I watched the four hour long Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It actually probably took six or seven hours including breaks for walks and cooking. Believe it or not I’m trying to get out of my couch potato habits and walk around.
I’ll be frank, I have not enjoyed director Zack Snyder’s previous DC films. Batman v Superman is a movie made up of cool moments but it was a mess of storytelling and I can’t stand Man of Steel. With that said, I recognized these movies still have their fans and I was just glad that people liked any movie. I can also see why the movies are liked, they have a very clear vision and passion behind them. My issues lie with the writing and story structures of each movie. But I think that we can all agree that the 2017 release of Justice League fell short. Joss Whedon’s interpretation of what Zack Snyder had originally envisioned wasn’t outright awful, but it was so overbearingly mediocre and clearly lost a lot of the original enthusiasm that it had in its original filming. Ever since Synder originally stepped down fans have always wondered what he had planned for the Justice League. Thanks to fan demand and desperation for HBO Max subscribers (don’t give yourself too much credit, fans) the Snyder Cut is here and it’s just great.
I’m actually going to start off with some of the issues. The first thing that many people will notice is that it just seems like some of the CGI effects just aren’t finished. This wouldn’t be that much of a problem if so many of them weren’t compiled right next to each other at the beginning. I found myself concerned when I saw clear edges on different objects like a float newspaper that didn’t look like paper or a pillar with extremely straight edges. Also Jesse Eisenberg’s top half seems to just float while he’s in water. This is likely due to a rushed post-production process and thankfully most of the following animations look spot on. When issues do come up they are so much more noticeable because there are usually multiple within the same couple minutes. Also Snyder tends to overuse slow motion and will often decide to play certain songs at moments that just don’t match. When I say “song” I don’t mean something from the film’s original composition, but a well known song that will be played over an emotionally driven scene that just doesn’t fit. There is also Superman. I’ve never been a fan of this version of Superman thinking that he is way too much of a downer and Snyder still hasn’t changed my mind. This time it doesn’t have anything to do with the writing, but it’s more because he doesn’t have a character arc in this movie. I have come around to think that maybe they can get me to like Cavill’s Superman but this movie still doesn’t do it. Lastly, some people might have an issue with the aspect ratio. I would say that it doesn’t really matter because you do see what you are intended to. This ratio was meant to pay respect to IMAX screening which is a weird move to make for a movie that just doesn’t work for a theater going experience (more on that later).
As for the positives, there’s a lot to like. The first thing that stood out to me was the music composed by Tom Holdenborg (also known as Junkie XL). I loved his score, both the originals and the spins that he puts on character themes especially Wonder Woman’s theme. Also the visual direction is as strong as it has been in previous Snyder movies. I felt like the cities from these comic books have come to life and they were a sight to behold. Also the acting was great, especially Ray Fisher’s Cyborg who reminded me why I like the character. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the main character with the strongest arc and it’s idiotic that they cut so much of him in the theatrical release. The biggest highlight for me is the film’s actual story. I said that I’ve had a hard time with previous Snyder movies because of their storytelling, but this one took me by surprise. If you have seen the original release of Justice League the story is the same in concept, Bruce wishes to assemble a team to protect earth and honor the now dead Superman. Unlike the original, which often felt rushed and full of plot holes, this script is full of rich characters and backstory that makes up what feels like a true epic. I credit this to Chris Terrio who, while he developed the story with Zack Snyder and Will Beall, is credited as the main screenwriter. He did work on Batman v Superman but I think that film’s shortcomings came from co-writer David S. Goyer. I know that sounds harsh and while he has worked on stuff I have liked it’s usually when it’s usually paired with other talented writers. I know people have liked stuff he has written, I just don’t think his approach works with me. Chris Terrio is an incredible talent who has proven himself with writing Argo. His work is the main reason I enjoyed this version of Justice League and I hope to see him find more success. Yes, the overall story came out to be four hours long and certain characters get more attention than others but everything done feels like it’s in service of a better story in the end. I still suggest watching the movie in a single day, but there’s no need to do it in one sitting.
I know that I defended the runtime being just fine, but I do feel like I need to talk about why it’s an issue for what this movie was supposed to be. This is going to start off sounding mean but I ask that you do bear with me. This version of Justice League is great but their main goal was to make a movie for a theater setting, as far as I’m concerned the creative team failed. This movie is not conducive to a theater going experience and there is no way that it could be with it’s current set up. A lot of the things that this movie develops is stuff that Marvel would’ve done in individual movies which would have resulted in the team up movie a couple years down the line. But Justice League doesn’t have that, even previously established characters needed a lot of development. Yes, Joss Whedon is an awful person and I’m glad people finally realize it but his plot hole ridden version of Justice League was inevitable with or without him. When I say that the movie perfectly fits it’s runtime I mean that you can’t make it that much shorter. There are some things you can cut, but not enough to make it a comfortable theater going experience. I know that some people will say that this is the version that should’ve been released in theaters but that’s a huge leap. I need to move around, take a walk, or cook a decent meal (not goddamn theater food that makes me feel awful later in the day). I don’t want to walk out on what might be a pivotal scene. There would likely be an intermission but it’s not enough to get your body moving in a healthy way. I don’t think people realize that basic plot structures that limit runtimes in movies can be just as much for the audiences’ convenience as it is for the writers’ craft. Would Snyder’s theatrical release have been better then Whedon’s? Probably, but I think it would be impossible for it to be a good movie, at least not without completely restarting the writing process. I know there are a lot of movies that will shoot way too much for the theatrical release and sometimes it works out but it’s a risk and I think Snyder has shown that those aren’t risks he can pull off (speaking specifically to Batman v Superman). While I do think this is an argument is important I will admit that it only means so much with the eventual product being so good. I actually think this film has the ability to be inadvertently groundbreaking in how long epic films can be released on streaming while also being a comfortable experience to the viewer. I just hope that filmmakers and executives realize this.
When talking about a sequel, I would love to see a follow up to this movie but I doubt that will be a possibility. No matter how well the movie does for HBO Max with Ben Affleck’s vagueness on returning after The Flash and Ray Fisher’s strained relationship with Warner it’s doubtful that we will get a follow up. Even Snyder doesn’t think it will happen. Even though the story ends with a cliffhanger (it’s probably best you know that going in) Snyder has said that this was done to keep true to the original intent of the movie. In the slim chance we do get a follow up I think it should be another long epic for HBO Max. Snyder’s vision works best when he can do something that is unconstrained by a time limit and anything else I would be pessimistic about. I would also say that at this point this version of the Justice League should just be in its own pocket universe. It’s probably best to not worry about continuity with certain actors’ futures being uncertain when it comes to the franchise. Again, this a follow up is very unlikely to happen.
I would really recommend Zack Snyder’s Justice League, even to people that aren’t fans of Snyder’s previous DC films. Arguably you don’t even have to watch the previous films, just know Superman is dead and Batman blames himself and you’re golden. If you have HBO Max already you can just turn it off if you aren’t enjoying it. If you don’t have HBO Max… there’s still Doom Patrol if you don’t like it. There are some issues but the more I write and think about Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the more I love it.
