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'Justice League' Reviews Are Here. What Are The Critics Saying?

"It’s not just a sequel -- it’s an act of franchise penance."
Warner Bros.

It seems these days you can barely swing a henchman without hitting a superhero movie.

With Marvel's 'Thor: Ragnarok' dominating in the box office the last few weeks it's now time for DC to step up to the plate with their massive team event, 'Justice League'.

Opening in cinemas this week, 'Justice League' sees Batman joined by Wonder Woman and newcomers Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash as they battle demons from another dimension while grappling with the death of Superman.

DC has stumbled again and again with their extended movie universe. 'Man of Steel', 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' and 'Suicide Squad' all failed to elicit even the slightest joy out of critics and it all fell to Gal Gadot's 'Wonder Woman' to save the day.

Luckily 'Wonder Woman' wasn't just a box office success but it was a huge sigh of relief for the studio who finally saw audiences and critics agreeing that the film was an absolute blast.

Now with the dawn of the 'Justice League' hopes were high that DC could continue the successful momentum despite some significant bumps in the road, with Joss Whedon being brought in at the last minute to re-shoot scenes.

A lot of that had to do with the tone of 'Wonder Woman', shifting away from the otherwise more serious DC films. Re-shoots included a lot more quips and joking among the League, which many critics have said are the strongest part of the whole affair. Check out what else they've been saying below.

"If 'Justice League' is a symbol of just how entrenched superhero movies have become in the Hollywood ecosystem, it's also a potent illustration that success hasn't necessarily artistically elevated the genre.... Everyone involved in making 'Justice League,' and everyone who will eventually see it, deserved something better than this." Read more here.

"Vast riches have been heaped on this production, to benumbing effect... 'Justice League' is a crowd-pleaser only if you're part of a comics-obsessed crowd." Read more here.

"The scenes of the League members together, bickering and bonding, spike the film with humor and genuine feeling, creating a rooting interest in the audience. Without it, the film would crumble." Read more here.

"If 'Justice League' had come out in the late '90s, we'd still be hailing it as one of the best superhero films ever made ... 'Justice League' is a film that works moment by moment and tends to crumble when you step back and look at the wider picture – probably not a useful trait in a movie designed to set up an ongoing franchise." Read more here.

Batman and Wonder Woman are joined by the team's new additions Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash.
Warner Bros.
Batman and Wonder Woman are joined by the team's new additions Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash.

"The best aspect of 'Justice League' is the team itself. For the most part, they are all engaging and charismatic... The individual moments given to each hero/heroine and their dynamics together are what make 'Justice League', at its best, fun and even crackling with spirit and heart." Read more here.

"It's not just a sequel -- it's an act of franchise penance... It's light and clean and simple (at times almost too simple), with razory repartee and combat duels that make a point of not going on for too long." Read more here.

"It's also a tired, conventional attempt to play by the rules, with "hold for laughs" moments shoehorned between rapid-fire action -- a begrudging concession that the Marvel formula works, and a shameless attempt to replicate it." Read more here.

"It's obvious to anyone watching 'Justice League' next to the other DC films that the studio brass handed down a mandate to lighten the mood and make things funnier and more Marvel-y. And, to an extent, 'Justice League' accomplishes that. But it also feels like so much attention was paid to the smaller, fizzier character moments that the bigger picture of the film's overarching plot was a second or third priority." Read more here.

"'Justice League' is arguably Snyder's most infuriating work yet... Most of the movie has all of them brooding about lost loves (Wonder Woman), brooding about trying to understand their super powers (Cyborg), and brooding about getting old (Batman)." Read more here.

'Justice League' is out in cinemas now.

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