I’ve been on a roll when it comes to lists, so I’m going to keep the streak going–this time with some love for the DCEU. Seven films-and-going, the DC Extended Universe has been a mixed bag. Some good. Some decent. And a couple have been bad.
The Hits…
1. Wonder Woman (2017) 👸🏻 is the best movie that the universe has offered thus far. It is a tour-de-force for Gal Gadot, and she is buoyed by a great supporting actor turn by the underrated Chris Pine.
2. While Wonder Woman is the best DCEU movie, I enjoyed Shazam (2018) ⚡️ the most. More on that here.
The Decent…
3. Man of Steel (2013) actually gets better with time. At first, it felt mildly disappointing when you consider how great the trailer and lead-up to the film were. But after the DCEU disappointments began to mount in subsequent years, the Man of Steel has shined brighter. ✨
I enjoyed Zack Snyder’s darker, mature themes that highlighted Clark Kent/Superman’s challenges dealing with his superhero powers/responsibilities as a youth and as an adult, while also trying to understood his place and identity as an alien (Kryptonian) on foreign soil (earth). Weighty stuff for sure.
4. Aquaman (2018) 🔱 was a very decent initial viewing. However, I haven’t been hard-pressed to rewatch it. Maybe it’s the length (143 minutes) of the film or maybe it’s because it feels like a lesser, underwater version of Black Panther or Thor. Whatever it is, the film just doesn’t stick to my ribs for some reason. 🤔
The Rest
Without going into detail, 5. Justice League (2017), 6. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and 7. Suicide Squad (2016) bring up the rear. I know many people have a couple of these films ranked higher, but I think most would agree that Suicide Squad is the ugly duckling 🦢 of the group.
Given its considerable cast (featuring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Ben Affleck, Jared Leto and Viola Davis), the disappointment that “the Squad” was, is magnified.
The good news: Guardians of the Galaxy 💫 director James Gunn has been charged to direct the sequel. Hey, maybe Suicide Squad 2 enters the DCEU top three?
Stay tuned…
I have a sneaking suspicion that Joker will crash this list shortly. 🤡
