Justice League Review

Three years ago, a team of superheroes united on the big screen. The Justice League, DC Comics iconic team, made their debut in the 2017 blockbuster that continued the events of Man of Steel and Batman v.Superman: Dawn of Justice. It should have been a triumphant moment for the filmmakers and fans alike, but the final product ended up being nothing more than a beautiful lie. After director Zack Snyder left the project due to a personal tragedy, the studio tried to make its release date by hiring Joss Whedon (director of Marvel’s Avengers) to finish the project. What transpired was an altered version of the movie that was met with both criticism and controversy. Now, thanks to the efforts of Release the Snyder Cut movement, Justice League has been restored as Zack Snyder returned to the director’s chair to finish what he started. Though this director’s cut did not debut in theaters, it did however find its way to viewers thanks to WB’s streaming service HBO Max. Trying to watch the film was an adventure in of itself for me, but after several delays I was able to see this massive blockbuster. While I am not a major detractor of the theatrical cut (though it has not aged well for me) I will definitively state that not only is Zack Snyder’s Justice League the superior version, it is one of the best superhero movies ever made.

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Justice League Review: Justice is Served as a Superpowered Blockbuster!

In 2013 a new era began for Warner Bros and DC Comics. It started with the unique Superman reboot-Man of Steel. Three years later two icons clashed in the polarizing (and very much underrated) blockbuster Batman v.Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now a year,and two additional releases, later DC's shared universe continues with the long awaited team up film: Justice League. Directed by Zack Snyder Justice League marks the first time that DC's famed superhero team unites on the silver screen. Now to say that Justice League did not have an uphill battle to contend with would in fact be an injustice. Not only did the movie have to deal with changes in production but it seemed that every critic, journalist, blogger, YouTuber and moviegoer was gung ho on dissecting this blockbuster with the precision of a disgruntled surgeon. Regardless of what others may think it is in this Film Adventurer's opinion that Justice League is,without a doubt, a superhero movie through and through.

Taking place after the events Batman v.Superman the plot to Justice League deals with Batman (Ben Affleck) bringing together Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), The Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) in order to face an alien threat that is bent on destroying the world. You know how it goes: a great evil threatens the world and a group of unlikely heroes come together to save together from certain doom. When putting like that it seemed that Justice League followed a very simple concept, and truthfully this statement is quite true. Was this a poor choice on the story's part? The answer to this question may vary but I do not believe the film's straightforward narrative was a bad thing. It may have been broad but the story was exciting and it turned to be an adventure with a decent pace. Yet this not to say that the plot had no dimensions to it. One of the most intriguing aspects to the movie was how it was able to expand on the cinematic world of DC Comics. Seeing the likes of Atlantis or the start of Flash's journey gave the plot a captivating element that made me eager to see more. The only issue I had with the plot was that its direction at times was a little too straightforward. Although the movie did its best to clarify on plot points the broad narrative did hold the story back and took the impact away from certain moments and twists. Despite its merits and shortcomings I felt that the most compelling thing about Justice League's plot was that it was as much of an ending as it was a beginning. The story brought the plots of Man of Steel and Batman v.Superman to a full circle while also being the start of a new adventure for this franchise; and that certainly gave this tale of heroes a defining trait.

The Accountant Review: Calculates to Success

The idea of crime is no stranger to the world of film. For many years the concept of criminal actions have played a role in the movie in a variety of genres. One of these film types is the likes of action thriller which tends to appear in the cinema season. Yet with so many thrilling films that deal with criminal acts, it can be hard for a single movie to stand out from the rest. This may not be the case for the latest action thriller in theaters: The Accountant. Directed by Gavin O’Connor, The Accountant deals with a man who deals with the finances of criminals and the mystery that surrounds him. With a tense tone and formidable looking cast The Accountant looked to be thrilling time at the movies, but could this crime film calculate it chances for success?

The Accountant centers on Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck): an autistic accountant with a firm in a small town. Yet things are not what they seem as Christian’s office is just a cover for the Accountant’s real work which deals with him consulting for major criminal organizations. Christian’s latest works deals with him checking the books of a robotics company run by Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow). After meeting the company’s accountant, Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), and figuring out numbers Christian finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy as employees are being taken out by the hitman Braxton (Jon Bernthal). In order to protect Dana, Christian hunts down Braxton and the person who hired him. Meanwhile Treasury agents Raymond King (JK Simmons) and  Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai Robinson) investigate Christian and his true identity.

Film Ventures: The Accountant

On Film Ventures, Timdiana reacts to the new action thriller: The Accountant. Is it a must see for the fall season? Find out now!

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Batman v.Superman Dawn of Justice Review: Brave and Bold!

Superheroes have played a role in film for quite sometime and the popularity this genre would may not be where it is today if were not for two names: Batman and Superman. Both of these characters have had several films over the years, from Richard Donner's Superman to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight, and their individual franchises have helped to pave the way for the ever growing superhero genre. Yet of all the films that have featured these icons, not one as featured the Dark Knight meeting the Man of Steel. Yet after years of hoping and speculating this idea is finally a reality as at long last these two heroes meet on the silver screen in the newest blockbuster- Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Directed by Zack Snyder, Batman v.Superman would not only mark the first celluloid confrontation of these two heroes but the film will would also kick off DC's very own Cinematic Universe. With so much riding on this film, the question on this Film Adventurer's mind is a simple one: is Batman v.Superman a new dawn for superhero movies?

Following the events of Man of Steel, Batman v.Superman centers on the stories of Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) and Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). Seeing the destruction of Metropolis first hand, Batman fears that another incident created by the Man of Steel could lead to a worse event. So the Dark Knight does everything in his power to find a way to challenge Superman. An opportunity presents itself when Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) discovers a mineral that can weaken Superman. This revelation leads to Batman finding the kryptonite so that he has an edge over the son of Krypton. However the Dark Knight's objective only falls right into the sinister plans of Lex Luthor.

Gone Girl Review: Fincher Does it Again!

If there is one name that tends to get the attention of moviegoers everywhere, it is none other then David Fincher. For almost twenty years, Fincher has provided the movie world some of the most edgy and talked about films; such as Se7en, Fight Club and The Social Network. Fincher's latest motion pictures bring the work of Gillian Flynn and now playing in theaters is the thriller: Gone Girl. Gone Girl tells the story of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) who finds himself  right in the middle of his wife's, Amy (Rosamund Pike), disappearance.  With Fincher's involvement, the movie has received great buzz since the release of Gone Girl's first trailer? So how does Gone Girl hold up to the director's previous work. Answer: this thriller is up there with Fincher's best.

With a plot riddle in spoilers, it is difficult to even bring up Gone Girl's story without revealing to much. Be that as it may, the story to this thriller is intriguing to say the least. While the first act can feel sporadic and confusing, the structure to the first part of the film is not without its reason. The story breaks the first act into two parts: the disappearance of Amy being the story's focal point and Amy's diary providing  a narration to the events prior to the film's events. One would expect this format to play throughout the entire course of the film, but the story takes a major turn in the movie's second half. That is where things get interesting as story provides the crime genre is different kind of tale. Needless to say, the story of Gone Girl had me intrigued all the way to very end.