In an era of Hollywood where superhero movies have experienced a revived popularity that has returned with an influence as tenfold, as the first time moviegoers became awed by masked vigilantes capable of telekinesis or protruding claws from the end of their fists, no franchise has thrived more during this time period than Marvel. With box office aces for nearly everyone one of their films from "Avengers" to "Captain America: Civil War", the MCU has wasted no time in working to establish itself as a glittering beacon of the crime-fighting genre itself.

Yet, beneath the large shadow, Marvel Studios has cast, many have struggled, often crumbling and withering away long before coming within in an inch of eclipsing Disney's success. While 20th Century Fox has been commended for projects such as "Deadpool", "Logan", and "X-Men: Days of the Future Past", various installments in the X-Men franchise including "X-Men: Apocalypse" have been subject to their fair share of lukewarm reviews and modest theatrical debuts.

Meanwhile, with the exceptions of "Man of Steel" and "Wonder Woman", Warner Brothers can't seem to catch a break. Whether it's getting the average moviegoer to punch a ticket, or being able to wow the incisive eyes of film critics. Much like its predecessors "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad", "Justice League" was unable to escape the resurfacing failures that continue to hobble the DC movies.

With a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.2/10 rating on IMDb, while failing to summit box office predictions by a wide margin, critics and moviegoers thus far, have proved far more receptive than they have towards the past two aforementioned films. Adding Joss Whedon to the movie's writing staff late during "Justice League's" shooting, the film has received praise for possessing a more well-paced, focused plot, while boasting a tone deemed to be in lighter spirits than what was witnessed in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice".

However, even with Whedon's timely addition and expertise, the former writer/directors of "Avengers" and "Avengers: Age of Ultron", failed to translate the entirety of the success he accrued from the MCU to the embattled, blemish-ridden realm of DC - a world coming ever farther apart at every seam, root, and stone.

Though benefitting from cohesive storytelling, where "Justice League's" major flaw presides is with its astronomical lack of character development, or for that matter, the presence of any character at all.

While Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Superman are brought together in a manner both expeditious and timely enough for the film to transpire and depict how their personality quirks serve to hinder their ability to function as a team, there is little incentive for all parties involved, asides from the generic "let's save the world", to unite. And if there is, or when there is, it is explored in a fashion so breezed that it fails to register a tickle of emotional resonance.

As a result, with little empathy and conniving motive to function as a crime-stopping unit, spectators are left with empathy hardly enough to convince them that "Justice League" is worth staying in their seat for the entire two hours it takes for the movie to conclude.

Another outstanding pitfall with "Justice League" lies within the conception of the domain its story is designed to transpire in. The movie opens with the world and its inhabitants mourning the death of Superman as per events of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", while a widespread anxiety concerning the occurrence of the next alien invasion has taken hold of the global conscience.

Although this sensibility is set up persuasively, the conflict between the Justice League, Steppenwolf, and his Parademons occurs during scenes and circumstances that are so infallibly self-contained that it almost feels like a whole other universe separate, isolated from the one on screen entirely.

Failing to reconcile the struggle against Steppenwolf, and how the ramifications of his actions can effect the world he is seeking to invade, much of the tension and stakes are left diluted. With an diminished perception of danger, audience members, much like the average citizen living in the realm where "Justice League" takes place, is left to question why he/she cares, or should even care if DC's band of heroes were to fail -- leaving their world subject to the dark machinations of the movie's antagonist. To question whether justice was even necessary. Or for that matter, even accomplished.