Zack Snyder’s justice league

It’s tough to say how I would have felt if this was the version of Justice League we got right after Batman v Superman. This is how I felt about BvS when it originally came out in 2016. In the years since I’ve come to terms with the film that I got instead of pining over the movie I wanted. This seems to be a trend I have with all Snyder’s DC superhero output. Yes, I like his director’s cut of Watchmen, but it took me multiple viewings to get there. Yes, I love Man of Steel, warts and all. And as I said, I accept BvS for what it is, an ambitious failure that happens to include an A+ Batman performance from my man Ben Affleck.

And now, after four years and endless noise from internet idiots, we can finally see how Snyder would have capped it all off with Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Spoilers for Zack Snyder’s Justice League to follow.

Having watched the movie twice now, I can say with confidence that this film is, top to bottom, the best of the Snyder trilogy. ZSJL is filled with hope, heartache and humor (that doesn’t betray the tone). Snyder corrects a lot of wrongs in his depiction of both Batman and Superman here, and both actors portraying them excel because of it. The Flash and Cyborg both get extended sub plots that better flesh out their characters respectively. Aquaman’s motivations and worries are a little more clear here than the theatrical cut and Wonder Woman is at her most hardcore, killin’ dudes in front of kids and chopping off heads like it’s just another day on the job. Honestly, the movie just makes a lot more sense too. We finally understand just what the hell Steppenwolf was doing and why (though it’s tough to say if we should still care or not though) and there is a clear through line as to what was to come. In short, I loved Zack Snyder’s Justice League despite itself.

First and foremost, four hours and two minutes is too long. To be fair, it goes by fairly quickly (Snyder’s choice to break the film into 6 parts helps), but it’s very obvious that at least an hour could have been cut out at the very minimum. Not entire scenes mind you, just bits and pieces that add up. The over length has a numbing effect on the films rather exciting ending, but more importantly, it takes too damn long to get to Superman.

I was very curious to see how Snyder would treat the Man of Steel here after making him such a Negative Nancy in BvS, and I am very happy to report that even with his limited screen time, Snyder let Cavill bring that calm confidence and leadership to the character that he showed signs of in Man of Steel. The film treats Superman with a sense of awe and wonder befitting the character (even if it’s a little unearned by Snyder). But still, it takes almost 2.5 hours for the film to resurrect him and the film suffers for it. Granted, I’m sure Snyder wanted Superman’s absence to be felt so his return was more impactful, and perhaps a shorter runtime could have yielded better results, but in the end the movie suffers from its lack of Superman.

As I mentioned, Cyborg and The Flash both benefit from more screen time here, with Cyborg quietly becoming the heart of the entire movie. Early in the film, as he is testing out his newly learned internet superpowers, he slips $100,000 into the bank account of a hardworking, single mom of two who just got evicted. It’s probably the most heroic act of the whole movie and Ray Fisher has a natural intensity that suits the character well.

Now this is the part where I must admit that I don’t love Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, though I can’t deny he is much less grating here than he was in the theatrical cut. I love Miller as an actor (his performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin is an all time creeper), and I’m willing to give him a fresh chance with his solo flick, but for now I’m just not sold yet.

Once again, Ben Affleck steals the show. His Batman is no longer operating out of spite or hatred, but rather that of hope. Hope that he can bring this league together, hope that they can stop what’s coming. Affleck gives us even more reason to be depressed that his solo Batflick will never come to life, as he embodies the perfect leadership and charisma to lead these iconic characters.

But it’s this sense of hope that stands out, not just in Batman but throughout the entire movie. Snyder seems to have finally figured out that that’s what makes these characters so endearing. No matter how dark Batman can get as a character he is still a hero after all. The same goes for Superman obviously and Snyder finally understands that a positive and hopeful Superman is the best Superman.

It should also be noted of course that Gal Gadot is once again bringing her all to Wonder Woman, but that character had the benefit of an actual good movie prior to this, so I can’t give too much credit to Snyder on that front. Same goes for Aquaman. Momoa is great here and his character has some great moments, but Snyder’s handling of Atlantis and its supporting characters pales in comparison to what James Wan did with Aquaman’s solo flick, so again, can’t give too much credit to ZSJL there.

Being a Zack Snyder film, Snyder is gonna Snyder, and this is no exception. The film is filled with questionable needle drops and overly long slow mo sequences, but that’s also part of Snyder’s appeal too. He always, always makes HIS movie. He always swings for the fences (and more often than not fails to reach them) and I just cannot deny that I love watching him try. Even a resounding failure like BvS is infinitely more interesting than almost anything included in the theatrical cut of Justice League. And to be fair, the slo mo sequence of Barry rescuing Iris West mid car crash is a beaut. But still, Snyder makes choices and takes chances that no one else would and for that I will always be curious to see what he’s got up his sleeve.

It’s a minor miracle that this movie got to see the light of day, and while I’m not exactly happy with the way the fanbase went about yelling for it, I am truly grateful that we got to see it. Batman and Superman and the actors playing them are better served here, and even though the overlong runtime squashes a good deal of the momentum, the film successfully makes for an emotional and entertaining introduction to the Justice League. Even if we can’t see where things would go from here, at least we got to see how it started.