Spoiler review of Justice League

By Jim Scroggs

JHScroggs on Twitter and Instagram

November 20, 2017

Edited by Katie Westbrooks

The DC Films franchise hasn’t had the best reputation overall, especially with what happened last year with BVS and Suicide Squad. Soon after those films release, there was a tonal shift within DC/WB to get the films on the right track. Wonder Woman surely started that upward momentum amongst the audience and now that the long-awaited Justice League is here, let’s see what happens when the league is finally united.

What I liked

Considering we’ve only seen half of the league’s backstory, they did a good job of diving into (pun intended) Aquaman’s, Cyborg’s and Flash’s origin right off the bat considering this is a 2-hour long movie. There is a great exchange between Victor and Silas that shows the tension in how Victor was really created and it shows how talented they both are as actors. When Diana asked Victor to talk and get to know more about him, he wasn’t up for it at all. Eventually, he did come around when Silas was kidnapped by some Parademons trying to get to a Mother Box.

It was a nice touch to see two characters instead of just the one to be reluctant to join the team. That other character, is Arthur Curry. He’s a loner and doesn’t really know his place in this world. He is even confronted by Mera about this in Atlantis when Steppenwolf gets one of the three Mother Box's in Atlantis. He had a great moment in the Batcave. He started to somewhat wax poetic on some things but come to find out, he was actually sitting on the lasso of truth. So, I’m glad to see that Momoa can play with a sense of humor.

Flash really stole the show for me. Ezra Miller as Barry Allen was a fanboy who really didn’t know how he could use his powers. Once he figured it out, he was just fine in dealing with whatever was thrown at him. He had a great moment when he zipped around the Batcave exploring everything then ended up in the Batmobile – his eyes were so big and dart around with pure joy that he was there.

Wonder Woman was clearly the leader and I wouldn’t have put it any other way. Bruce and Diana had a little disagreement and Bruce decided to use Steve Trevor to put it back in Diana’s face. She immediately responded by shoving him about 3 feet. Diana is clearly the star of this ensemble and that’s saying a lot when you look at the whole roster. 

Batman was a lighter, more hopeful dark knight in this go around but Affleck still portrayed him like the Bruce Wayne we know and love. He took a backseat to Wonder Woman and even Superman at one point – I’m glad that he seems to be playing well with others as Commissioner Gordon would say. He really seemed to finally be open to being a part of a team. In a montage of all our hero's at the end, he joins Diana and Alfred in Wayne Manor and they discuss a large table with 6 chairs. Diana adds that there could be room for more so I really hope they pay off Green Lantern or even a Martian Manhunter joining the team. 

Superman’s return was a tad surprising – I’ll get into that later. When he was brought back to life, they used a Mother Box and a spark from Flash to kick start his heart, in a way. I was worried that he would come back angry, much like the tone of BVS or MOS, but he was confused about being alive – I would compare it to someone waking you when you are asleep. Nobody is happy if someone wakes them up so that’s the closest thing I can describe it as. The rest of the team tried to contain Superman and even Aquaman pointed out early that he wasn’t OK. Flash tried to get behind him but Superman noticed and started to turn his head as fast as Flash was running. Miller’s reaction was so perfect in that situation which made me like him that much more.

The amount of comical moments was less than I was anticipating. Including Superman carrying an entire building as a response to Flash helping a family in a truck, Cyborg and Flash had a funny moment with a fist bump that paid off later in the movie, and when Superman saw Batman for the first time. Superman referenced “Do you bleed,” and knocked Batman to the ground followed by Batman on the ground in pain saying “Yeah, something is definitely bleeding.”

