It's no secret that the DCEU has struggled to live up to the competition of the MCU. Their attempts at a shared universe felt rushed and their films mostly underperformed at the box office. That being said, there are still some quality superhero films released within the DCEU to this point.
The entire franchise began in 2013 and since then, 10 movies have been released featuring some of the biggest heroes and villains in all of DC Comics lore. Each of those films has been reviewed on Screen Rant, with some missing the mark and some being viewed among the greatest superhero flicks.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2.5 Stars)
It will likely come as a surprise to find that the DCEU movie to score the worst review from Screen Rant is Zack Snyder's Justice League. Meant to be more in line with the original vision that Snyder had when he helmed the 2017 version, this 2021 release was well-received by most fans and critics.
Many saw it as an improvement over the original thanks to the bigger roles for Darkseid, Flash, and Cyborg. Alas, the SR review noted that the film does meander a bit with the long runtime and it could be smoother. The review did praise the character moments and interactions.
Justice League (3 Stars)
The entire saga of Justice League was one filled with unexpected problems. In the end, Joss Whedon took over for Zack Snyder and his end result was apparently nothing like Snyder wanted. Characters like Cyborg were barely prominent, while a lot of awkward comedy was added.
That being said, the review on Screen Rant had some good things to say about it. They appreciated the banter as well as the visual style of Snyder's work but did find that the film lacked thematic substance. The chemistry between the cast was also seen as a highlight.
Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice (3 Stars)
Zack Snyder was at the helm of the early days of the DCEU and his style is probably never more evident than in 2016's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Everything about this movie makes it clear that Snyder was the one behind it, in of both the good and the bad.
The review at Screen Rant laid that out by saying that this kept the dark and gritty style that divided some fans in the prior film. It was said to look cool and feature some quality action but had a handful of plotholes. While Wonder Woman's debut was appreciated, parts of this felt like it was trying too hard to set up the future.
Suicide Squad (3 Stars)
After Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, 2016 proved to be a lackluster year for the DCEU. Reviews for both films were mixed and they faced similar issues from critics. That included muddled plots and some disappointing character development.
However, Screen Rant's review was a bit more positive than most. The film was still considered to have issues with the story and action but was called lively. The real highlight was said to be the performances and chemistry of the cast, especially from Margot Robbie and Will Smith.
Shazam! (3.5 Stars)
By 2019, the DCEU had changed just a bit. There was less focus on trying to connect everything as a shared universe and some of the films could mostly work as standalone projects. That was the case for Shazam!, which was met with pretty strong praise from fans and critics.
The main reason for the positive reception, including from the Screen Rant review, was just how fun this movie is. Though the villain was viewed as mediocre, the efforts of Zachary Levi and the rest of the cast were praised. The review also appreciated the origin story.
Aquaman (3.5 Stars)
Following the rough 2016, the DCEU had a 2017 with both a critical hit and a miss. Late into 2018, Aquaman arrived and told the story of Arthur Curry after he was introduced in Justice League. With director James Wan at the helm, the film proved to be a success.
Suring $1 billion at the box office, Aquaman also did well critically, including from Screen Rant. The review mentioned that some of the dialogue is clunky and it has issues balancing the tones but appreciated the dynamic action that Wan brought to the table.
Man Of Steel (4 Stars)
This is where it all began for the DCEU. 2013's The Screen Rant Review for it was very positive.
In fact, the review even said that this version deserves to be the most iconic iteration of Superman for a new generation. It was said to have some of the same problems that other DCEU flicks had but Snyder's vision is clear in this one and Cavill's performance was strong.
Wonder Woman 1984 (4 Stars)
One of the most intriguing Wonder Woman 1984. Released at the tail end of 2020, this was the highly anticipated sequel to what many believe is the top DCEU movie in history. However, most reviews on it were mixed at best.
Despite that, Wonder Woman 1984 was considered to be very good in this review. It was seen as optimistic and having a lot of heart. The aspect that was more appreciated was the focus on Diana's relationship with humanity, while the biggest problem was the runtime.
Birds Of Prey (4 Stars)
While the reception for Suicide Squad wasn't overwhelmingly positive, there was consistent iration given to Margot Robbie's work as Harley Quinn. In 2020, she was given her own film to lead with Birds of Prey and it turned out to be a perfect starring vehicle.
The review at Screen Rant loved the unreliable narrative told by Harley and how it was used to tell a wild story. Even if it's hard to follow, it's a lot of fun. The fact that the cast is dominated by women and the film is written and directed by females is another great tidbit.
Wonder Woman (4 Stars)
It truly feels like the DCEU is at its best when they put the females at the forefront. In 2017, Wonder Woman arrived and let Gal Gadot take center stage after she stole the show in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Patty Jenkins was the ideal director to tell this origin story.
One thing that the Screen Rant review loved was how it detailed Diana getting acclimated to the modern world. Taking place in the past allowed this to avoid forced connections to the greater DCEU. Chris Pine's performance and charisma was also praised in the review.
