‘The Flash’

It’s hardly an original DC superhero feature but with a few deft touches The Flash instills a sense of personal humanity among the threat-to-the-world action sequences.

Struck by lightening in a lab gives Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) his superpower but the young man feels powerless in helping save his dad. Evidence suggests dad Henry (Ron Livingston) is about to lose his appeal against the murder of his wife several years earlier. But when Barry uses his superspeed to travel backwards and change history to save his mom (Maribel Verdú), the course of events is altered. It’s up to the likes of a Michael Keaton Batman and Supergirl Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle) as well as a no The Flash Barry to come together to help defeat global invasion by General Zod (Michael Shannon).

It’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s forgetable multiverse popcorn entertainment from director Andy Muschietti.

Rating: 58%

Director: Andy Muschietti (It, Mama)

Writer: Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey, Bumblebee) – based on DC Comics characters

Main cast: Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Justice League), Michael Keaton (Batman, Spotlight), Sasha Calle (TV’s The Young & the Restless)

‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

Back in 2017, director Zack Snyder (Sucker Punch, 300) stepped down from the film Justice League post-production for personal reasons. On its release, the film, completed by Joss Whedon, with a shorter running time, brighter tone and more humour, was a box-office disappointment.

Unexpectedly, Snyder was given the opportunity (and $70 million) in 2021 to complete his vision – a much darker, character-driven four hour extremis. Like chalk and cheese, the new cut leaves the earlier version for dust – even if the basic story of the Justice League struggling to prevent the destruction of the Earth without Superman (Henry Cavill – Man of Steel, Enola Holmes) remains the same.

The centuries old Mother Boxes with their wondrous powers, long kept apart, are reunited and, held by Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds – Belfast, The Woman in Black), pose a very real threat. The newly formed Justice League and its DC superheroes need to prevent global destruction – but also need to find a way to bring Superman back from the dead.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League remains a ponderous super hero narrative – and at four hours, it’s something of a slog. But that extra run time creates opportunities that Snyder grabs with both hands, resulting in a significant improvement on the dullard (and a personal 37% rating) that was its predecessor.

Rating: 57%

‘Justice League’

A ponderous launch of the DC superhero collective as a ponderous Ben Affleck looks to bring together the not-so-happy cohort. With the honourable Superman (Henry Cavill) no longer in the picture and crime on the increase, it’s no easy task for Batman and his latest ally, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot).

The rise of Steppenwolf, dormant for 5,000 years, and the threat to mankind finally brings Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) into the mix.

Justice League has its moments but as an entertainment, it needs a more convincing lightness of touch and humour. Battle scenes are pedestrian, the chirpy Flash humour not quite funny enough, the interface between characters needing work. The Zack Snyder (director) of Sucker Punch is needed!

Rating: 37%

Director: Zack Snyder (Sucker Punch, 300)

Writer: Chris Terrio (Argo, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice) Joss Whedon (The Avengers, The Cabin in the Woods)

Main cast: Ben Affleck (Gone Girl, Argo), Gal Gadot (Knight & Day, Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Conan the Barbarian, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice)

‘Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them’

It’s hard to believe that Fantastic Beasts… is penned by the same author who bought Harry Potter, Hermione, Ron Weasel et al to the world. That was consummate storytelling.

J. K. Rowling in her first film script has forgotten that basic tenet – for the first hour or so, a new to 1920s New York Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) spends too much of his time inside his own suitcase full of those fantastical beasts struggling to find any significant story. Lolly coloured beasts abound – most of them scary looking but in reality pussycats.

Fantastic Beasts… ultimately boils down to the struggle between good and evil (where do we know that particular theme from?). But, unlike Potter, its full of characters who are mostly pale imitations of those you find in Hogwarts 70 years later. I certainly have no intention of spending another four movies with them – I’ll stick to reruns of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Nominated for 2 Oscars – won 1 for costume design (Colleen Atwood).

Rating: 44%

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter, The Legend of Tarzan)

Writer: J. K. Rowling

Main cast: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, Les Miserables), Colin Farrell (The Lobster, In Bruges), Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice, Are You Joking?)

‘Suicide Squad’

Sprawling and anarchic, director David Ayer has perfectly captured the essence of the band of superheroes who make up the squad.

Margot Robbie is riveting as the crazed Harley Quinn, Will Smith solid as Headshot. Add a superbly deranged Jared Leto as The Joker and the band of comic-book nihilistic antiheroes are magnificently ever present on screen.

But the story is one huge misstep – it’s a mess. Lots of energy from the intrepid band fizzles into a dull mishmash of oldhat stories and scenarios. Get the witch and save the world (I mean New York – again). Boring.

Winner of best make up and hair Oscar in 2017

Rating: 45%

Director: David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch)

Writer: David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch)

Main cast: Will Smith (Men in Black, Ali), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Focus), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Requiem For a Dream)

‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’

An incoherent mess, so busy trying to be a bridging film to the introduction of The Justice League, director Zack Snyder seemingly forgot to focus on one storyline.

It really is all over the place – and we begin and end with the destruction of New York. Ultimately dull and boring – it’s only the sound editing that’s a stand out as Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, The Man From U.N.C.L.E), who really do not like each other, face off against each other. One result is the enforced re-emergence of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot).

Nominated for 8 Razzies in 2016 including worst film (won 4 including worst screenplay and worst supporting actor in Jesse Eisenberg).

Rating: 34%

Director: Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, 300)

Writer: Chris Terrio (Argo), David S. Goyer (Man of Steel, The Dark Knight) – based on previously created characters

Main cast: Ben Affleck (Gone Girl, Argo), Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, The Man From U.N.C.L.E), Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious, Triple 9), Amy Adams (The Fighter, Man of Steel), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, The Squid & the Whale)

‘Madame Bovary’

Stilted and stagey with no natural flow of rhythm or narrative realism. Emma Bovary may well have been in a stultifying marriage but it did not mean we had to sit through a stultifying film.

In spite of a powerful cast, including Mia Wasikowska, Paul Giamatti and Rhys Ifans, Madame Bovary is a major disappointment.

Rating: 46%

Director: Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls)

Writer: Felipe Marino, Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls) – adapted from the novel by Flaubert

Main Cast: Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are Alright), Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man), Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spiderman, Anonymous), Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Anna Karenina, Anonymous)