The mid and end credit scenes were really good. The mid credit was pure fan service with Flash and Superman in a rural area talking about who’s faster. Some light chit chat follows then Barry lights a firecracker with his fingers and they start running. This is a nod to Superman 199 with the cover of Flash and Superman racing with the other members of the team cheering them on. I’m glad that a little piece of comics history was thrown in there. The post credit scene was something I wasn’t expecting, I’d heard that the Lex Luthor scenes were going to be left out so I didn’t think anything about him being in it. However, we finally got to see inside Arkham Asylum and someone with a bald head in a cell. Turns out, it wasn’t Lex  – he’s on a yacht somewhere waiting on someone. There’s a silhouette of someone with handles with tassels and I knew immediately that was Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke. He boards the yacht, instantly tells Lex that he better not be wasting his time and removes the mask to reveal a white haired Joe Manganiello. He looks perfect as Slade so I really hope this leads into The Batman (rumored title, of course). Lex monologues about God’s return and suggests that they should start a league of their own. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get the Legion of Doom as the villain but this is something that DC/WB can hang over Marvel Studios –  film with a team of heroes versus a team of villains. I really hope that we get the Legion of Doom or maybe The Injustice League.

I was OK with it

I would put these next points in an in between category. I don’t hate how Superman came back to the team but I wish there had been a little more fanfare to it. When Steppenwolf seems to have the team on the ropes, all we hear is Superman’s voice to get his attention. Maybe if he used a heat vision quick strike to stop Steppenwolf from attacking, see him levitate down and then start his lines, it might have been more effective.

The editing seemed tight but not as tight and somewhat disjointed as Suicide Squad. There really wasn’t much time to let things breathe and when it did, it was a bit of a surprise since it wasn’t a regular thing in this movie.

In the battle sequence between Steppenwolf and the combined forces of Amazon's, Atlanteans, and other forces in the universe (one of those other forces were the Lanterns), I’m glad that I got to see that part of the DC lore into this film but I wanted to see more. Maybe they aren't ready to tell that tale of John Stewart and Hal Jordan but I really hope we hear “In brightest day, In blackest night,” real soon.

Not so much

Many jokes were made about how Henry Cavill’s re shoot's taking place with a mustache since he was also shooting the latest Mission:Impossible film but I thought that since there were very talented VFX artists in Hollywood, this could be pulled off. (I actually saw a screenshot on Twitter of his face 5 minutes before the trailers started so I kind of blame myself for that) Sadly, it wasn’t pulled off very well. The very first scene are kids shooting cellphone video of Superman helping at an accident scene and it’s clear that was a re shoot. I’ve never seen the uncanny valley on half a human's face but I can now cross that off the list. I’ll make the same criticism with this film as I did with Thor:Ragnarok – the CGI backgrounds weren’t the best all the time but that’s forgivable in my opinion with how heavy CG’d this movie is at times. Maybe the effects artists ran out of time or maybe the budget didn’t allow them to go further. Who knows? But I hope this doesn’t become a trend or consistent in the future, regardless of movie. Little side note: In order to bring Clark back from the dead, they took him to the same place that Doomsday was born and you can tell it’s a “dummy” of Cavill. I wish they had actually used him for that scene.

This has nothing to do with the movie in itself but rather the marketing for the film. I really, and I do mean really, wish that Warner Brothers or whoever is cutting the trailers for this universe will stop putting out 3 or 4 fairly long trailers. Almost every part that I laughed at or enjoyed seeing in the movie, I saw it in a trailer that was a large portion of an entire scene. For instance, 70-80 percent of the scene or sequence with Bruce and Barry when they meet was in one of the trailers. That shouldn’t happen at all when you are trying to promote a film and I don’t want to see fairly large sequences in trailers.

Final Verdict

            I’m glad we got the tonal change with this movie instead of continuing with the tone that Man of Steel, BVS and Suicide Squad set. This movie isn’t perfect by any means but I think this is a good start to what could come from here on out (with or without Ben Affleck). It’s fun, it’s got heart, and shows the value of teamwork. I know that sounds like the synopsis of a Justice League cartoon but in a way, it felt like an episode of Justice League Unlimited put on the big screen. I know the reviews and box office dollars aren’t saying much but I really think this movie should be given a chance and the same goes with the future of the DC Films universe. I would put it at number two in the DC Films slate above Man of Steel and below Wonder Woman.

