by Ben Davis, Contributing Writer
As I sit here typing this review, it seems a bit surreal. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (or the #SnyderCut as it was once called by those wanting it) was something many considered a pipe dream or a movie that never existed. To those educated on the matter, it existed but was never complete. Zack Snyder left the project after shooting was completed and in the midst of post-production before a devastating family tragedy occurred, causing him to leave to focus on his family (who could blame him?). In his absence, the studio would turn to another director/writer to take over his duties. That director/writer would be Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Avengers fame. On paper, that looked like it might be a success. Whedon had done two Avengers films that pleased both the critics and general audiences and, being that those films were indeed superhero team ups, this should work, right? Joss Whedon is known for his quip humor that is infused with pop culture references, observational humor, and a little bit of self-deprecating humor. This isn’t really a mesh with Zack Snyder’s style. Zack Snyder’s style is more serious, post-modern, and deconstructive.
Whedon would go on to re-shoot up to 90% of the movie (according to the film’s Director of Photography, Fabian Wagner). Adding in humor, redesigning characters, and chopping up what, at the time, was rumored to be a gargantuan runtime to a two-hour cut of the film (which the studio mandated). These reshoot and retools of the movie were a sprint to the finish line, as Whedon had stepped in to direct in May of 2017 and the film’s release was in November of that year.
2017’s Justice League opened up with a big thud. Not only was the film a financial flop for its massive budget, but it was met with a mixed reception from critics (a lackluster 40% on Rotten Tomatoes) and was met with an overwhelming sense of disappointment from fans, including myself. The tone didn’t mix, the writing was poor and suffered from Whedon’s worst tendencies (quips for the sake of quips, forced humor, and awkward humor), poor CGI (what did you do to Henry Cavil’s face?!?) and it lacked a lot of the drama, grandiosity, and deep themes that Snyder had brought with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It wasn’t all bad for me, though, as I found the characters themselves to be the savior of an otherwise disappointing film. It’s hard to watch now knowing what went on behind the scenes regarding the actors, in particular what Ray Fisher (who plays Cyborg) went through on the reshoots from alleged abusive behavior from Whedon.
For years after, fans would rally the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut in hopes to see the legendary mythical unicorn of a cut. They would buy billboards in Time Square, fly airplanes over Warner Bros., and buy out promotional materials during Comic-Con: the Mecca of nerd culture. The most impressive thing they would do, though, is to raise money for AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) in honor of Snyder’s daughter, Autumn Snyder. This movement was able to raise millions of dollars, which has 100% saved lives. To me, and many others, this was the real reason to fight for Snyder’s vision. What he and his family suffered is unimaginable and for a fandom to unite the way they did in order to give attention to such a great cause is astounding and should be applauded. On the flip side of that, there resides a toxicity in the movement itself. Some people harassed others, and there was bullying and death threats. This isn’t just a symptom of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut people, but rather a larger symptom within fandom culture as a whole that resides in DC, Marvel, and Star Wars. This kind of behavior isn’t acceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated on either side. Any prominent voice within the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement will tell you though, that doesn’t represent the larger portion of that movement, a lot of whom are women, people of color, and people from all different walks of life coming together to support AFSP, artistic vision, and the movie they felt they were promised but didn’t get.
Snyder would keep the movement alive when it would start to die down a bit by showing glimpses of his version of the film to re-ignite the fire. Many people — myself included — thought we would never get this movie, and if we did, it would be further down the road from now. Once I saw Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and Ben Affleck tweet #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, though, my opinion changed. I thought, if these huge actors are tweeting about this movie in support of Snyder, it must be a reality at some point sooner rather than later. Well, on May 20, 2020 the mythical unicorn of a movie, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, was announced on a Vero stream of Man of Steel by Zack Snyder featuring Henry Cavil and a handful of lucky fans. The movie was to appear on HBO Max.
But now that the movie is coming, would it be possible to live up to the overwhelming amount of hype surrounding it and the expectations of fans who had been campaigning for years to get it released? For me, a lover of both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (particularly the Ultimate Edition) it would be a tough task. I consider those films to be not only great examples of what the superhero genre could be, but also works of art that age better with time. I consider them to be top tier movies and have many times declared them to be masterpieces of the genre. So, yes, it would be insanely difficult for something to match that level of greatness for me.
I am happy to report that not only did Zack Snyder’s Justice League meet my expectations, but it also surpassed them. I found myself in awe while I was watching this movie. What Snyder is able to do with a four-hour runtime is similar to what Peter Jackson was able to do with Lord of the Rings, not only in execution, but in feeling as well. The characters have motivations and I cared about every single one of them—in particular Cyborg and The Flash, who are the standouts. The large scope feels epic, mythic, and really captures this sense of gods among men. The emotional throughlines ground these “gods” to make them more relatable and human. That’s what makes Zack Snyder’s Justice League so powerful. These “gods” are really just misfits of their world trying to find their humanity, sense of purpose, and worth. They find it amongst themselves and others like them. Themes of found family, overcoming trauma, coming together, and embracing what makes you unique by owning your true self is something that makes this epic superhero film special. This is Snyder’s Magnum Opus to the superhero genre, and I’m glad he was able to release it.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League has the similar plot points of the original, but only the bones of it. This is certainly a different movie. One of the biggest differences is the characters. Batman/Bruce Wayne is no longer throwing around wacky one-liners that don’t match the version of the character we were introduced to in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He’s a person who continues on the arc of redemption from his more ruthless, borderline villain ways from that movie and moves more into a Batman who is reinvigorated with hope after the sacrifice Superman made. This character progression feels earned and natural and Ben Affleck plays this older, wiser Batman to perfection. My only wish is that we get more of him in this role, as he is my personal favorite actor to portray the character. He just gets it.
