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JUSTICE LEAGUE — Review by Susan Granger

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When William Shakespeare wrote, “It is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing,” he could have been summarizing “Justice League.” Or, let’s put it this way: How is it that when you’re given everything, you come away with nothing?” Continue reading…

Picking up where last year’s “Batman vs. Superman” left off, the death of Superman (Henry Cavill) has left everyone morose, including Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck). Of course, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is bereft and Martha Kent (Diane Lane) is facing foreclosure on the family house and farm.

So it’s the perfect time for a villainous alien to re-appear: Steppenwolf (voiced by Ciaran Hinds), wielding a bodacious battle-axe. He’s searching for three Mother-boxes that, when united, will decimate Earth.
When he was here before, a union of Amazons, Atlanteans, Greek Gods, etc. forced him into retreat…but now he’s back, along with his satanic demons (creepy winged thingies) that feed on fear.

Reluctantly led by Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the DC Comic Universe converges. From Iceland, there’s the tattooed malcontent, Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa). Nerdy, nervous Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) can run really, really fast, and Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher) is a science experiment – half-man/half-machine – whose powers are just emerging, much to his own surprise.

And wouldn’t you know it? Without explanation, Superman comes back to life, although he momentarily suffers some psychological issues, like not realizing who he is. Without wasting much time, he’s brought up-to-speed, declaring, “I’m back now, and I’m gonna make things right.”

Scripted by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon and directed by Zach Snyder, it’s totally lacking in humor and fun, unless you’re amused by the repetition of an absurd “Pet Sematary” joke. Basically, it’s a 121-minute bore – except when Gal Gadot and Amy Adams are on the screen.

And, yes, there’s a mid-credit scene at the conclusion.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Justice League” is a nonsensical 4 – three points for Gal Gadot and one for trying.

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Susan Granger

Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at R.K.O., M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures; her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M. As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O'Brien and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa, with highest honors in journalism. During her adult life, Susan has been on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic. Her newspaper reviews have been syndicated around the world, and she has appeared on American Movie Classics cable television. In addition, her celebrity interviews and articles have been published in REDBOOK, PLAYBOY, FAMILY CIRCLE, COSMOPOLITAN, WORKING WOMAN and THE NEW YORK TIMES, as well as in PARIS MATCH, ELLE, HELLO, CARIBBEAN WORLD, ISLAND LIFE, MACO DESTINATIONS, NEWS LIMITED NEWSPAPERS (Australia), UK DAILY MAIL, UK SUNDAY MIRROR, DS (France), LA REPUBBLICA (Italy), BUNTE (Germany), VIP TRAVELLER (Krisworld) and many other international publications through SSG Syndicate. Susan also lectures on the "Magic and Mythology of Hollywood" and "Don't Take It Personally: Conquering Criticism and other Survival Skills," originally published on tape by Dove Audio.