The DC Comics film universe, known as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), hasn’t exactly been on the same kind of successful track as Marvel these days. Aside from this summer’s “Wonder Woman,” which was a smash hit both critically and at the box office, the rest of the franchise has floundered. “Man of Steel” was interesting but flawed, “Suicide Squad” was an absolute mess, and “Batman vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice” has been the butt end of jokes for months now. I’ll admit that I, personally, enjoyed both “Man of Steel” and “Batman vs Superman,” but I wouldn’t recommend either of them to a normal audience. They’re not great films. And leading up to “Justice League,” I was sure it wouldn’t be one either. In some ways, the newest piece of the DCEU is the messiest film yet. But in others, it’s the most fun DC has ever managed to put on the screen.

The story of “Justice League” is pretty simple. After the death of Superman in “Batman vs Superman,” Batman realizes that something bigger and more dangerous is coming, and he needs to form a team of superheroes to fight back. It’s the usual cape affair, where there’s a big bad villain who exists solely as a catalyst for the forming of the team. Think “The Avengers” but with godlike heroes instead of the everyman. The plot isn’t really something of note; it’s not overly strong, or notably weak. It’s a blockbuster vehicle, and that’s about all I can say.

If there’s one thing that the DCEU does incredibly well, it’s the casting. Aside from one or two little missteps, nearly every actor matches their character to perfection. Ben Affleck balances the brooding attitude of recent Batman films with subtle camp reminiscent of “Batman: The Animated Series,” Henry Cavill has both the looks and smiles of Superman, and Gal Gadot is a pitch perfect Wonder Woman. The newcomers aren’t bad at all either, with Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa stealing the show in almost every scene. Momoa’s grizzled king meets surfer bro is a fantastic stylistic choice for Aquaman (and does the character a ton of favors for his reputation) and Ezra Miller’s Flash is the bright-eyed jokester that people have come to expect. 

But here’s where things get complicated. The production cycle of “Justice League” was a disaster, to put it lightly. Original director Zack Snyder, who has been the head of the DCEU since “Man of Steel,” left the film earlier this year after the tragic death of his daughter. Warner Bros. then brought in “Avengers” director Joss Whedon, who had already been working on rewrites, to finish the film. Resulting in $30 million in reshoots. It was known early on that the film we would be getting would be different than its original vision, but nobody knew exactly how different.

That’s where the biggest problems in the film lie. “Justice League” has two distinct tones, and neither works particularly well with the other. Snyder is known for his dark, brooding and melodramatic filmmaking, while Whedon is known for humor and lighthearted bombast. Those could not be more different, and in the film, it shows. It shows to the point that you can almost tell which shots were done by Snyder and which were by Whedon. The tonal mishmash makes everything feel slightly off, and a little bit haphazard. Some scenes are straight up impeccable, and then others are downright hilarious for all the wrong reasons. However, with that said, the film gets into a groove near the end and really starts to feel like it has the direction that the DCEU needed the whole time. It took a minute to get there, but when the final battle comes around, you can’t help but smile.

I guess that’s where this film lands. There’s a lot wrong with the film. It’s messy, too short, overfilled and an object case of having too many cooks in the kitchen. But at the same time, it gives you exactly what you want from a superhero movie: entertainment. There are enough new things to keep it from being stale, the action is beautifully directed, the colors pop, the humor is on point and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Most importantly, by the end of the film, you’ll want to see more of these characters. More than anything, the film is just plain fun. “Justice League” isn’t the home run these heroes deserve, but it sure as hell is a step in the right direction. 3.5/5