Rating (2 out of 5)

This was the new movie on HBO last week, and I finally convinced mywife we should give it a try. We all have regrets in life, and convincing her to watch this will be one.

DC has a marvelous set of characters and like Marvel, they have a lot of them to use. What I don’t understand is with all the technology that we have available today to make movies, and everything we have learned from previous superhero movies, how a dud like this gets made.

First, the pace of the movie is slow. I like a good get together the team sequence, but this was tedious. Could have sped it up more, and then concentrated on the team doesn’t work well, and then slowly learns how to work together. They started setting it up by showing how everyone liked to be a loner.

Ben Affleck has got to be the worst. I understand Batman is a serious dude, but a very passionate serious dude. This was a bored to be alive type serious. I am wondering if Ben should act anymore, unless it is secondary roles. There was just no life in him. Now Christian Bale, I thought that was a good Batman. If they do anymore they are going to have to recast him.

Didn’t really see a lot of Aquaman, which was a shame. Would have liked to have him on the screen more. If you compare this to Avengers or Guardians, there is a definite lack of witty banter between the team. The Power Ranger formula I cited in other posts, only works if you have offsetting types and they all learn and grow. If everyone has a stick up their butt, the formula doesn’t work. Only characters without the proverbial stick, are Flash and Aquaman.

I am not a Zack Snyder fan. He relies on technical gimmicks to make a movie, rather than the story and characters. Then when the effects are lame, it just kills a movie. When the movie looks like CGI and a computer game, you have to worry about the direction. There were more than just a few moments where you were like, ah that is terrible CGI person flying through the air. It really took away from the film. Do a different shot, but don’t rely on something that sucks.

Flash, was a much needed character for the movie. He brought a little humor and humility. However, when the CW does a better job of Flash technical effects, then you are in trouble. Flash is easy (hint learn from Incredibles), show someone not there, then all of sudden they are. You don’t have show him running, while everything is slow around him. And even when the showed him moving fast it was a weird effect. This is what happens when you prize the special effects over the intelligence of your audience.

Also, give the slow mo effect a rest. Did it a couple of times to maybe build a tension in the action sequence. Over used and over done. Move on.

Cyborg could have been cooler. His outfit, and skills are badass. He just needed a bit of humor or charisma to offset that metal. Definitely not a Teen Titan Cyborg, more of a stick up your butt Cyborg.

Get you have to get Superman back in the movie, but do it quicker and move to the finally a bit faster. Finally the story, does it sound a bit like Marvel, with the infinity stones.

I have hope for Flash and Aquaman. They can salvage Wonder Woman, if they offset her seriousness with someone other characters humor to offset her, which they did in the original Wonder Woman. Don’t make her Batman junior, or we maybe we will all abandon DC movies forever.