Does It Do It Justice?
After many teaser trailers, Warner Bros. Studios finally releases the first official Justice League trailer. We get our first look the League to the tune of Aerosmith’s “Come Together”. The guitar-chugging hit song is a strong choice for probably one of the most anticipated unions since The Avengers first hit screens.
You may have noticed that the Justice League trailer debuts exactly one year after the disappointing blockbuster, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Everyone had plenty to say about Batman v. Superman, including me. If you are interested, check out my review of the Director’s Cut. One of the critics main complaints is how incredibly bleak Batman v. Superman was. While I’m not opposed to dark tales, it was pretty depressing for a DC film.
Warner Bros. did a little course correction with its follow-up flick, Suicide Squad. They definitely dialed up the fun factor, but still fell short from a narrative perspective. While both did well financially, they were very disappointing for many fans and critics. Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad did get one thing right, but we’ll talk more about that in a little bit.
Can the Justice League trailer earn fan forgiveness? Let’s dive into the Justice League trailer.
The Age Of Heroes Begins
Justice League will build upon the stories of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and this summer’s Wonder Woman, following Bruce and Diana as they attempt to build a team of heroes to take on an otherworldly threat. This threat is most likely led by Steppenwolf, the military leader of Apokolips. He plans on retrieving the Mother Boxes, which we last saw in Batman v. Superman, for his leader and ultimate Justice League baddie, Darkseid. Steppenwolf’s army is comprised of Parademons, which we also saw in Batman v. Superman. You may remember them from this epic scene:
In the Justice League trailer, Bruce travels the world to recruit the rest of the League, including Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg. The remainder of the trailer is spent giving each character a little backstory and sheds some light into each Leaguers personality.
The Dark Knight
While we’ve already seen plenty of Batman in Batman v. Superman and a brief cameo in Suicide Squad, my excitement for the Bat was reenergized. The trailer shows a bunch of Batman’s new tech including an upgraded Batmobile, a sick suit, and some vehicle that can traverse vertically. Batman has a couple of epic moments in the trailer. He can be seen taking down Parademons in all types of epic ways. One thing that was very apparent during the trailer is that Batman is not as brooding as he was in the past. He cracks a few jokes and even smiles a bit. Much closer to the Batman I know and love from the comics. Batman banters with Aquaman and Flash during the trailer, and it’s a very exciting to see the Leaguers interact.
Wonder Woman
Diane Prince doesn’t get the most screen time, but she does play an important role in the overall narrative. She will be assisting Bruce in finding the rest of the Justice League. I’m looking forward to seeing her feature film debut in Wonder Woman. Just look at this epic shot. (Side note: I love how Aquaman gets slightly startled when she drops down.)
Aquaman
Speaking of Aquaman, I’m pretty sure Jason Mamoa is going to steal the show. For all those people out there making fun of Aquaman, they are not prepared for how amazing Aquaman will be in this film. The trailer shows the relationship between Aquaman and Bruce. He is definitely a rebel and maybe a bit reckless. Still, he is a King, and does plenty of his own butt-kicking throughout the trailer. This is essentially what sold me…thank you for this. He freakin’ smiles at Batman!
The Flash
We’ve seen a little bit of Barry Allen in a previous trailer. You maybe be intimately familiar with him with the CW Flash tv show that is currently airing also. I’ve spoken to many people who have voiced concern over there being two Flash simultaneously. I think people are worried that we might get a little fatigued (hehe). I think the trailer shows a very different Flash, played by Ezra Miller. The special effects for his speed are great and he will definitely be cracking jokes throughout the film. It’s incredible that we have gotten another spin on how super speed is visualized with so many speedsters running around (Quiksilver from X-Men: Days of Future Past, Quiksilver from Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Flash from CW’s The Flash). I love Grant Gustin, but I’m looking forward to seeing more of Ezra’s Flash. Freaking…nasty.
Cyborg
My favorite version of Cyborg is from the Teen Titans show. I’m not very familiar with his comic book origins, but I do know that his story is intertwined with the Mother Boxes that created him. He will be very important to the plot and may even be used similarly to the animated DC film, Justice League: War. As one of the least impressive showcased so far, I really hope Cyborg is elevated to his rightful place amongst the rest of the Leaguers. Below, Cyborg channels his inner Iron Man.
Conclusion
Overall, the first Justice League trailer is pretty fantastic. It hinted at a lot of very epic things including a war between the Parademons and Amazonians, the return of Lois Lane, and even a glimpse and The Flash’s father. While this trailer looks amazing, its not the whole story.
As I mentioned in the beginning, DC has great trailers. However, each movie has proven to be lacking despite that. While I’m invested in seeing this film, a little part of me is worried that the same thing may happen again. We will find out in November if DC can break the curse.
One last thing. I’m prety sure this shot:
Is this shot:
Hell ya.
