Ranking the current DCEU films

I have been historically a major proponet of the DCEU and so I would give my quick ranking of the films. This is simply my opinion as a massive fan of DC Comics, as someone who has read a large amount of the comics and as someone who has very particular likes.

Warning: Spoilers I suppose

8: Birds of Prey
I've seen some people get really angry at this film for it's perceived role in the culture war, and I honestly think it's an exaggerated. That said this film is pretty meh to me. I don't dislike it certainly. However it's just sort of an average superhero film to me. I really liked the beginning and the ending of the film which is very like Harley's more recent comics, which I happen to like. I sometime see people try and claim Current Harley is just female Deadpool but this seems a mischaracterization of both Harley and Deadpool. On the other hand while most of the film isn't the uber-feminist political tract I was afraid of, it's just slightly muted and dull. It doesn't help that this is probably the LEAST "comic book" comic book movie I have ever seen with supernatural abilities displayed literally once in the entire film. The film is almost not a superhero movie, as there is so little actual superhuman abilities. The villain is also easily the weakest villain of any of the DC films; I understand that they were going for the creepy misogynist type of villain that is common in media aimed at women, but those usually need something more to them. Compare Prince Demand from Sailor Moon or Kish from Tokyo Mew Mew. Neither of them are hugely more sympathetic then Film Black Mask but both were usually more dignified and had significantly more menace as well as a more entertaining presence. Also you know...superpowers. The film doesn't even try to hype up Black Mask in terms of power or intellect, outside of a few statements of how much power he has over Gotham. I don't really like the film versions of Black Mask and Cassandra Cain. Outside though the film was moderately entertaining, I liked watching Harley same as I do generally reading her comics (and the two are pretty similar, though I'd say Comic Harley seems a bit more unhinged and closer to violence despite ironically being out of prison for a lesser amount of time). The film's humor was alright, even if it did sometimes dip into bathos which I have a good distaste for. Fights were good, though I don't really go to films for fight scenes; they don't really do much for me outside of other factors that are mixing with the fights (like interesting tactical scenarios to think about, or emotional pathos between the characters fighting). Overall the film was about average for a superhero movie to me, which is the real disappointment.

7: Justice League (Theatrical Cut)
Release the Snyder cut already! Talking about Justice League in a group of DCEU fans is liable to bring up annoyance and distaste for the studio interference with Snyder's vision; a middling compromise that satisfied no one. The Snyder cut will I imagine bump this up considerably. As it is this film is a bit of a Frankenstein and as such is difficult to talk about. The film has parts that I thought were really good. I was very happy about the revival of Superman as I dislike the trope in fiction when such ability is possessed but then not actually used, although to be fair I think it was pretty clear they were going to revive Superman. I liked much of the stuff with Wonder Woman and Batman and their exchange. I liked the hints of what was going on with Darkseid and Apokalips. I like the pathos of Cyborg. But the bathos humor was somewhat painful and the film much like the prior film lacks clear thematic message, most likely due to studio interference. I yearn to see what this film would have been initially. It is better mostly due to Snyder's genius shining through at times and because I was incredibly hyped in the theater for Superman's revival. Also Stepphenwolf despite being really boring and clearly not a threat to Superman alone let alone the League, was still a better villain.


From this point we've got films all of which I really like and I don't wanna have to put them low, and them being low doesn't mean I didn't like them; but just because I love the rest of the movies on this list so much.

6: Shazam
Shazam is a really good movie with some great moments. Every proclamation of "Shazam" that was powerful filled my heart briefly with it's intensity. I love magic in general, and the magical parts of this film were really cool and filled with thematic depth. I loved the film's general theme-ing of the perfect human and of family both of which are themes close to me. The scene where Billy sees his biological mother again and the first thing he says is "I didn't mean to run away" as if for years he's struggled guiltily under the assumption his mother thought he ran away....kills me everytime. All the times the film is being serious and dignified are great! The comedy of the film..it's not bad particularly. Most of it is Shazam being a kid trying to act like a superheroic man which is central to the character. I don't cringe at it like I do bathos but it's something I only really find funny once and on rewatches I mostly just am waiting to get to the cool parts again. I do really cringe at the part where Billy ditches Freddy and he gets picked on by the other kids at their school; partially because it's really cliche and partially because I have insecurities at social humiliation. Outside that scene Shazam was great on the first viewing and on subsequent viewings is not quite as good but is still pretty good.

