With The Suicide Squad now out in theaters and on HBO Max, it's time to take a look back at every review we've done for the current DC movie continuity that began with 2013's Man of Steel.
The DCEU (which was never the official name for this mostly shared universe, mind you) followed Man of Steel with a big one-two punch in 2016 with the release of two critically drubbed but still financially successful films, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
Warner Bros. went on to win great acclaim and score big box office in 2017 with its Wonder Woman solo film, but the studio then saw a huge setback just a few months later with the commercial disappointment of Justice League. Course correction for the DCEU came with a major reorg in the executive ranks, followed by the massive commercial success and warm critical reception of Aquaman. The fun Shazam! followed, as did the standalone Joker film — which won Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar! And more recently, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Snyder Cut have shored up the DC movie universe.
So read on, or click through the slideshow, to see what IGN's critics rated each modern DC movie…
The Suicide Squad
Review Score: 9
Release Year: 2021
Read the Review: "James Gunn absolutely kills it with The Suicide Squad. The film is a bloody, chaotic ride from start to finish that finally does justice to Task Force X. It’s endlessly shocking and funny, and its showcase of F-list DC villains is nothing short of brilliant."
Zack Snyder's Justice League
Review Score: 8
Release Year: 2020
Read the Review: "Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a surprise vindication for the director and the fans that believed in his vision. With a mature approach to its superhero drama, better-realized antagonists, and improved action, Snyder’s version of Justice League saves the movie from the dustbin of history, something that likely only could’ve happened on a streaming platform like HBO Max. Though not every addition feels totally necessary, and some new visual effects stick out as unpolished, it's hard to overstate how much more enjoyable this version of Justice League is."
Wonder Woman 1984
Review Score: 8
Release Year: 2020
Read the review: "Wonder Woman 1984 is a film with a heart full of hope and love; a nostalgic look back to a beloved time that provides escapism from an exceptionally difficult year. The adherence to a more classic superhero template means it is lacking in any genuine surprise or outstanding innovation, but this approach is always filtered through Jenkins’ contemporary lens, which lends it distinct humanity amongst the ‘80s cheese. A notable improvement on its already great predecessor, Wonder Woman 1984 is exactly the kind of bright and hopeful movie the character’s legacy deserves."
Birds of Prey
Review Score: 8
Release Year: 2020
Read the Review: "In terms of sheer fun, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) delivers in spades. Its zany energy, visceral fight sequences, and focus on one of DC’s most fascinating characters ensure that it continues Warner Bros.’ winning streak of big, bombastic comic book adaptations that are unafraid to embrace their inherent ridiculousness. While its emphasis on Harley Quinn doesn’t leave much room for the Birds of Prey (though each scores a standout moment), the movie is a stunning showcase for Margot Robbie, who commands the screen and gives her damaged protagonist all the dimension she deserves. And although we’d have preferred to see a true team-up with fewer narrative detours, Birds of Prey provides a perfect setup for a host of other intriguing spinoffs in the DC cinematic universe – can we request Poison Ivy next?"
Joker
Review Score: 10
Release Year: 2019
Read the Review: "Joker isn’t just an awesome comic book movie, it’s an awesome movie, period. It offers no easy answers to the unsettling questions it raises about a cruel society in decline. Joaquin Phoenix’s fully committed performance and Todd Phillips’ masterful albeit loose reinvention of the DC source material make Joker a film that should leave comic book fans and non-fans alike disturbed and moved in all the right ways."
Shazam!
Review Score: 8.8
Release Year: 2019
Read the Review: "Shazam! is a lot of fun and it further proves how, in the wake of the success of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, DC’s movie future is indeed bright. Zachary Levi was born to play this superpowered man-child, delivering lots of laughs alongside sarcastic but amiable co-star Jack Dylan Grazer. After an awkward and obligatory opening, the latter three quarters pack some big surprises for comics buffs and offer enough mainstream appeal to win over new fans. While Dr. Sivana ties in nicely with the themes of how adults can influence children, this villain is ultimately little more than a means to an end for the story of a boy who must learn what it takes to be a (super)man."
Aquaman
Review Score: 7.5
Release Year: 2018
Read the Review: "The glee that director James Wan clearly has playing in the world of Aquaman is infectious. He’s made a movie for both types of 10-year-olds: literal kids and those who are 10 at heart. Aquaman is one hell of a popcorn movie – a fun time and a big bet for the DC movie universe that pays off in creating an exciting new realm for future installments to hopefully explore further. Wan’s geeky epic is chock-full of ridiculous elements and, on paper, it really shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it’s all so inherently weird and brazenly bonkers that the siren call of this giddy, otherworldly romp is hard to resist."
Justice League
Review Score: 7.0
Release Year: 2017
Read the Review: "Warner Bros. and DC Films had two major goals to achieve with Justice League. First, to cleanse the palette of those turned off by the relentlessly grim BvS; and second, to make viewers enjoy these superheroes enough to want to see further screen appearances by them. Justice League mostly succeeds in accomplishing those two key objectives, despite its sloppy execution. It’s messy and flawed but it still offers enough entertainment value (mostly thanks to its likable characters) to make it worthwhile."
Wonder Woman
Review Score: 7.9
Release Year: 2017
Read the Review: "Wonder Woman is leaps and bounds above the other three entries in the DCEU. With a dramatic setting, a few entertaining action scenes, and a strong supporting cast all working together to tell an inspirational Hero’s Journey, it more than offsets some occasionally uneven acting on Gadot’s part and some shaky technical aspects. The messy third act fight, however, is something that has plagued other superhero movies and is something even Wonder Woman cannot overcome. Overall, Wonder Woman is a win because it successfully tells the story of a woman taking on a war-torn world with the power of love."
Suicide Squad
Review Score: 5.9
Release Year: 2016
Read the Review: "Suicide Squad is a decidedly different flavor than (BvS). It goes for subversive, funny and stylish, and it succeeds wildly during the first act. But then the movie turns into something predictable and unexciting. It plods on, checking off boxes on a list of cliched moments and meaningless plot points, making you wonder where all the razzle-dazzle went. The movie feels thin, and with such little meat on the bone, it almost makes you appreciate how overstuffed (BvS) was (despite that being its downfall)."
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Review Score: 6.8
Release Year: 2016
Read the Review: "While Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has good things to recommend it, its shortcomings are undeniable. The action sequences whenever Batman is set loose on the bad guys are cool, and the story strives to explore human and philosophical elements, but it’s often not much fun."
Man of Steel
Review Score: 9.0
Release Year: 2013
Read the Review: "While certainly a superhero movie, Man of Steel is first and foremost a science fiction drama about an alien trying to find his place in our world and dealing with humanity’s reaction to his existence. More than any other Superman film since the 1978 one, Man of Steel reminds us that Superman isn't human."
What do you think of these scores? How would you rank these films? Let us know in the comments!
August 10, 2021: This story has been updated with our score for the most recent theatrical DC film, The Suicide Squad.