Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. revived its very problematic DC Extended Universe franchise on June 2 with the spectacular Wonder Woman.
The film was not only a huge success at the box office, but also received favorable reviews among both critics and general moviegoers—something Warner Bros. had continuously struggled with in earlier releases of the DCEU movies. With the tremendous success of Wonder Woman, hope reignited within the hearts of fans, Warner Bros. and overall viewers who had grown tired of the same old sexist superhero movie narratives.
Thanks to Wonder Woman saving the franchise, Warner Bros. was on track to continue nurturing its company and reconciling relations with their audience. Sadly, their most recent movie released on Nov. 17, Justice League, was not on par with the powerhouse that Wonder Woman is. That does not suggest, however, that Justice League was a terrible movie in itself.
Due to Warner Bros. investing in a Superman trilogy that consists of two terrible flops, Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, the recent Justice League film needed to finish—and attempt to restore—the already convoluted narrative. As a result, Warner Bros. was limited in possibilities, being forced to finish a narrative that honestly should have never been given a sequel from the get-go.
For that alone, the people behind Justice League deserve a pat on the back because the film was a thousand times more enjoyable and easier to follow than its predecessors. Justice League follows the superpower forces of Wonder Woman, Batman and company as they team up, despite their differences, in order to thwart Steppenwolf’s desire to conquest the world again.
Regardless of the seemingly easier-to-follow plot, there are still way too many narratives for a two-hour long film. There is something to be said, however, for Warner Bros. staying within respectable movie parameters this time—unlike the almost three-hour long Batman v. Superman, which previously left audiences a bit confused and frustrated.
Considering the film itself, transitional director Joss Whedon, who stepped in for Zack Synder after the death of Synder’s daughter, appeared to have blended the humor from his 2012 The Avengers with the brooding story from Snyder and cinematographer Fabian Wagner, birthing a movie that feels human. Yet sadly, Whedon’s humor was not the only quality he brought to the movie; he also brought his sexist direction.
While it was exciting to see a lot more of Wonder Woman in a movie that is otherwise a super-powered sausage fest, the camera appeared to love Gal Gadot—who played Wonder Woman—a tad too much. It is nice to have Wonder Woman be a big focus of the movie, but the obvious objectification of the spectacular Gadot was extremely excessive.
Wonder Woman was the only member of the team to suffer camera angles focusing on her butt and filmed entering boobs first.
Overall, Justice League is a huge improvement for the struggling franchise, but any positive aspect of the movie gets smothered by Whedon’s treatment of Wonder Woman. The movie certainly got critics and viewers alike begging for Warner Bros. to bring the fabulous director Patty Jenkins back—two years is too long to wait for a Wonder Woman sequel.
The moral of the story that movie audiences will walk away with is that women know women (shocker!) and should be taken into consideration when approaching any future movie productions.u
After the beloved Wonder Woman graced DC Extended Universe fans with a riveting experience this summer, Justice League (main cast pictured above) failed to live up to the blockbuster starring Gal Gadot. The film was less convoluted than previous franchise productions, but the overt sexualization of Wonder Woman diminished any possible acclaim the movie could have. (Courtesy of Creative Commons)