Whedon Works Wonders

There's hope for the DC Extended Universe: Justice League is a fun movie to watch

Justice League is a solid 7.5 out of 10.

Courtesy photo

Editor's Note: ESPN97.5's Jong Lee, who co-hosts the popular podcast, Comicast, which discusses news and rumors from the world of comic books and movies, got a sneak preview of the new Justice League movie and offers this analysis.

“What’s the ‘S’ stand for? It’s not an ‘S.’ In my world, it means ‘hope.’” We finally have a glimmer of hope in the DC Extended Universe.

For a long time, the DCEU has been struggling to find some footing. Man of Steel was okay, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t great, and Suicide Squad was horrendous. Wonder Woman was a pleasant surprise but isn’t anything near the best of what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been producing for the past 10 years.

The best way to describe Justice League is fun. It's a fun movie to watch. It’s not a movie that will go down as one of the best 10 comic book movies of all time, but it’s nowhere near the bottom. In the ranking of all the DCEU movies, I place it second after Wonder Woman. For people who didn’t enjoy Wonder Woman, this may be your favorite DC movie to date.

My biggest gripe going into the movie was "How do you introduce three new characters into a universe and develop a good plot?" Well, gee willikers, Batman, DC got it right.

For all the negative comments I had against director Zack Snyder for Batman V Superman, he did a great job with Justice League. The pacing of the movie is much better than Batman V Superman, the character develop is good (not great) and the clutter was cut out. In fairness, I don’t know how much Snyder was involved in post-production. Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon was brought on board to finish Justice League after Snyder stepped down when his daughter passed away. Whedon scheduled a fair amount of reshoots and Warner Brothers mandated a two-hour run time for the flick. And it works.

Justice League starts off with a bang and takes you through much needed character development for Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg. As we get to learn about the characters, the movie picks up with fight set pieces that are action-packed but concise, although it does seem a little formulaic as the movie progresses.

Ezra Miller's Flash brings a lot of levity to the movie as he absolutely steals every scene he’s in. He’s the perfect complement to the seriousness of Batman and Superman. Jason Momoa’s Aquaman has his moments as well, but he comes across more like a brooding badass with a few one-liners more than a comedic character. Ray Fisher’s Cyborg is vital to the success of the team, but he doesn't stand out, although he wasn’t a drag on any character development or plot.

There are a few misses in the movie. Some of the computer graphics aren't great. Without getting too much into spoilers, there’s one particular scene that really bothered me and you’ll definitely be able to see it.

Steppenwolf is a decent villain, but as someone who is supposed to be one of the strongest villains in DC, he falls a little short. He starts with a bang but finishes with a whimper. Batman's role also could have been written a little better. He's the type of character who's always a step ahead of everyone. He has his moments throughout the movie but comes up a little short during key scenes.

Justice League is a solid 7.5 out of 10. Go watch it in theaters, but it's not a must-watch opening weekend.

Final Note: There’s one mid-credit scene and a post-credit scene. Both have Whedon written all over them and both are worth staying an extra five minutes to see.

Catch the latest Comicast podcast, where Justice League is the center of attention:

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Movie review

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd chase their dreams in music-heavy Power Ballad

Photo by David Cleary for Lionsgate

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd in Power Ballad.

Writer/director John Carney is one of the great purveyors of movies featuring music (as opposed to musicals) in the 21st century. Starting with Once in 2007 (which was turned into a Broadway musical several years later), he has made music-themed stories like Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad.

Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a former wannabe rock star who is now the lead singer of “Ireland’s #1 Wedding Band,” The Bride & Grooves. While they mostly play smaller weddings, a gig at a country estate leads to an encounter with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band member struggling to make it as a solo artist. Rick and Danny wind up bonding in a booze- and pot-filled jam session, sharing various song ideas.

After returning to Los Angeles and desperate for a hit, Danny steals one of Rick’s songs, which miraculously turns into the No. 1 “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Rick, initially overjoyed that something he wrote has become big, is crushed when he finds out Danny didn’t give him credit. His quest to find a way to prove his worth sends him into a spiral, upending the ordinary life he had built.

Co-written by Peter McDonald, the film is a nice exploration of two men trying to hold on to their music dreams. Their individual circumstances could not be more different, but each of them knows the ups and downs of the business as well as the other, as well as the ineffable magic of creating that one great song. While the music scenes are hit-and-miss because of a reliance on lip synching, the scene featuring Rick and Danny trading ideas is electric with creativity.

Oddly, though, the film could have used a bit less music and more of a focus on the two men’s personal lives. Rick wound up living in Ireland after falling in love with his future wife, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), while on tour with his former American band. He spends a decent amount of time with her and his daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), but his story needed a few more family scenes to drive the point home. Danny’s personal life is all but nonexistent, giving his arc less impact than it could have had.

Instead of loved ones, Carney and McDonald try to give Rick and Danny more depth through friends and business associates. Rick’s bandmate Sandy (McDonald) is a ride-or-die kind of guy for him, but his presence is only good for a few humorous distractions. Danny’s manager Mac (Jack Reynor) is difficult to parse, as he goes to bat for Danny on multiple occasions, but also seems to keep him at arm’s length.

It’s long been joked that Rudd never ages, and that youthfulness serves him well in this role, in which his character is supposed to be much younger than his actual age of 57. His energy and enthusiasm make his character appealing throughout, even when Rick starts to go off the deep end. Jonas is decent in his role, selling the music side well, but there might be a reason his character doesn’t have many scenes requiring him to show emotions.

While Power Ballad has all the hallmarks of another great Carney music movie, it’s missing a few pieces that could have put it over the top. It’s still a fun film with an insanely catchy song at its center, but it’s not quite as memorable as most of the filmmaker’s previous efforts.

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Power Ballad is now playing in theaters.

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Movie review

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd chase their dreams in music-heavy Power Ballad