make the big baddy cry "MARTHA" instead of uncle.
I would recommend this movie. It's the best of the live-action DCEU movies. While that's not saying much, it brings hope that we might see some good DCEU films despite all the bombs (including Justice League) that have released so far.
Reprising her InchBatman vs. Superman Dawn of JusticeInch role, Gal Gadot stars as DC Comics' superheroine in this exciting solo adventure. During World War I, American pilot and spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes on the isolated island of Themyscira, home to Amazon warrior princess-and child of Zeus-Diana (Gadot). Accompanying Trevor back to the world of humans, Diana uses her wondrous powers to help end the conflict, which she believes to be fostered by renegade god Ares. David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright also star. 141 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack English. Two-disc set.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Growing up, we had the spinning Linda Carter as the heroine of choice. She could catch shots from tanks, block bullets, and wore the Red, White, and Blue. She was a patriot in one of the campiest series since Adam West played Batman.
This isn't that.
Gal Gadot brings a hopeful but grittier look at DC's queen of the Justice League. Starting with the defeat of Ares, Queen Hippolyta asks Zeus for a child. She's given Diana. Diana longs to be a warrior like her Aunt Antiope. When her mother gives in to her desire, it starts Diana on a journey that changes her destiny.
The whole story keeps the known beats of the Wonder Woman story. Steve Trevor (a spy/pilot) crashes on the island, bringing war to the Amazonians for the first time in centuries and causing Diana to leave the island. From a non-comic book person, it seems to hit all the right notes without requiring people to have read every single comic.
Unlike Captain America, Wonder Woman is set in the trench wars of World War I. Instead of fighting National Soclaist German Workers Partys, Diana is fighting proto-National Soclaist German Workers Partys. The uniforms are different, but everything else screams "we wanted National Soclaist German Workers Partys".
A story point that hit an odd note was the soldier with battle fatigue (aka: PTSD). Throughout the movie, they drag the character along without much indication as to why except that they needed to fulfill the picture shown in Batman v Superman. It felt a bit out of place. As Diana gets closer to the root evil behind the first World War, can she stop it in time before it's too late?
Duh... the answer is always cliche.
But the journey there is filled with exciting battles and great acting by Gadot. Gadot brings a childlike quality to Diana as Diana is experiencing the outside world for the first time. This is very well played.
While I enjoyed Wonder Woman (2017), I was disappointed in the final reveal. The true evil behind everything (while unexpected) felt lazy. The only thing that would have made it better would've been for Diana to make the big baddy cry "MARTHA" instead of uncle.
I would recommend this movie. It's the best of the live-action DCEU movies. While that's not saying much, it brings hope that we might see some good DCEU films despite all the bombs (including Justice League) that have released so far.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Growing up, we had the spinning Linda Carter as the heroine of choice. She could catch shots from tanks, block bullets, and wore the Red, White, and Blue. She was a patriot in one of the campiest series since Adam West played Batman.
This isn't that.
Gal Gadot brings a hopeful but grittier look at DC's queen of the Justice League. Starting with the defeat of Ares, Queen Hippolyta asks Zeus for a child. She's given Diana. Diana longs to be a warrior like her Aunt Antiope. When her mother gives in to her desire, it starts Diana on a journey that changes her destiny.
The whole story keeps the known beats of the Wonder Woman story. Steve Trevor (a spy/pilot) crashes on the island, bringing war to the Amazonians for the first time in centuries and causing Diana to leave the island. From a non-comic book person, it seems to hit all the right notes without requiring people to have read every single comic.
Unlike Captain America, Wonder Woman is set in the trench wars of World War I. Instead of fighting National Soclaist German Workers Partys, Diana is fighting proto-National Soclaist German Workers Partys. The uniforms are different, but everything else screams "we wanted National Soclaist German Workers Partys".
A story point that hit an odd note was the soldier with battle fatigue (aka: PTSD). Throughout the movie, they drag the character along without much indication as to why except that they needed to fulfill the picture shown in Batman v Superman. It felt a bit out of place. As Diana gets closer to the root evil behind the first World War, can she stop it in time before it's too late?
Duh... the answer is always cliche.
But the journey there is filled with exciting battles and great acting by Gadot. Gadot brings a childlike quality to Diana as Diana is experiencing the outside world for the first time. This is very well played.
While I enjoyed Wonder Woman (2017), I was disappointed in the final reveal. The true evil behind everything (while unexpected) felt lazy. The only thing that would have made it better would've been for Diana to make the big baddy cry "MARTHA" instead of uncle.
