With Superman out of the picture, Batman and Wonder Woman must come together to assemble a ragtag group of superheroes to rescue three “Mother Boxes” from the evil demon Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds, barely recognisable underneath all the CGI) in this inchoate sequel. Their team includes Ezra Miller as superfast, socially awkward, self-confessed “black hole of snacks” the Flash, Game of Thrones’s Jason Momoa as the frequently shirtless Aquaman and Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), a former college football star turned Cyborg. Ribbing wisecracks, courtesy of co-writer Joss Whedon, jar with director Zack Snyder’s oppressive, dour approach to the source material. Ben Affleck is especially wooden as Batman/Bruce Wayne, while Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman (unsung leader of the pack and the film’s sole bright spot) is undermined by Snyder’s leering camera, which favours low-angle shots that linger on her body.