Justice League is in theaters now

Geektified's review of the Justice League trailer

By Jim Scroggs
March 25, 2017
JHScroggs on Twitter and Instagram

         I've certainly been critical of the WB/DC Films in how they've handled their marketing. They released one or two unnecessary trailers for their last films, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad and I was praying that they would get the memo to stop this trend. I think they finally have done that with release of the first official trailer for Justice League. Yes, this is big first step because we got 4 trailers for BVS if you include Comic-Con. With less than 8 months out, this isn' a teaser or a sneak peak that somehow would be 90 seconds long but just a simple official trailer with a good amount of action and plenty of wow moments so lets jump right in, shall we?

         The trailer opens to a snowy, mountain environment, someone attaching a saddle to a horse and riding off. Cut to a flyover shot of icy ranges and voice over of Bruce saying "We need to be ready. You, me, the others. There's an attack coming from far away" We see Bruce at the top of a mountain looking down to a village, presumably where Aquaman/Arthur Curry is. The voice of Diana warns Bruce that the attack is already here.  Dr. Silas Stone is then shown in his home as a Motherbox starts to stir and when they cut back to him for a reaction, you can see a Parademon over his shoulder enter the frame. Diana wants to know where the others are and like classic Bruce fashion, he gives a little smirk.

         The first look at Arthur Curry/Aquaman is him saving a sailor, taking him to a bar and taking a little souvenir of scotch, whiskey or whatever he drinks. Diana introducesk us to Victor Stone describing him as having "Organic and Biomechitronic body parts. A Cyborg" He stops a car from hitting someone and tells him that he should probably move. The first quip of the trailer but I'll get more into that later. We've all seen the first meeting of Barry Allen and Bruce but this has a little more  like Barry running and him being in shock when he realizes that Bruce is Batman. Batman then swings into action against some parademons and quickly gets them out of the way. Diana is heard saying" They said the age of heroes would never come again" as we see quick shots of Flash, Cyborg Wonder Woman, Aquaman and that leads to shots showing off what they can do. Aquaman takes a leap and throws his triton into two parademons, Wonder Woman sweeps the legs of a some random guys, similar to what we've seen in the trailers for her solo film, Cyborg flys into the night sky and Flash is just too fast some someone and pushes something through a door and into a wall. I'm guessing after the Barry meets Bruce scene, both of them are in Bruce's car and Barry asks bruce what his super power is? Bruce's response is "I'm Rich".

         The sounds of Come Together by Gary Clark and Junkie XL is a solid theme for this trailer as Batman flies into a hole, gets into The Night Crawler to help Diana. There are quick shots of Victor Stone playing football, Diana using her gauntlets and shield, Barry using what looks to be the speed force, a shot of Lois Lane, Aquaman using his power of the ocean, a first look at Amber Heard as Mere,  Billy Crudup as Henry Allen in a jail phone call with Barry,  A giant battle scene with what looks to be Amazons, which would be amazing if Diana instills the help of her fellow warriors of Themyscira, the Batmobile trying to blow away more parademons, which Diana helps with and Diana landing between Aquaman and Cyborg ready to do battle with two words: Shall We? The trailer ends with Jim Gordon talking to Batman on a roof top about how it's good to see him working with others again while Wonder Woman looks on. That little line is a big one because that seems like is another reference to past Robin's so maybe this could lead to an appearance from Tim Drake. Aquaman joins in and simply says "Dressed like a Bat. I dig it" Bruce says this could only be temporary and the final shot is of Aquaman giving Batman a head nod and riding the Batmobile in order to take out some parademons. Yes, I will repeat that. Aquaman is riding on top of the Batmobile.

       I've never been one to say that "DC Films should be "serious and gritty" because at the core of most of those characters, they are bright and vibrant. I'm very, very ok with how this looks a tad dark but still has fun to it. Look at how bright the speed force is and even with Wonder Woman's costume, it's not a muted color palette. These characters have different personalities and humor to some extent so of course they will crack a joke or two and that's ok. Barry is a kid, Victor has a bit of a strained relationship with his father, Arthur and Diana are royalty and Bruce, as he put it, is "rich" with Ninja like abilities. That collection shouldn't work but it does. Aquaman stole the show and I really believe he could do the same in the film. I didn't want to see Superman at all and I'm glad that didn't happen. If they want to tease him in the next on, say with a shot of a black suit or long hair, I'm perfectly fine with that because we all know he's going to come back. Hell, Henry Cavil was on set so it's not a huge secret. I really want WB/DC to succeed, put out good films that we can all love and I really think that this is a step in the right direction.