5: Suicide Squad
Despite everything, despite all the hate towards the DCEU, this is probably the film I consider most underrated. This film survived studio interference far better then Justice League. This is a daring film, a film of a deliberately bold and counterculture feel using punk and anarchistic images and themes. Despite this, it also manages to tie into the inspiring humanistic feel of the DCEU. DCEU haters suggest sometimes that doing Suicide Squad as the third film was a poor choice as they are relatively minor characters yet it feels strangely appropriate for this film, a film designed to make the audience rethink the meaning of these outcasts. The DCEU's films have clear humanistic tendencies in it's constant praise for the human condition, then Suicide Squad's message is that even the worst people have humanity within them. Everyone, the Squad included, expected them to be bad people, because as Harley says "We're bad guys! It's what we do!" The exaltation of their humanity strikes me so powerfully particularly in the climactic scene where Deadshot (I accidentally typo-ed for a second as "Dadshot" which is pretty funny imo) motivated by love for his daughter killed Enchantress. I appreciate all the little touches this film does, even if it's aesthetic is not my usual preference. I don't know how to address all the important things I want to about this film in a brief timeframe, the way it builds up the humanity in all of the villainous protagonists in the little things they do. It takes the best superhero films to surpass this film for me. It's underrated I think in part because of it's deliberately antagonistic tone, befitting the characters. Watching this is indeed like interacting with an abrasive, aggressive villain with a deeper humanity. I like it more then Shazam because while both are really good films with a few really great moments, Suicide Squad goes about it in a far more peculiar unique way.

4: Aquaman
The prior two films are films that are a few moments penetrating into the deeper metaphysical beauty of reality, surrounded by adventure stories. Aquaman on the other hand is an adventure film floating like the surface of the ocean on the deeper reality, the two connected more seamlessly. Aquaman is a compelling adventure sure, but whereas Shazam and Suicide Squad both had adventures that occasionally stopped the adventure to reach into the human psyche, Aquaman is a film that naturally dips into it before coming back up, far more seamlessly. It's hard to get into the underlying symbolism so deeply woven is it, but there is so much interwoven into how the truth that Aquaman searches is hidden with the Trench as opposed to the wide philosopher kingdom or among humanity. It is the same reason the Inferno comes before the Purgatorio, to confront true reality requires first communicating with the dark parts, requires listening to the things and people you don't want to listen to because you are afraid of what they will expose. It is an incredibly timely message; in a world where we view those we agree with as the true philosophers and those we disagree with as the dark monsters, the film's suggesting the way to truth will require listening to the trench is a radical and important one. The film does what I would try to do with any character like Aquaman (IE a character made a long time ago and who has persisted since) and show how vital and powerful the underlying concept is. Aquaman "talks to fishes"; a power regularly and constantly mocked for decades but this film shows the underlying meaning and importance of this power, an ability that facilitates communication is the ability that reveals the truth and the ability that proclaims the king. Ocean Master is one of the best villains in the entire DCEU, representing purity not just of blood but of mind, an unwillingness to compromise one's base intuition by comparing it to the complex world of one's enemies. The final section in it's entirety is truly great, as while Aquaman's original trident representing his original viewpoint was shattered so too does the trident he receives representing his ability to listen to the apparently monstrous, to facilitate communication destroy Ocean Master's representing ideological single-mindedness. I also really love, as might be guessed of my romantic temperament the love story between Aquaman's parents. And more too I love the allusion to Lovecraft and it's meaning on a meta-narrative sense. Lovecraft was deathly afraid of the oceans and of the impurity they represented. It is not a coincidence the film references The Dunwhich Horror instead of the seemingly more on point Shadow over Innsmouth, showing the modern refutation; for The Dunwhich Horror is about a halfbreed bringing about the meeting between worlds  and almost causing calamity, Aquaman is about a halfbreed bringing about the meeting between worlds and saving them both. This is the modern age in the humanist light; a time of communication and reconciliation as opposed to ideological fanaticism and close-mindedness.

