Hi my name is James aka The Dork Knight and I didn’t hate the Justice League when it came out. Wow, that actually felt good to get that off my chest. Four years later and with the help of a community of loyal fans, we get to see the original vision from director Zack Snyder on the new streaming service, HBO Max. Warning, some spoilers ahead…
Many of us know of the personal tragedy that befell the Snyder family thus giving way to Joss Whedon to complete the film in 2017. When I watched the original film I enjoyed it overall. Even though it felt a bit disjointed. The residual effects of two very different storytelling styles. This Snyder Cut is both epic in scale and ambition. At just over four hours long this version is almost a completely different film from its predecessor. And to be honest, it’s a much better film. With two hours of added footage intertwined with what we saw in the theater you would think it would feel that much longer? For me, that was not the case. In fact, Snyder kept the film moving at a brisk pace.
There was the expected exposition to help move the viewer along. DC/Warner Bros took a much different approach to their universe building than that of their rival Marvel. At this point in the game it has become apples and oranges. I happen to like both apples and oranges.
One of the biggest changes beyond the cosmetic ones, came in the overall narrative. Here, the character of Victor Stone/Cyborg, became far more prominent. He was essentially the centerpiece. I’m sure this only added to the real life issues between actor Ray Fisher and Whedon. The Snyder cut restores a more detailed backstory for Victor and his relationship or the lack thereof with his father Silas as well as his mother, Elinore. In knowing more, I cared more.
As for the others, we get to know more of the supporting cast of Barry Allen/The Flash and Arthur Curry/Aquaman. Both characters played very well by Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa respectively. Nothing additional stood out for either Batman or Wonder Woman. Certain scenes between the two were completely cut out. Most noticeably for me was Bruce’s reference to Steve Trevor that didn’t sit well with Diana.
Then there is Superman. I’m still not the biggest fan of Snyder’s portrayal of Superman. This has become even more evident with the success of the CW’s Superman & Lois series. Don’t get me wrong, Henry Cavill makes a wonderful son of Krypton. It is how he is written that I take issue with. I am thankful that his digitally removed mustache scenes were completely scrapped. The stache symbolized and summarized everything that was wrong with the Whedon version.
Did I mention the big bad? This cut not only improves on the look of Steppenwolf but brings to life the biggest bad of DC Universe, Darkseid to the forefront. Before Thanos wanted to wipe out half of the Marvel Universe, there was Darkseid. Yes Virginia, Darkseid came first. But unlike Thanos, Darkseid’s endgame (pun intended) isn’t as clear. We know he wants to destroy worlds but the why isn’t fully fleshed out. I wish there was more but as we saw at the end of the film, this was a prelude to a much bigger war yet to come.
So was this cut justice for Zack? The simple answer is yes. I found myself wanting to see where this was going. There is a greater story arc that we may never get to see. Snyder certainly had a vision for this universe. Granted, not all of it I liked. However, there was definitely enough meat on this bone to make it compelling. I said we may never see it but never is a long time. Rest assure if this Snyder Cut is a success both critically and monetarily, don’t be surprised if the band gets back together. Remember there is a Flash film on the horizon with Ezra Miller returning in the title role. If you believe the hype, this film could be even bigger and more ambitious than this one.
In the meantime, sit back grab some popcorn, do a bladder check and enjoy.
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher and Amy Adams
R 242 min
ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE – **** (out of 5 stars)
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