Justice League will hit theaters on November 17, 2017


Justice League Trailer

2017 Movie Preview: Part 3

You can read Part 2 of this series here: 2017 Movie Preview: Part 2

by Jim Scroggs
December 2, 2016

Thor: Ragnarok

The Thor franchise has been the hardest egg to crack in the MCU and I can certainly understand that. It’s not quite Game of Thrones but it isn't quite a space epic. The first film in the trilogy is the best one so far and The Dark World is considered by many to the worst film in the MCU. The heads at Marvel Studios had to think outside the box on this one and I think they accomplished that given some of the rumors/confirmations of appearances from new actors and MCU staples. Jeff Goldblum will be the Grandmaster, an eccentric character that can go across the galaxy to learn as many gaming styles as he can so he can outsmart anyone that he comes across. I think this is perfect for an actor like Goldblum, especially with his history of playing Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park. Other notables that shouldn’t be downplayed are Cate Blanchett as Hela, who could be the “Death” that Thanos is courting, Tessa Thompson will play Valkyrie, Sam Neill has been cast in the film as well and I’m praying there is a scene between him and Jeff Goldblum.  Mark Ruffalo will appear in as Hulk and maybe Bruce Banner in a small adaptation of the Planet Hulk/World War Hulk storyline. (My next sentence contains a spoiler for Doctor Strange so i’m giving you the chance to stop reading if you haven’t seen it…..Ready……...Ok.) Thor will get some help from Doctor Strange as they both search for Odin and probably come across the final Infinity Stone as well so add those arcs with the direction of Taika Waititi and Ragnarok will clearly be something new and desperately what the Thor franchise needs. Thor:Ragnarok will be in theaters on November 3rd, 2017

Justice League

I’ll file this under “Cautiously Optimistic”. The usual analogy when something doesn't perform is saying it hasn’t been a home run. It’s fair to say that in the eyes of some, the DC Films have been a base hit that strands the lead runner because he collided with the 3rd base coach who couldn’t get out of the way in time. Man of Steel was fine, BVS should only be judged by the Ultimate Edition meaning I'll never watch the theatrical version ever again and Suicide Squad had some interesting choices in regards to editing, song placement and writing but it’s a passable film for fans. I think this is when we’ll see the first couple but not full changes with the structure at DC/WB with Geoff Johns in charge. If I’m playing Marketing Executive for a second, the first thing that needs to be done is only release 2 trailers. That's it. I count what was released at Comic-Con as a full trailer so you've got 1 more to release before November of next year. In my opinion, one of the many reasons why BVS didn't perform as well was the amount of trailers and we didn't need to see 4 full trailers for that movie. Leave something to the imagination and you could actually have more excitement for this than what we saw leading up to March. The casting has never been an issue and I really hope they focus on Arthur Curry, Barry Allen, Victor Stone and how they come into play in all this.  Maybe get some insight on Bruce and if he has regrets on the amount of killing that he’s done and with the news of the Green Lantern Corp possibly making an appearance, this could be a nice redirection that DC/WB needs going forward. Justice League will be in theaters on November 17th, 2017

Star Wars: Episode 8

I'm going to be upfront about this. I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan and that's not to say that I don't appreciate and care about the characters. I know that compared to some of my friends, I will never come close to their level of knowledge and fandom, which I greatly respect. I thought Episode 7 was a great start to this new era of films and even with the loss of a major character, the new cast of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac should give fans plenty of confidence in the next 2 films that could close out the Skywalker saga. The questions of how does Luke play into story along with is Rey a Skywalker have been asked ever since opening night and to be honest, I hope Rey has her own family name, own roots and not part of the Skywalker legacy just to show that there is much more to this universe that one family. I have faith in what Kathleen Kennedy is doing and along with the influence of JJ Abrams that will continue on with Rian Johnson into another chapter of this epic series. Star Wars: Episode VIII will be in theaters on December 15th, 2017



