The circumstances surrounding the saga of director Zack Snyder’s fabled cut of 2017’s Justice League are unprecedented in Hollywood history. After experiencing the tragedy of losing a child, Snyder opted to leave to tend to his family after it became apparent that he was in for a fight against Warner Bros. studio executives to finalize a theatrical release that approached his intended vision as closely as possible. Following his departure, WB turned over the film to director Joss Whedon to imbue it with his then Midas touch as architect of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (until James Gunn’s irreverent humor began to supplant Whedon’s quippy style in that universe with 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy). The results are now legendarily disastrous. All was thought to be done until a few dedicated fans of Snyder and his early DC Extended Universe (DCEU) began to mount an online campaign (and some would argue deranged harassment) that eventually spilled over into real life in order to convince WB to release the director’s intended version that finished principal photography before his depature. Many detractors said the film didn’t exist and wasn’t real, but following AT&T’s purchase of TimeWarner, the film became real when the newly minted WarnerMedia found it useful for its new streaming service HBO Max. And alas, here we are; the release of the mythical Snyder Cut has come to fruition.
As a reminder, Zack Snyder’s Justice League follows Batman (Ben Affleck), fueled by a restored faith in humanity inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) sacrifice at the end of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as he enlists newfound ally Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to face an even greater threat. Together, they work to recruit a team of heroes including Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) to stand against a newly-awakened enemy in Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), a general from the planet Apokolips determined to conquer Earth. The group must learn to trust each other and work together to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
So after all of the Twitter fights, banners flown above comic cons, articles written, and the final release, is Snyder’s version of the film any different than the one that was seen four years ago? Indeed, Zack Snyder’s Justice League will serve as a crash course on the importance and impact of editing, scoring, and their impact on a film’s tone. This film does not move like a four hour movie which is a testament to its editing and the overall pacing employed by Snyder. The first hour and a half of the film is mostly comprised of establishing both the characters and story, with the exception of a great action scene set in Themiscyra to provide some fun and break up the exposition, which may be tough to slog through for many viewers, particularly those who are less invested. The great pace of the film is doubly remarkable because so much of the film is familiar to the audience due to the circumstances surrounding it. While many of the scenes here are the same as in 2017’s theatrical cut, they both move and feel completely different. Take for instance one of the film’s action scenes during which the League fights together for the first time against Steppenwolf and his army. It should be no surprise that the action from Snyder is leagues better, but Tom “Junkie XL” Holkenberg’s raging, majestic score compliments the rougher, more intense action to create a set piece that increases in epic feel despite being 90 percent similar to what we’ve already seen. Gone are most of the comedic elements in the scene, replaced by a display of the fierceness of the characters and their opponents and a handling of their heroism that is more earnest than unsure and reluctant as displayed by an unexperienced The Flash asking Batman for advice mid-battle in the 2017 version.
It is Snyder’s characteristic deep dive in the mythology of DC’s comic book characters, their origins, and powers that set apart this film not only from its predecessor, but also its peers in the genre. Zack Snyder’s Justice League has more in common with the Lord of the Rings series not just with the scale of its onscreen battles, but with the seriousness it affords its story and its subjects. The way that characters’ backstories and resultant emotions and struggles adds an extra layer to the story that elevates it past being a simple crowd-pleaser that hits the sugar-rush, formulaic story beats that feel good in the moment but fade hours after viewing. Audiences are made to contemplate what these heroes’ actions and decisions mean for their lives outside of fighting bad guys, with their personal stakes just as present and high-cost as the stakes of their mission to save the world.
Part of the film’s grounding and seriousness comes in the form of its emotional core and the source of its thematic depth; the story arc of Cyborg as he seeks to find his footing in his new life and accept his new identity of a super-powered machine that is also part human. Snyder’s tendency to infuse Christ allegory and imagery in his DC output has been oft discussed and criticized and in true Snyder fashion, he has doubled down and added an additional layer through this character to go alongside Superman’s messiah-like journey; Victor Stone dies, is resurrected and reborn to a motherbox with no father involved in the conception, and must come to terms with the responsibility foisted upon him by his otherworldly powers while simultaneously trying to maintain a human presence in a world where he’s surrounded by ordinary people. This allegory culminates during the film’s explosive third act as Cyborg is presented with The Hero’s Dilemma in the form of a Last Testament of Christ-like choice of what he could have as he potentially sacrifices himself to save the world. The resultant journey of self-discovery and acceptance of oneself, as well as Amy Adams’ Lois Lane dealing with grief and the father-son dynamic between Cyborg and his father Silas Stone (Joe Morton), is interesting but not as fleshed out and integral to the plot as Batman’s descent into madness and redemption in Batman v Superman. That depth was sacrificed here in exchange for a more comic-booky experience that is more crowd pleasing and less in-depth character study that upset many viewers and critics five years ago. The result means that Zack Snyder’s Justice League doesn’t hit the same heights as a film, but is sure to be more popular.
For some, the review up until this point may sound like a reason not to expect much from Zack Snyder’s Justice League, if they decide to give it a chance at all. Dour, long deconstructions are what panicked Warner Bros. executives into interfering with the film in the first place. However, what separates the film from Snyder’s other output in this universe is its levity and the presence of humor that actually works and works well. The shining light on this front in terms of the cast is Ezra Miller in his turn as The Flash where he’s an absolute scene stealer with humor that is sure to generate laughs. The humor shown by Miller is perfectly balanced where his character is fun and relatable without sacrificing competency and coming across as buffoonish as many feel happened in the 2017 version of the film. The Barry Allen here is a funny young man that is also smart and levelheaded when the situation calls for it. The overall humor in the film is great in its subtlety; you aren’t beaten over the head with quippy one-liners, particularly at the expense of letting the serious moments settle, but the jokes come in the form of more natural reactions to the moment that flow within the context of the scene. It’s a perfect compliment to the mythological elements that create a nice balance that also keeps the audience engaged.
So what does this all mean? Zack Snyder’s Justice League leans into its comic book roots mixed with mythological, epic scale as opposed to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman’s social commentary and character studies. The result is a film that is balanced well, containing the grandeur and fun of a blockbuster with just a bit of seriousness and character driven elements that prevent it from being totally kitschy. It’s a great marriage that feels as if it can satisfy those just looking for a fun time while respecting and maintaining a unique, auteur vision from its director. Many critics of comic book movies have lamented the formulaic format that has come to define and dominate the genre and rejected creative, artistically personal films for producer-driven content. Zack Snyder’s films are infamously his own, complete with his singular vision and style, to many people’s contempt. What Zack Snyder’s Justice League shows is that there was the potential hit both notes and satisfy all sides had more leeway been afforded to both him and director-driven filmmaking. Film is often at its most interesting when filmmakers are allowed to take chances, try different things, and make their own mark on their work with big, bold choices. Shooting for the stars and missing can still make for intriguing results that are long debated and reevaluated over time such as The Shining or Night of the Hunter, rather than by-the-numbers fare that’s here today, gone tomorrow. Is it too late for course correction within the genre? Maybe, maybe not. Still, you’ll walk away from this film wondering “What if?” not just for the DCEU, but for a genre in need of fresh takes on CGI bombast.
Image: Warner Bros.
