Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film that is based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe. The film is directed by Zack Snyder, with a screenplay written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, from a story by Terrio and Snyder, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and JK Simmons. In Justice League, the superhero team, consisting of Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg forms to honor the memory of Superman and to save earth from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.

The film was originally announced in October 2014, with Snyder on board to direct and Terrio attached to write the script. Initially titled as Justice League: Part One, with a second part scheduled to follow in 2019, the second film was indefinitely delayed to accommodate a standalone Batman film with Affleck. Principal photography commenced in April 2016 and wrapped up in October 2016. Snyder then hired Joss Whedon to write scenes that would be filmed during reshoots, however, Snyder left the project in May 2017 following the death of his daughter. Whedon was then hired to oversee the remainder of the post-production process, including directing additional scenes that were written by himself. Snyder received sole director credit for the film, while Whedon received a screenwriting credit.

Justice League is the second most expensive film ever made with an estimated production budget of $300 million. It premiered in Beijing on October 26, 2017, and was released in the United States in 2D, 3D, and IMAX on November 17, 2017. It ended up grossing $657 million worldwide, against an estimated break-even point of up to $750 million. It received mixed reviews from film critics; the action sequences, visual effects, and performances (particularly Gal Gadot and Miller) were praised, while the plot, writing, pacing, villain and overuse of CGI were heavily criticized. The tone of the film was met with a polarized reception, with some appreciating the lighter tone compared to earlier released DC films, while others found it to be inconsistent.

The Film Itself (4/5):

You know, Justice League got a lot of hate that it really doesn’t deserve.  Seeing the feedback among the /r/dvdcollection community, I was completely nervous going into it.  However, I was left completely satisfied and thoroughly enjoying this movie.  Seeing the collection of these superheroes as they work together to face off against Steppenwolf really brought a smile to my eye.  The action sequences as they played out were phenomenally handled allowing for this movie to really be a fun time.  Sure, I felt that the dialogue could have been slightly better and that they really used the slow-motion sequences a bit much; but going into this film with minimal knowledge of the various comic books that have been published, I really liked it.

Picture Quality (4.75/5):

Justice League looked absolutely fucking phenomenal as it played out on my living room television.  Every aspect from the various color patterns to the darker lit sequences really shined with this release.  The only thing that I had any kind of personal complaints was that of the CGI that was used on Cyborg’s face, the human piece at least.  You could definitely tell that there was a CGI overlay that was slightly distracting.   But, other than that, the 4K UHD release of this film offers a visual presentation of epic proportions with its utilization of HDR.

Audio Quality (5/5):

Packaged with a Dolby Atmos audio track, Justice League really does a fantastic job with its utilization of all channels and offering an all out immersive experience for its viewers.  Every aspect from the surround channels to the elevation aspect, it really feels as if you’re right there in the middle of everything as it’s happening.  The bass track for this release hits really hard and does a fantastic job at emphasizing the amount of power of Steppenwolf and the various abilities of those who make up the Justice League.

The Packaging (4/5):

The 4K UHD release of Justice League comes packaged in your standard two-disc 4K UHD amaray case.  Within that case is the standard 4K UHD copy of the film as well as the standard Blu-ray copy of the film.  Each of the discs feature a different piece of artwork that’s relative to the film and completely different than that of the case art.  A digital copy redemption pamphlet has also been included as well as a slipcover that’s been made available during the initial pressing that features the same piece of artwork that’s on the case art.

 

Special Features (3.75/5):

Unfortunately, the 4K UHD release of Justice League is just like any other 4K UHD release as there’s no special features included on the UHD disc.  All available content is made available on the Blu-ray release, and it does a decent job at not only offering an expanded look into the film and storyline, but also does a good job at showing some of the work that went into making this film.  I really would have loved to have seen an audio commentary included; whether it be from Snyder or Whedon, or even both, because this film looked like it was a noteworthy experience for everyone.  Included with this release is:

• Heart Of Justice – Discover what’s behind the heart and soul of DC’s Iconic Trinity
• Technology Of The Justice League – See how cool technology and tools give the Justice League a leg up.
• Justice League: The New Heroes – Meet the amazing new members of the Justice League.
• Suit Up: The Look Of The League – It takes a village to outfit the world’s most beloved heroes.
• And More!

Technical Specs:

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 4K (2160p)

HDR: Dolby Vision + HDR10

Aspect Ratio:

Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English: Dolby Digital 5.1

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles

English SDH, French, Spanish

Runtime

Original Film: 121 minutes

Final Thoughts:

Despite all of the hate that this film has gotten from critics and movie lovers, Justice League really offers a great time.  Sure, the whole superhero gig has been a nice cash cow for Hollywood, but as long as they keep making movies like this, I know I’m going to have a damn good time.  The video and audio quality of the 4K UHD release was considerably stellar and did a great job at providing an immersive and lifelike experience to the whole film.  And given the unfortunate event that Snyder and his family endured while they were making this film, I feel that the combination work between him and Whedon was great.  And should Warner Bros. decide to ever release the Snyder cut, I’ll definitely be checking it out too.  If you’re not sure as to whether or not you want to get the 4K UHD release of this film, I would hands down recommend grabbing it.  Justice League will be available on 4K UHD, and Blu-ray beginning tomorrow!

Our friend and co-writer Andrew from AR_Media shared his thoughts on the 4K UHD release of Justice League too!

Note: This Blu-ray was sent to us for review. This has not affected our judgement or editorial process in any way. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this process.