This truly is the Golden Age of movies for geeks and nerds alike but we should always remember that it wasn’t like this a decade ago. All it takes is a few less than stellar films in a row to put an end to this gravy train so as I write this, cherish each moment that we see Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and even Hawkeye because it won’t be like this forever. The characters will probably survive but the way we see and experience them will change before we know it so even if you hate Superman or Spider-Man, I hope you can appreciate their appearances on the silver screen

2017 Movie Preview: Part 2

If you'd like to read Part 1 of this series, you can do that here: 2017 Movie Preview: Part 1

By Jim Scroggs
December 1, 2016

Wonder Woman

She was clearly the bright spot in Dawn of Justice, even with a small amount of screen time as either Wonder Woman or Diana Prince but this is the film that could jumpstart the hope and optimism of the DC Films universe that Geoff Johns has set to instill. The trailers have shown us a completely different world in the Island of Themyscira as well as a group of warriors who can really handle almost any threat. I’m excited to see how Diana transitions into her new environment during the perils of World War One and to see how powerful she really is both mentally and physically. Gal Gadot has taken this role with such seriousness but at the same time, she’s having a lot of fun with it, especially if you’ve seen that GIF of her twirling around on the set of BVS. I really hope that this film is not only what the DC Universe needs but what film fans need to show studios that strong, powerful women can be viable in this marketplace and all it takes is putting women in front of and behind the camera. I fully believe that Patti Jenkins and Gal Gadot will deliver on both of those statements. Wonder Woman will be in theaters on June 2nd, 2017

Transformers: Last Knight

This is a bit of a touchy franchise for me. I'm a child of 80’s and Optimus Prime is my favorite cartoon/toy character but after what I saw with Age of Extinction, I seriously doubted whether this would be a good series of movies again. I loved the first one for what it was, Revenge of the Fallen had it’s moments but that happened during the writers strike so I gave it a pass and Dark of the Moon was a slight improvement but it’s still Micheal Bay directed so you knew what you were getting. The only part I enjoyed with Age of Extinction was seeing the Dinobots and everything else was kind of forgettable. With this upcoming entry, there is a glimmer of hope with the addition of Sir Anthony Hopkins along with the return of Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson. I hope that Michael Bay heard the criticisms of the last film and will try to improve this struggling series of films but I still have my doubts. Transformers: The Last Knight will be in theaters on June 23rd, 2017

Spider-Man: Homecoming

When I saw Captain America: Civil War the 1st time, I teared up 4 times and 3 of those were because of Peter and Spider-Man so yeah, this is my most anticipated movie for next year by far. I think we've finally got the quintessential Peter/Spider-Man in Tom Holland and the cast is certainly nothing to overlook. Some of the names you've heard of already in Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes/Vulture and Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark but the younger/supporting players are pretty solid. Donald Glover, Kenneth Choi, Martin Starr, Abraham Attah(who I believe will be Miles Morales) and depending on if you believe the rumors, Zendaya playing Mary Jane Watson. I love that Peter is being focused on when he’s a 16 year old kid since his High School stories are some of the best ones, which makes the John Hughes like style that is going to be portrayed quite brilliant if you think about it. I'm aware of the criticisms that this character has had with the 2nd and 3rd chances that he’s gotten but this is Marvel’s flagship character. As a fan, I want to see him done right and hopefully, out of the ashes of Sony’s mishandling, comes a perfect version of Spider-Man. Spider-Man:Homecoming will be in theaters on July 7th, 2017


Part 3 of this series will be available tomorrow

Suicide Squad (2016) : Geek Movie Review

 By: Nicholas Riedl

It’s been a long five months following the release of Batman v Superman and although the reception to that movie was generally negative, fans and critics alike seemed excited by the studio’s next project: Suicide Squad.  We’ve been treated to incredibly fun trailers over the last few months that highlighted the mayhem that was to ensue as we followed a team of fan-favorite villains from the DC universe.  To make it even more promising, it was being helmed by a proven director with an immensely talented cast.  However, over the last few days there have been mutterings of the films quality, and having now seen the film, those concerns seem to be the unfortunate reality.  Suicide Squad is a convoluted, poorly written film with questionable decisions and shoddy editing around every corner.

