With Justice League only a couple months out, I’ve decided to take a look at the DCEU’s first four films and rank them. So far, Warner Bros. has given fans a superb Superman epic by Zack Snyder, a war-themed sci-fi tale in Wonder Woman, and two divisive, controversial movies in Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Without further ado, here’s how I’d rank the DCEU films.
1. Man of Steel
Man of Steel, without a doubt, is one of the greatest comic book adaptations to ever grace the big screen. I’m in the minority on this, however, it doesn’t inhibit my admiration for this flick. Zack Snyder created an epic origin story filled with a plethora of impactful character moments and gritty action, all set to amazing music worked on by the legendary Hanz Zimmer.
2. Wonder Woman
A war-set action blockbuster, Wonder Woman is a film created for fans of the character. Delivering on many traits of Diana Prince, the movie lets Gal Gadot shine as the decades-old hero. We’ve finally gotten a Wonder Woman movie, and fortunately, it’s one of the better action flicks of the past few years.
3. Suicide Squad
The first two films I talked about were great. Unfortunately, this is where the trend starts to dip. Suicide Squad isn’t terrible, but it’s nowhere near the level of something like Wonder Woman or Man of Steel. I like many of the characters, especially the dynamic between Harley Quinn and Joker – both actors did a marvelous job in their roles. Suicide Squad is seemingly a product of too many voices. There are two strikingly different tones prevalent in the film, which in turn ends up leaving the audience with a sour taste in their mouth.
4. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Oh, the infamous Batman v Superman, the internet just can’t get over you. While the movie did have some positives, like the introduction of Gadot as Diana Prince and the score by Junkie XL/Hanz Zimmer, the overall impression it left me was unsatisfied. Zack Snyder attempted to balance two completely different storylines, and it failed miserable. The feud between Batman and Superman was rushed, despite the runtime clocking it at a beefy 2 hours and 30 minutes. Ben Affleck portrayed the Bruce Wayne character as a mentally weak brute, and that’s fundamentally against the true interpretation of Batman. I tried so hard to love Batman v Superman, but ultimately I just can’t get over its negatives.
How would you rank the DCEU movies? Sound off in the comments below.
“Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.”
Justice League is directed by Zack Snyderand stars Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ciarán Hinds (Steppenwolf), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth), J.K. Simmons (Commissioner Gordon), Amber Heard (Mera), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West) and Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor).
The film hits theaters on November 17.
