“You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”
- Thanos Zack Snyder to Warner Bros (probably)
Nearly a decade after bringing us the promising, yet divisive Man of Steel and five years since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, one of the most high-profile critical misfires in recent memory, director Zack Snyder is finally back to bring his saga of DC Films to an epic close with his most ambitious superhero endeavor yet: Justice League.
**This review contains mild spoilers from Zack Snyder’s Justice League**
Snyder’s four-year journey to bring this film to his passionate DC fanbase has already been well-documented on this site, so I won’t rehash much of what you may already know, but it’s hard to move forward without acknowledging the monumental #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, which - combined with the timing of HBO Max’s unexpectedly fortuitous mid-pandemic launch - is arguably one of the sole reasons this version of the film is seeing the light of day.
The big question is, was it worth it?
Yes. Yes, it was.
I can safely say that Zack Snyder’s Justice League is an infinite improvement over the theatrical cut, easily the best work of Snyder’s career, and quite possibly the best DC superhero film since Christopher Nolan’s own Dark Knight trilogy. Snyder’s always been an ambitious filmmaker, often to his own detriment, but this time, his ambition pays off as he finally seems to crack the code of being an effective storyteller and weaves an epic tale worthy of the Justice League.
Unlike the
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Ultimate Edition, which was more of a marginal improvement over its own much-maligned theatrical release,
Zack Synder’s Justice League is a night-and-day difference between what we saw in 2017. Although, if you’re expecting a completely different film, it would be best to start tempering your expectations, as much of the theatrical version - good and bad - is still very much present in this director’s cut. The plot is also basically identical, and any major surprises have already been spoiled by either Snyder himself or in one of the many trailers.
Where the film begins to differ is the ample amount of backstory and character development provided to each of the principal characters, including Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), which makes you actually care about what happens to them. The main benefactors of the extra runtime are undoubtedly The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), who both have a lot more to do this time around and are considerably more consequential to how everything ultimately plays out in the finale, with Miller’s Flash absolutely stealing the show with an outstanding speed force sequence. It also quickly becomes clear why Fisher has been so hellbent on seeking retribution on Warner Bros and Joss Whedon, especially as the theatrical version completely butchers his character arc. Booyah aside, this stoic, resentful Cyborg fits this story, and despite playing it a little too robotic at times, is a much more welcome addition to the proceedings than whatever he was forced to play in the 2017 version. He is very much Frankenstein’s monster, albeit with a journey ultimately centered around hope.
Batman (Ben Affleck) ends up with the most screen time, just by the nature of his role as the founder of the League, but he does seem to take a back seat in the final hour or so as his more powerful allies take on Steppenwolf and the Parademons. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) essentially serves as the muscle of the group - at least until you-know-who shows up - and, thanks to her epic new theme from Junkie XL, really stands out in the film’s many action scenes. Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is the only one that seems to be somewhat sidelined in the new cut, likely due to the fact that his own solo film was already on the way when this was originally filmed - although his later scenes do allow Momoa to stretch his dramatic chops, which was a nice touch.
Like the theatrical cut, the entire film is about Superman (Henry Cavill) and what he not only means to the world but also to the entire team - despite the fact that none of them actually ever got to know him and Batman spent most of the last movie trying to kill him. While Cavill’s role is unquestionably the most important, with a four-hour runtime, it’s also, unfortunately, more of an extended cameo rather than a major part, as he appears in a handful of scenes that were almost all present in the theatrical cut. However, even if the footage is mostly the same, under Snyder’s direction, all of Superman’s scenes feel much more powerful. From the second he’s resurrected and lays waste to the League to when he reunites with Lois and his mother on the farm, a moment that will absolutely have you tearing up. His role in the finale is extremely pivotal, but once Steppenwolf is taken care of, you’ll be left clamoring for a showdown between the Man of Steel and Darkseid (Ray Porter).
The action and stakes are both drastically improved, and as I mentioned above, the new musical cues really amp up the key moments, making them even more enjoyable and awe-inspiring. Snyder will likely forever deny drawing any sort of inspiration from the blockbuster-manufacturing machine that is Marvel Studios, but the new-and-improved final battle in his Justice League is not dissimilar to what we’d already seen done exceptionally well in 2012’s The Avengers and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. He does add his own trademark spin to the sequence, but the blueprints laid out by Marvel are certainly there. Regardless, once they unite, their chemistry is undeniable and it’s just really cool to finally see these DC icons work together as a full-fledged team in live-action.
Last year’s reshoots prove to be of minimal consequence and honestly end up being quite forgettable. The Knightmare sequence is mostly unnecessary but does feature a fun interaction between Batman and Joker (Jared Leto), so it’s worth a watch for that alone. But the brief Martian Manhunter (Harry Lennix) cameo feels completely shoehorned in, actually ruining a key moment between Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane), and was almost assuredly not a part of Snyder’s original vision.
As far as canon goes, it’s probably for the best that neither Warner Bros. nor Snyder necessarily considers this version of the film to be canon in the live-action DC films universe since there are a number of inconsistencies between what happens in this film and what takes place in the two Wonder Woman films and 2018's Aquaman. Some of the major characterizations are different as well, and it often feels like the Diana and Arthur we see here are vastly different from the ones in their solo outings.
While there are some minor issues throughout, including some less-than-stellar dialogue and its questionable aspect ratio, the most major criticism will likely be the extended length of the movie and it’s hard to argue against it as many of the scenes do feel very superfluous at times. I don’t blame Snyder at all for cramming every last piece of footage into this film, especially if it is his swan song, but considering that much of the first two parts could easily be condensed into a prologue, a shorter 2.5- or 3-hour version of this film was absolutely possible, which makes Warner Bros.’ decision to ever release the theatrical version even more baffling.
The biggest takeaway from Zack Snyder’s Justice League should be that everything that started with Man of Steel, continuing into Batman v Superman before concluding with this, all finally makes sense. Snyder has been heavily criticized in the past for his overly convoluted plots that didn’t necessarily always pay off, but this time, he has an absolute mastery of the story he’s trying to tell, with a deep fundamental understanding of his version of these characters.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the legit definition of a superhero blockbuster, featuring outstanding performances from the entire cast, Junkie XL's incredible score, and a thrilling story to boot. It's not a perfect film by any means and the first half is admittedly slow, but once they unite, it's hard not to enjoy the ride with a big smile on your face because it's just so much damn fun. This is the movie we deserved four years ago and I’m sincerely happy it’s here with us now. Take a bow, Mr. Snyder!