ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE

 

Back in 2017, I left a cinema so disappointed at what I had just seen in Justice League, the first major team-up event in the DCEU to rival the Avengers films of the MCU. Batman had already fought Superman, itself a bit of a disappointment, but this was them teaming up with other superheroes such as; Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg, so excitement levels were expectedly high. Zack Snyder had left the film's production so it was finished by MCU alumni Joss Whedon, and that really hurt the overall vision Snyder had for these characters if his previous films were anything to go by, his more serious tone scrapped for petty jokes and a rushed film that just stunk.

Ever since its release, fans of Snyder and the DCEU have been campaigning for Warner Bros. to let Snyder's original vision see the light of day, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut being a common sight on social media, bombarding posts about the theatrical version. It got messy and confrontational at times, that side of things something I did not want to get involved in, but it meant that Warner Bros. eventually listened and announced they would be releasing Zack Snyder's Justice League, a four-hour monster of a film where his vision for this story and its characters could finally be witnessed. So here we are.

Determined to ensure Superman's (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

There is no doubt about it, Zack Snyder's Justice League is a considerably better film than the mess we were served in 2017, Snyder's vision to continue what he started with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman brought to life in such stirringly epic fashion with a mammoth runtime of four hours. It might seem like such a daunting task to sit through a film of that length however, it never feels that way thanks to the significant upgrade this film is from the theatrical cut. Splitting the four hour runtime into six chapters and an epilogue aids the film in this sense too, allowing the narrative more time to breathe and these iconic characters to get the moments they deserve.

It's clear to see the differences between how Snyder envisioned these characters and how someone like Joss Whedon saw them in the changes that come with a number of scenes that were just awful previously. There are nowhere near as many lame jokes thrown about for the sake of it, the whole thing having a much more serious tone to it which suits what Snyder had done previously. Add to that the action sequences getting a major upgrade and it's a major shame this first viewing didn't come while sitting in an IMAX cinema because, for example, the showdown with Steppenwolf towards the end of the film doesn't look so garish now and actually shows the team working together in such a manner that these films deserve.

This film really does excel at fleshing out character arcs, its runtime certainly enabling this, but it doesn't just do it for the superheroes of the piece, much maligned villain from 2017, Steppenwolf, having a far more imposing presence on proceedings than he did before, with a makeover thrown in for good measure. Snyder and writer, Chris Terrio, gift Steppenwolf dialogue and actions that ensure the audience are very aware of his intentions and exactly why he's doing what he is, the looming threat of Darkseid being something to put the fear into not only Earth but Steppenwolf himself. Much like Thanos in the early stages of the MCU, Darkseid is very much a character Snyder was building to big things for and he's certainly a villain that I hope we can see more of in the future.

As for the Justice League members, Ray Fisher's Cyborg truly is the emotional hearbeat of the film with a compelling arc that, not only makes me change my mind massively on both the character and the actor, who really does deliver when it matters, but just makes you sit back and think how much of his backstory was ripped out by Whedon to make the character feel like a total passenger. The same can be applied to Ezra Miller's Barry Allen/Flash, churning out quip after quip previously but now actually feeling like a character that Miller feels at one with, a particular moment with him applying to work in a dog sanctuary being one to most definitely look out for.

Henry Cavill's Superman was really done dirty by Whedon too in 2017, the infamous CGI removal of his moustache being the tip of the iceberg, but Snyder brings the character back to the fore with some genuinely great moments that just make you think this is the hero the fans deserve. I couldn't be happier for Cavill and do hope we get to see him again in the role at some point down the line. Every single one of the performances are improved upon thanks to Terrio actually giving them some decent dialogue this time around, Cavill in particular not having to say such embarrassing lines during the farmhouse scenes with Amy Adams' Lois Lane. As an ensemble, they gel much smoother in Snyder's vision and, dare I say, a restoration of his planned future for these characters may be in order.

The film isn't without its flaws mind, an overuse of slow-motion during a number of the action sequences being one of my main problems with Snyder as a filmmaker. It's great to use here and there but too much of it becomes a little tiresome however, it isn't something that detracts too much enjoyment from the film. The R-rating serves the film well, particularly Steppenwolf as a malicious villain, blood spraying throughout his attacks on Themyscira and Atlantis but the f-bombs dropped could be taken out and wouldn't be missed. The same can be said for Jared Leto's Joker who I don't want to see ever again. 

Zack Snyder never wanted to copy the MCU, stating in a recent interview with the New York Times that "Marvel is doing something else" and that DC had "mythology at an epic level" he wanted to explore. He has certainly done that with his three DC films, the epic side of things aided rather brilliantly by Tom Holkenborg's monstrous score of powerful beats and sweeping crescendos that honestly makes such a difference in how epic the scale of the film feels. It's a testament to Snyder's character that he was able to bring us his cut of the film after having to leave the original production after the tragic death of his daughter, Autumn, and the dedication to her as the credits began to roll just made it all that extra bit special.

Verdict: ★★★★