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"Justice League" Bluray Review
by Neil Cole
"Justice League" has officially released on Digital HD, DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. However, those hoping to see the elusive cut from Zack Snyder - who had to bow out due to a family crisis and was replaced by Joss Whedon to handle reshoots - will be disappointed as it is completely absent on this release.
Even though we may never see Snyder's ultimate vision of the film, the overall home media release of the film still looks stunning and sounds absolutely wonderful and comes packed with an abundant selection of special features and bonus features.
Although "Justice League" underperformed at the box office, the film is certainly worth a second look with such character highlights as the on-screen chemistry between Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and Ben Affleck's Batman as well as Ezra Miller's humorous portrayal of Barry Allen/Flash and Jason Momoa's gritty version of Aquaman.
As a brief recap, the film kicks off in the wake of Superman's apparent death at the hands of Doomsday in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and the pending emergence of a otherwordly threat to all humanity. Batman and Wonder Woman make it their mission to form a team of superheroes to face the threat which results in Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg (Ray Fisher) all ultimately coming on board; albiet somewhat relunctantly.
Following the formation of a Justice League, there are extended action sequences featuring the team battling against the villain Steppenwolf and his legion of Parademons who are seeking three Mother Boxes in order to take over the Earth. Ultimately, and not surprisingly at all, Superman (Henry Cavill) returns from the dead - in a bit of an odd sequence including literally digging up his body - and helps his fellow superheroes defeat Steppenwolf and save all humanity.
However, the Man of Steel's resurrection is towards the end of the film and results in limited screen time which is unfortunate because we finally get to see Cavill as the true embodiment of Superman. In addition, there are two deleted scenes included on the Bluray that feature Superman which should have never been cut from the film as they fill in storyline gaps and offer more screen time for Cavill to shine as the character.
In regard to bonus material, both the Justice League 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray 3D combo pack comes packed with quite a bit including:
Road to Justice: Journey alongside DC comic creators as they explore over fifty years of the Justice League, from comic books to animated adventures to their cinematic debut.
Heart of Justice: Discover the heart, soul and mind of the Justice League, as the cast and filmmakers share their admiration for DC’s iconic Trinity: Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman.
Technology of the Justice League: From Batman’s arsenal to Cyborg’s alien tech, interface with the Justice League database to learn their most advanced secrets.
Justice League: The New Heroes: Join Ray Fisher on a personal tour to meet the newest members of the Justice League: Aquaman, the Flash and Cyborg.
The Return of Superman: Bonus scenes not seen in theaters. (Mentioned above)
Steppenwolf the Conqueror: Join actor Ciarán Hinds and the filmmakers as they reveal the story behind mankind’s ancient enemy and the Justice League’s greatest challenge.
Scene Studies: Revisiting the Amazons; Wonder Woman’s Rescue; Heroes Park; The Tunnel Battle: Take a closer look at the filmmaking process behind Justice League’s most visually exciting and action-packed sequences
Suit Up: The Look of the League: Costume Designer Michael Wilkinson explores the innovation and artistry that goes into creating the costumes of DC’s iconic heroes.
Another nice feature on the "Justice League" 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and regular Blu-ray disc home releases is the Dolby Atmos Surround Sound which fully emmerses the viewer the into streets of Gotham, Metropolis, and the island of Themyscira.
Danny Elfman's absolutely stunning score makes a perfect transfer from the big screen to home theater surround sound with such highlights as a brief cameo of his Batman score from the 1989 film as well as John William's classic score from "Superman: The Movie".
All-in-all, "Justice League" may have not been the juggernaut Warner Bros. was hoping for but the film still serves as an important piece of the DC Extended Universe and its future. For all it's stengths and weaknesses, the film is still able to tackle and present the true spirit of these iconic DC Comics characters we all know and love.
With such films as "Aquaman," "Shazam," "Wonder Woman 2" and "Flashpoint" all set for release over the next two years, the DCEU will still survive and hopefully serve as a rebirth of the studio's film franchise.
Featuring a superb audio and visual presentation as well as as extensive bonus material selection, "Justice League" is definitely a film you will want to add to your superhero film collection that will serve as a source of entertainment for years to come.
