A Brief History
On November 17, 2017, the DC Comics inspired superhero action movie Justice League makes its nationwide premier in theaters across the USA.
Digging Deeper
With a first-rate cast of Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Afleck, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher as our heroes, the film has the star power you would expect from a big budget blockbuster. Each of these actors is well cast, and every single one displays an excellent sense of comedic timing for those moments when the audience needs a laugh. (Either that, or the directing got the most out of the actors!) Supporting actors Jeremy Irons, Connie Nielsen, and JK Simmons also do an excellent job.
Although we watched a pre-screening of the film in 2-D, some of the large field shots made us feel as if we were watching a 3-D film. Other parts of the movie, including the main villain, a character called Steppenwolf played (voice) by Claran Hinds leading an army of “parademons,” is a bit cartoonish (CGI), although one must remember the film is an adaptation of comic books. Some other movie critics have pointed out the CGI animation as a negative aspect of the film, but in our opinion, the CGI blends with the live action in such a way that the action flows well and although sometimes chaotic, is big screen entertainment at its best.
It seems critical reviews by “experts” tend to be a bit negative, but audiences, people who know what they like, are enjoying the film immensely. The audience we watched the movie with laughed, gasped, and clapped, showing a definite upbeat perception of the film. Almost 100% of the pre-screeners stayed for the mid and end credit scenes. The buzz when leaving the theater was overwhelmingly positive, which mirrors other assessments of audience reaction.
Justice League cost a whopping $300 million to make, and we confidently predict the box office on the film will easily cover costs and leave a tidy profit. Fans of the comic book universe film genre will like the movie, and younger folks not yet familiar with the DC superheroes will likely become fans after seeing the film. At just under 2 hours long, the movie never gives the audience a chance to relax or get bored, moving right along throughout the film.
A major plus of the film is the sound track, paying homage to the previous Superman and Batman films and songs such as “Come Together,” “Everybody Knows,” and “Icky Thump,” to go with the original music composed by uber-composer Danny Elfman.
We strongly recommend you see the movie and take the kids! And by the way, if you run into Ben Afleck, tell him to keep playing Batman. (He makes an excellent caped crusader.)
Finally, here is a photo slideshow from our screening:
Music: http://www.purple-planet.com
Question for students (and subscribers): What did you think of this movie? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Bernstein, Abbie. Justice League: The Art of the Film. Titan Books, 2017.
Titan. Justice League Official Collector’s Edition Book. Titan Comics, 2017.