3/2: Man of Steel and Wonder Woman
I alternate between which of these films I love more, though I do truly love them both. These are no longer some of my favorite superhero films, but some of my favorite films in general. MoS and WW are both truly great films, films where large sections are entrenched in mythos and the humanist revolution. To talk about them both for a bit:

Man of Steel, the dawning of the DCEU is a film I am still fond to talk off all this time. It does in it's first 20 minutes create a Shakespearian Drama, creating a complex tragic doomed world. It is a film devoted to extolling the virtues of humanity, taking every possible opportunity to showcase humanity at it's best. It is a beautiful expression on the importance of human free will and our capacity to rise above what others deem for us. The whole section of Man of Steel from the first time transition to Clark working on the boat to the first contact was amazing to see. It contains one of my favorite moments in all of fiction; the first flight sequence, a capturing of the primordial feeling of transcending above earthly limitation speaking to the heavenly destiny and the ascension of Superman fills me with a nigh religious experience. The first flashback sequence with young Clark always hits me so hard because I relate so hard. I may not have had supervision like Clark but I was a very sensitive young girl who was easily overwhelmed and sometimes fainted from sheer stimulation. That horrifying feeling of the world being too big and overwhelming me with sheer stimulation, the want for it all to shrink down...I felt that pain so much. I don't think I've ever related to Superman, who is one of my favorite characters in fiction, so much. The feeling of being overwhelmed by the immensity of the world, the feeling of wanting to emulate the greatness you see in humanity, the sheer joy at overcoming your inherent limitations. The following section is not quite as great but I do truly adore it still with such moments like constantly, constantly showing humanity willing to do the right thing even if it kills them, Superman nigh-literally flying with the weight of the world on his shoulders...the film is so full of gravitas and digitas. It is not a dark film as some say, though I think when they say they are trying to say it's a serious film; in other words it has a heavy tone even though it's message is the greatness of humanity. I greatly protest people calling it dark because thematically it simply isn't clearly. It is a serious film, though I don't see why this is somehow an error. I prefer my superheroes, my modern demigods to be serious, to take the trappings of mythological grandeur with complete dignity. It is part of what I dislike about bathos. It also has General Zod, who is one of the greatest comic book villains ever made; full of threat and menace, completely understandable and sympathetic in his goal, and entertaining in his scene; a truly well realized archetype.

Wonder Woman is a film that gets a divided response from DCEU fans. Some consider it seriously flawed if enjoyable while others, myself included put it up there in the likes of Dawn of Justice and Man of Steel. I think perhaps in our community while this occurs is the film's strange blurring of idealism and realism represented archetypal in the main female and male leads Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, which btw is my favorite romance in the DCEU so far. The beginning part of Wonder Woman creates the air of the fairy tale story and environment that Wonder Woman is born into and creates I think the needed idealistic air that the horrid war will contrast too later. I love the first part, especially Hippolyta's words of love to Wonder Woman as she leaves for man's world. I relate strongly to Wonder Woman's idealism and difficulty in adjusting to the strange world of men she finds herself in. The second part of Wonder Woman is good though not great, the part between the boat scene to the scene before the trenches. I do like how it introduces the characters, particularly in showing Wonder Woman's gentleness and sweetness in her love for such things as babies and ice cream contrasted with the fierce warrior we usually see. I also like it's introduction to the other members of Steve's squad, particularly the cute language speaking introduction with Sameer. That said it's somewhat formulaic as a typical duck out of water story. While I related somewhat I didn't consider it the greatness of the later part. But when it gets to that later part....WOW. The No Man's Sequence was so great! The second part of the film goes on to deliberately contrast the white and black views of Diana with reality, not just of moral grayness but also showing that the disreputable characters she was associated with in truth are conflicted people (beginning the film's humanistic bent), haunted by past experience and loss. But that finale was truly the greatest part. Steve's dying speech to Diana and his sacrifice is what cements them as my favorite DCEU romance so far. "I can save today, you can save the world". It so well brings back all the important moments from the movie's runtime. Ironically my favorite moment is the moment that seems to get most criticism; Wonder Woman's ascension to her powers and defeat of Ares by the power of love. Perhaps it is my love for Magical Girls, but this didn't strike me as a sudden development or at odds with the rest of the piece. It's why the film is set during World War 1, the darkest most morally grey war of the modern period. It is why the film shows it's other heroes as morally grey, hurt by the world, and it's so true. It is why Plato said "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." We all struggle between right and wrong, but only love is the force that moves the individual to the good, only love eternal can save the world.