I would recommend this movie. It's the best of the live-action DCEU movies. While that's not saying much, it brings hope that we might see some good DCEU films despite all the bombs (including Justice League) that have released so far.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
The DC Animated Universe has been much better than the competition. DC has pumped out hit after hit with only a few missteps. Early on, Wonder Woman was one of their ventures.
The story is like every other Wonder Woman origin. Diana (Princess of Themyscara) is trapped on the Amazonian islan. A fighter pilot crashes on theri beach and disrupts the isolation they've enjoyed for centuries. This starts Diana's first introduction to the outside world. Given her tribe's value of justice, she feels a need to protect all of mankind.
It's a simple story, but this film adds Ares age old ambition to destroy the Amazons after a humiliating defeat. He does this by appealing to his guard in a way her queen never has.
The dual story of both Diana in the outside world and Ares' ambition gives purpose to the fish out of water tale.
The downside to this movie is the ending. When you think Ares has succeeded, a ex machina ending brings this movie to a close with a brief PSA moment.
The battle scenes are fun, the voice acting is spot-on, and the movie is worth your time.
I would recommend the 2009 Wonder Woman animated film. What it lacks in its ending, it makes up for in overall substance.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
It's no secret that DC live action movies have sucked more than their animated counterparts. If you want a good Superman film, watch Superman Doomsday. If you want a good Justice League movie, try Gods and Monsters. If you want a good Wonder Woman... ... well, OK you got me there.
Still, the animated films are often much better than their live action counterparts. If you were turned off of the 2016 Suicide Squad, try HtP.
The story starts out showing what they do. The Suicide Squad is taking down Tobias Whale (from Black Lightning). This first mission shows just how expendable they really are. Then the main plot starts. Amanda Waller wants the Suicide Squad to go after the McGuffin...err.... Get Out of Hades Free card. The legend goes, whoever dies with this card on them will skip being in a Zach Snyder movie and go to Heaven.
So, who's she going to call? Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Frost, Bronze Tiger, Captain Boomerang, and Copperhead.
Yes, only a couple of these are A-List villains, but just let it play out.
The story pits them against rival factions looking to obtain the card for their own reasons. What I enjoyed about the story is the tie-in to the Flashpoint Paradox. No spoilers, but lets just say that the tie-in surprised me and was masterfully executed.
Deadshot is the character that gets the most focus. I appreciate how he goes through his own character arc throughout the film. You get the sense that there's more to him than a simple criminal. His complexities lead to some decisions that affect the team.
I must warn Harley fans (of which I am one). Harley is a minor character in this film. While she's there, her role could've been replaced with another villainess without affecting the story much at all.
The action scenes are more graphic than expected. It seems the DC Animated Universe is getting more and more into the hard R material than before. First Killing Joke and now this? Like Deadpool and Logan, the R Rating serves as a vehicle to expand what's possible in the film. Point in fact, the most memorable scenes wouldn't have been possible without a hard R rating.
This is where the movie falls a bit flat. I don't remember much of the action. I remember more of the fights from Superman Doomsday (Rated PG13) than HtP because there were more iconic moments. In this movie, apart from heads exploding and a snide remark to follow, there wasn't much that sticks as being "cool" or " unique".
Never the less, this was a very enjoyable film. I would recommend it.
With a twist ending (that you probably see coming), Suicide Squad: HtP is a great addition to any DC Animated Collection.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This is NOT Lara Croft. This is the story of a generic girl that seeks to find what happened to her father. She does this by rejecting the wealth she inherited, but can somehow afford a trip to a remote Asian island near where her father disappeared.
Alicia Vikander delivers a very plastic performance as the likeness of Not Lara Croft without the personality that gamers fell in love with as a result of the game's 2013 franchise reboot. Instead we get teenage angst in defiance of a paramilitary operation.
While Angelia Jolie managed to give an infectiously good time which translated to fun for the audience, Vikander takes the role too seriously to engage the audience at all.
I seriously regret purchasing the Steelbook copy of this movie. I thought it was going to be good, but was I mistaken.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This is NOT Lara Croft. This is the story of a generic girl that seeks to find what happened to her father. She does this by rejecting the wealth she inherited, but can somehow afford a trip to a remote Asian island near where her father disappeared.
Alicia Vikander delivers a very plastic performance as the likeness of Not Lara Croft without the personality that gamers fell in love with as a result of the game's 2013 franchise reboot. Instead we get teenage angst in defiance of a paramilitary operation.
While Angelia Jolie managed to give an infectiously good time which translated to fun for the audience, Vikander takes the role too seriously to engage the audience at all.
I seriously regret purchasing the Steelbook copy of this movie. I thought it was going to be good, but was I mistaken.