If there was ever an appropriate moment to insert a meme in one of these reviews, I’d add that gif of Paul Rudd going, “Hey, look at us.” Obviously, the journey that the #SnyderCut has taken to get to this point has been a tumultuous and well documented one. I don’t think you need another guy summing up the events leading up to this highly anticipated release, and honestly, even I don’t entirely know how to fully compartmentalize this bizarre intersection of art, fandom – both earnest and toxic, and the balance of appeasing corporate needs while also trying to pursue a very distinct and divisive artistic vision. So, instead of getting into that, I’m just gonna jump right into the movie.
Plot-wise, the skeleton of Zack Snyder’s Justice League is exactly the same as the theatrical version, which was overseen and re-worked by Joss Whedon following Snyder’s departure. An alien being called Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) appears on Earth, after the death of Superman (Henry Cavill), in order to collect and synchronize three mother boxes, so he can easily conquer Earth for his superior, Darkseid (Ray Porter). After an attack on Themyscira, Diana aka Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) informs Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Ben Affleck), and they decide in order to stop this threat on the planet, they will need to gather other super powered heroes which includes Arthur Curry aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Barry Allen aka The Flash (Ezra Miller), and a newcomer Victor Stone aka Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
The changes in this new four hour version is mostly the meat of the story being added back in. Certain character arcs are more clear, some much needed backstory is provided, especially in the case of Victor, many scenes are extended, and given an extensive new color grading that fits more closer to Snyder’s sensibilities and initially intended vision, as well as the inclusion of Tom Holkenborg’s score. Not to mention the removal of anything that Whedon touched. I wouldn’t go as far to call it a “whole different movie,” it’s just more of what we had before, but it is on almost every conceivable level a better film that what we saw back in 2017.
But does this reveal some grand masterpiece that we were robbed of? Not really. It has its fair share of flaws, some of which are fairly familiar for Snyder’s films, especially those within these DC movies. There is some really clunky dialogue, usually with the exposition, the plotting can be too sprawling for its own good, its thematic beats are simultaneously heavy handed and not fully thought out, and Snyder’s reliance on computer generated imagery and slow motion can be a bit much for those who don’t care for his style. And of course, there’s the fact that this particular interpretation of these characters didn’t seem to warm up to people, myself included, in previous installments. And with this film, I’m not a huge fan of the fact that this basically ends on a cliffhanger, promising future adventures that – unless Warner Brothers really, really likes the numbers this brought to HBO Max – will never happen.
That said, I was surprised by many things about this. While it certainly continues the moody and self-serious overtones of Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman, it lacks a lot of the nihilism that seemed to define those movies in the public eye. It can be dark and edgy at times, but it it is far from dour. Even with Whedon’s contributions removed, there is still plenty of humor to be found, and by allowing the characters to breathe with the extra runtime given, it even allows for real humanity to shine through. I found myself far more endeared to both Barry and Victor here, neither of whom did anything for me the first time around – I found Barry a tad grating and Victor left no impression on me whatsoever. The emotions here all feel earned, and I was really touched by the story involving Victor and his troubled relationship with his father, Sila Stone (Joe Morton), who used a mother box to bring Victor back to life following a car accident.
Speaking of fathers, what really endeared me to the film was the way it explores parents and the way uneven relationships can shape someone. Most of these heroes are either orphaned or have a bad relationship with a parent, to varying degrees. They are held back by expectations or have fallen into a state of arrested development because of this, and it isn’t until they come together that bonds begin to heal, new perspectives are understood, or they come out of their shell. It doesn’t come easy for them, and for some, they have to lose the people they love the most in order to fully grasp the lesson, but the team genuinely come to support one another with empathy and understanding.
My relationship with these films have always been kind of weird. I loved Man Of Steel when it was released, but later grew to really dislike it, along with Batman V Superman when that came out. But a couple years later, the way I watch and appreciate movies has (at least, I would hope) matured, and while I still wouldn’t call them my cup of tea, my feelings are more mixed now, as I’m able to find elements that I think are admirable and even genuinely good. I didn’t even have any strong feelings toward the big social media push for this over the last few years. And this is coming from someone who was always a Snyder fan for the most part. With his new cut of Justice League, I feel like he’s finally following through on the hope and optimism that was promised with Man Of Steel, derailed by Batman V Superman – which I suppose now serves as the dark chapter in this strange trilogy, if not a full on thematic renouncement. There’s actual heart this time around, real kindness even, and the passion is deeply felt, despite the few things that don’t work for me.
What flaws the film does have, they almost become overwhelmed by the spectacular nature of the film itself, and I mean spectacular as in literal spectacle. This is a beast of a movie, as you would imagine with anything with a four hour runtime. Nothing about this feels small, everything is cranked up to 11, and Snyder doubles down on all of his usual impulses in a way that I ultimately found audacious and satisfying, even at its silliest. It probably helps that his thematic interests seem less weighty this time around, unlike his prior DC films, he just wants to deliver and exciting and awe-inspiring action movie. The idea of exploring these superheroes as modern myths and Gods, and their place in the world of men feels less literal like previous installments, and more integrated in the framing of the characters, which I think the 4:3 aspect ratio works wonders with, truly making them look larger than life. Blockbuster filmmaking is rarely this ambitious and idiosyncratic, and I’m at a point where I will always applaud filmmakers for going that extra mile or making that weird choice, whether it works or not, because it at least makes things interesting, and it’s certainly a far cry from the assembly line products we usually get.
Like I said, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is not a perfect film, but it didn’t really need to be. The fact that it even got released at all is a bit of a miracle in and of itself; a true once in a lifetime, stars-and-planets aligning kind of moment. Who cares if it all works or not? I’m just pleasantly surprised I got to see the damn thing. Obviously, this isn’t my ideal take on what a Justice League movie should look and feel like; it is too long, and full of scenes that could easily be trimmed or removed entirely, but it’s very clearly a personal expression of an artist that is wild, weird, sometimes testing of one’s patience, but always willing to try and make the most operatic and grandiose experience possible. And above all that, I’m glad that everyone involved was able to get some catharsis out of coming back to this project and completing it to something closer to what was originally intended, especially Zack and Deborah Snyder, who had to deal with the sudden loss of their daughter, Autumn, and now dedicates the film to her memory. That’s beautiful to me, and the film offers moments that match and evoke that beauty, as well as the wisdom that would follow experiencing such a terrible loss. It may not feel like it for the whole runtime, but it is definitely present enough to win me over. I can’t imagine anything like this happening again, so I’d prefer to cherish this for what it is, warts and all. It’s a lot of silly nonsense, but man, it feels so achingly human.
Jared Leto’s Joker still sucks though.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is now available on HBO Max.