Fighting (and fighting) for justice

“Superman is dead! Where does that leave us?” a Central City resident agonizes in the opening sequence of the new film Justice League. The camera pans to a small gravestone bearing the name Clark Joseph Kent.

The disciples of Jesus probably wondered the same thing one dark Friday afternoon. A plot twist and a remark by Lois Lane (Amy Adams) late in the film speak of Christian influence. But for the most part, the fifth installment of the DC extended universe franchise is all about mega-tough superheroes and outsize villains trying to knock each other’s blocks off. Good times.

With Superman out of the picture, so to speak (he succumbed to a kryptonite spear at the end of 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice), Steppenwolf (voiced and performed in motion capture by Ciarán Hinds) invades Earth in search of three ancient “mother boxes.” When joined together, these boxes will give him immeasurable power either to wipe out all life on Earth or to take over the planet—the film doesn’t clearly delineate Steppenwolf’s agenda. Still, he’s big and horned, swings a massive ax, and—backed by his horde of flying demon-insects—is obviously up to no good.

Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) realize they need help. These old-school superheroes spend the film’s first 50 minutes recruiting teammates, whose youthful alter egos might indicate the film’s producers realized they’d need help from millennial ticket buyers. Enter Cyborg (Ray Fisher), who knows his way around circuitry and databanks. The Flash (Ezra Miller) describes his spindly other self, Barry Allen, as a Jewish kid who plays the viola. Shirtless Aquaman (Jason Momoa) bridges the generations, looking equally suited for an MMA cage match or a romance novel. A bit of a loner, though, he caps off his maritime heroics by hitting the whiskey bottle at seaside taverns.

The Flash and Aquaman have personality appeal, but not much else about the film, even its sophisticated special effects, provides anything more than frivolous entertainment. (The PG-13 rating lists “sci-fi violence and action” but misses a suggestive moment and three violations of the Third Commandment.)

Lois Lane waxes philosophic with little buildup. “Darkness is not the absence of light but the conviction that the light will never return,” she remarks. As it turns out, light does return to Central City by the end of this story—and may owe its inspiration to the gospel story.

Humor? The superheroes are generally too busy cracking skulls to wisecrack, but they rattle off a few gems. In one exchange, Batman tries to bring Aquaman into the super ensemble by warning him that Steppenwolf’s power accumulation will cause drastic climate change. (Of course!)

Aquaman shrugs: “I don’t mind if the oceans rise.”

The most impressive ensemble, though, arrives after the film’s predictable conclusion. The names of several hundred digital artists and visual effects specialists fill out the lengthy end credits. A brief scene following the credits suggests Batman and Co. will be suiting up again before too long.