As you can tell I really love both of these films. Man of Steel is so classically beautiful and elegant. Wonder Woman is so romantically beautiful and resonant. It's really hard to pick between the two. I like Man of Steel's development part more then Wonder Woman's development part, because it is a unique expression of humanity's greatness that relating to me in a personal way I've never experienced but I like Wonder Woman's fulfillment of that development part more then Man of Steel's because it is not just a physical victory and a victory of the mental philosophies represented in the two sides, but it is a spiritual victory resonating in my emotions. I generally like Man of Steel's plot more the Wonder Woman's since it is tighter, faster paced and most of us more derived in transpersonal philosophical concepts. On the other hand I generally like Wonder Woman's characters more; Man of Steel's humanity is almost pure archetype; humanistic ideals of humanity that act always with reason and morality outside of some literal children. While this is heartwarming it is I will admit somewhat simplistic while Wonder Woman's humanity does a fantastic job at capturing the pained reality of humans trying their best in grey situations where it doesn't seem like there are heroes and villains.

That said I don't consider either as good as my favorite DCEU film

1: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
In the DCEU community this film is not just seen as a good film. Many of us, to my experience, talk about how this film inspired us to be better people. Dawn of Justice is one of three films I would give a 10/10 score too. Bear in mind that a score doesn't show a lack of weak points, but a work's ability to make you ignore it's weak points. I love every scene, character, and part of the film. If it was pragmatically feasible, I would watch this film every day. Very often I think of the words of the film to inspire me. There's no way I could capture my feelings about this film in any reasonable amount of time but I'll try to give an idea. Dawn of Justice is a film about recognizing humanity in others as interpreted by two of the most famous archetypal figures of our time; Batman and Superman. In my estimation "humanity" is the concept that binds these two archetypal figures together. In my view; Batman is the struggle for the human to become inhuman; it is the story of tragedy ripping out the humanity in a tragedy-stricken boy's heart forcing him to strive to become something greater then a human; a perfect symbol of justice that never shows any weakness. Superman in contrast is the struggle for the inhuman to become human; an outsider of our kind who with his super senses and super mind and just from his distance can see the greatness in us we can't see in ourselves and wishes to emulate and become, taking for himself the moniker of the Superman; literally the traits of man exaggerated to the absolute. This is a film showing the intersection and near death of those two quests only to save each other. Superman's quest in the course of the film is to be understood as a human and not outcasted by humanity (you'll recognize this as Lex Luthor's psychology and his quest; to de-legitimize Superman's attempt to be seen as a human). This gives us the quote that truly changed me and possibly my favorite part of the film: "Maybe he's not some sort of Devil or Jesus character. Maybe he's just a guy trying to do the right thing." This right here, this is the modern evolution of humanistic revolution Dante started; recognizing that our idols and our enemies are just humans like us. I've since a young age struggled with seeing things in very black and white terms and this showed me in a way I hadn't grasped that humans are all trying to do the right thing. It's a message timely and timeless. It applies I imagine to us all; I've seen it; people projecting bad intent and maliciousness to their "enemies" and perfection to their "guides". Conversely Batman's quest in this film is losing his humanity as he loses all faith in the progression of his world towards the good. This is something constantly teased in Batman material, that Batman might go off the edge and finally lose his sanity. While Superman's villains are representations of social ills, Batman's are representations of psychological ills and Batman's attempt to fight them can be seen as metaphors for the sane rational mind to fend off mental collapse and insanity. This is why the climax of the film is that beautiful moment when Batman realizes Superman's humanity...realizes that in almost killing Superman he was almost killing himself; that he had become for a moment the murderer that had killed his parents. There are so many beautiful moments I want to talk about; Lois telling Superman that this (the symbol on his chest meaning hope) is all some people have trying to persuade him to not fall to despair, the way Batman introduces himself as "a friend of your son" as opposed to saying I'm Batman like you'd expect, the way at Superman's funeral says "if you're looking for his monument, look around" acknowledging all the heroes who die who aren't consciously remembered by showing their heroism lives on in the world they created....I love this film so much.

I believe in this film's message. I believe despite all the dehumanization we see now, all the attempts at riding each other of our shared humanity, that the spirit of shared humanity will shine through and someday we shall be reconciled.