Wonder Woman is much like Bruce in the sense that she has been inspired by Superman. She’s no longer in hiding, feeling like man is too far gone. She feels the need inspire and encourage those who struggle around her. In particular, a scene involving her and a little girl in one of the most well done scenes in the movie. She’s every bit as important to bringing this team together as Bruce is, and is no longer relegated to a weird cross between eye candy and mother figure. Gal Gadot was born to be Wonder Woman, and she shines in this movie.
Speaking of shining in this movie, Ray Fisher… wow. This is what should have been a star-making performance in 2017. His performance as Victor Stone/Cyborg is nothing short of tremendous. He really is the heart of this movie. In particular, one scene where he helps a lady left me with tears. In what is a tough role to pull off, Fisher is able to pull at the heart strings while simultaneously making me want to stand up in cheer in certain moments. It’s so unfortunate what happened to his character in 2017’s Justice League, being relegated to nothing but an interesting sidekick. Here he stands tall with the “gods.” If you aren’t familiar with Cyborg before this movie, Zack Snyder’s Justice League will leave you wanting more.
Another big improvement was Barry Allen/The Flash. In the 2017’s Justice League, he suffered a lot from poor re-writes to add humor which ultimately didn’t work for me. He came across as aloof, a coward, and silly. Here, he’s still certainly the comic relief, but it’s much more endearing, sweet, and full of heart. It feels much more in line with the character and not just there to be quirky for the sake of it. He also has a jaw-dropping sequence in this film that I put up there with one of the best sequences in comic book movie history. If you aren’t excited for The Flash movie coming, this will certainly restore your faith in Ezra Miller’s take.
Aquaman is also another big standout. He’s far less bro-like here and more of a man caught between two worlds trying to find his place, and Jason Momoa’s performance really makes you feel the weight he must feel being in his position.
The biggest surprise to me, though, was just how great Amy Adams was as Lois Lane. You feel her go through these stages of grief in this film rather than be regulated to a tasteless joke about her relationship with Superman. In many ways, she is what grounds this movie to me.
But, to me, the character who ultimately, I was the most excited to see was Superman. He’s the symbol of hope for this whole team and the sole reason they come together. As Bruce Wayne says in the film, “there is no us without him.” In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, that couldn’t be more true. While Superman isn’t in this movie as much, his presence — or lack thereof — is felt throughout this film. So much so that when he shows up, it feels earned. Him being brought back has power, meaning, and to him represents a second chance that he won’t waste. He’s no longer questioning his place in this world, but rather, he embraces this symbol of hope and rallies the league behind him. There are two sequences in particular that made my heart sore. One moment in particular that made me cry tears of joy. Gone is the CGI mustache, and back is the symbol of hope who is masterfully played by the best actor — in my opinion — to play the role, Henry Cavill.
But a hero is only as strong as their villain, and the villain Steppenwolf is a far cry from the wonky CGI version we got in 2017. Here, his whole story has purpose, and most importantly, makes sense. He’s a man (creature?) desperate to get back in the good graces of his boss. He just wants to return home and is willing to do anything necessary to get there. He’s ruthless, intimidating, and sympathetic. Not to mention, the much-improved look of the character adds to the overall appeal of him. And while he’s not in the movie very much, you certainly feel the presence of Darkseid, the big bad of the DC Multiverse. He’s threatening and even though he’s not there much, you get a sense of why we should fear him.
All these great characters and character moments can be contributed to the screenplay of Oscar-winning writer Chris Terrio. This movie is massive in every sense of the word, but it is also very personal. Every one of our main heroes and villains is a complete, fleshed out character with motivations, fears, hopes, and goals. It’s what makes this movie incredibly satisfying to me. Whether it’s Cyborg and Flash who are struggling to find their purpose and their deep, complicated relationships with their fathers, or Batman and Wonder Woman finding faith and hope and instilling it in those around them, or Aquaman, the lone wanderer, wrestling with the responsibility to become the king of a world that doesn’t want him, or Superman becoming the symbol of hope to lead the Justice League against a coming threat. Zack Snyder’s Justice League juggles all these rich and compelling stories with what seems like ease.
While there might be some minor nitpicks for me (the overuse of the Wonder Woman theme being the main one), I stand by what I said in that this is Zack Snyder’s magnum opus to the superhero genre. I’m floored by just how much I love this movie. It is everything I’ve ever wanted as a fan of DC and superhero movies. This is The Lord of the Rings of superhero movies and will undoubtedly age like a fine wine. Will Warner Bros. #RestoreTheSnyderVerse? Who knows, but if they do, I will be first in line.
Grade: A+