The story follows Task Force X (aka The Suicide Squad) who have been forcefully recruited by government official Amanda Waller as a contingency plan for the potential of a meta-human attack on US soil.  The idea behind this team is that it is comprised entirely of hardened criminals who could be sent into deadly combat situations without having to worry about whether or not they survive.  The team, which features such names as Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang, are called upon when an unknown threat materializes in midway city, trapping an important government agent on the inside.  The team is tasked with rescuing this official at all costs, and as one could imagine, not exactly everything goes according to plan.

If one were to boil down all of this film’s issues to a singular source, you’d probably find yourself pointing to the script.  Not only is the writing unorganized; it’s predictable, juvenile, and at times, flat out insulting to the audience.  Within the first few minutes of the film, it’s already easy to be confused as to what exactly is going on.  And without prior knowledge of the characters you might find yourself struggling to keep up with the quickly paced and poorly laid out background stories that are displayed for Deadshot and Harley Quinn.  To make things even more convoluted we are then given a range of too short and too long descriptions for the remainder of the team, and all without any sort of real reason for why we should care about what’s happening.

Speaking of which, the film never really lends any incentive for us to care about anything.  The rapid background stories and emotional ties are never given enough time for us to latch on to, and thus when ‘stakes’ are presented, they never hold any weight.  Relationships appear to build off of nothing, and motivations change for seemingly no reason at all.

The script also appears to be ‘fixing’ itself as it goes along.  Characters are constantly explaining plot details to the audience in case they were lost in the chaos, and snippy one-liners are shoehorned in as a potential course correction from the studio.  There’s just no sense of coherence here.  The film stumbles through boring action sequences until they feel as though a plot point needs to be explained, then stumbles some more until we reach the endgame. 

Surprisingly, the writing (with all of its issues) might not be entirely to blame.  There’s nothing more powerful in the filmmaking process than editing, and if rumors are to be believed, Suicide Squad might have had a few too many in the editing room.

There was a sort of a cycle to this movie once it got into the real bulk of the story: comedy scene, action scene, emotional scene, one-liner, repeat.  Repetition is generally never a good thing when it comes to the flow of a film, and to make matters more frustrating, it was easy to tell that the script was probably not originally written in this format, and was altered at a later date in order to purvey a certain tone.  It could even be possible that the writing itself was completely lost during the editing phase, and hurt beyond repair for the film’s final cut.  To describe this strange relationship; it felt as though the editors and writer were told to create completely different products, and never once matched with the vision that the director had in mind.  Now whether this was studio interference or just a miscommunication, I’m not sure.  The end result, however, speaks for itself.

Finally, the biggest topic that you will likely read about online is the portrayal of characters and how close to the source material this adaptation was.  Personally, I believe this is irrelevant, as creativity and artistic interpretation should never be considered as reasons for why a piece of art is not ‘good’.  These can be seen as reasons to why one didn’t ‘like’ a piece of art, but should be seen as non-factors when determining the quality of such pieces.  No matter how you felt about Joker, Harley, Enchantress, etc.; Remember, we’d still have a flightless Superman if changes were never made.

So what’s the verdict?  Is it possible to enjoy Suicide Squad?  Of course it is, and I’m sure there will be plenty of you out there that do.  The facts of the films fundamentals however, are much less to be desired.  Writing and editing problems overwhelm any fun that might be delivered from the cast, and bland action sequences find home wherever they can fit.  David Ayers’ Suicide Squad is a victim of style over substance, and falls flat as a barely legible foot note on DC’s growing cinematic universe.