Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Written by: Chris Terrio, based on a story written by Zack Snyder, Chris Terrio, and Will Beall

Starring:

Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne

Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince

Amy Adams as Lois Lane

Diane Lane as Martha Kent

Rated R for violence and some language

Runtime: 242 minutes

The original Justice League (2017) packed a few punches, but not enough to satisfy me. I was never a comic book fan, nor did I have much of an idea of what the Justice League canon had to offer. I knew enough about Batman and Superman, but I didn’t know much about the other characters. The film felt empty to me.

I was and still am blown away by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and I don’t understand why many disapproved of it. To me, it gave fans what they wanted to see, but apparently, most of them wanted a lighter version with less violence. I think the extended version released on Blu-ray helped eased the minds of the disappointed fans.

This approach is highly comparable to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which is another way of making things right, and it did. Zack Snyder listened to his fans and gave them what they wanted. After a troubled production with Justice League and a family tragedy, Snyder had to step down partway through post-production. Warner Bros. left the reigns to Joss Whedon, who helped shape the Marvel universe with The Avengers (2012). What could go wrong?

A lot did go wrong. Whedon changed almost the entire script, which strayed from Snyder’s version. Whedon is more of a comic book fan, and Snyder a fan of graphic novels, which are commonly in a darker fashion. I could tell that there was a head-butting battle in Justice League. It is as if the film did not know what story it wanted to tell.

I am not sure of the terms involved in bringing Whedon on board, but if one of them is him doing the re-write, then the film was doomed from then on. He did not deliver what the fans wanted. I am incredibly grateful for the Snyder version.

This version is four hours long, which may seem like a turn-off, but it was not. The film is longer than Titanic (1997), The Irishman (2019), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), but it is worth it. However, I could have done without a lot of the slow-motion sequences.

There is also plenty of necessary backstory for those who had not gotten a proper introduction yet. One of the things I give Marvel props for is giving most of The Avengers their own film before they shared the screen.

Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) recruits a team of warriors to stop an impending threat. He sets out to recruit Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), The Flash/Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher). They all get great introductions and backstories, which is necessary for the runtime. Although, a two-part movie might have been preferable.

Six chapters divide the film, which I didn’t think is a necessity. I did not understand the meaning of most of the titles, and there was no strong division in them. The movie would have flowed better without them. I also had a hard time understanding the 4:3 ratio, even after the opening disclaimer stated that it was to adhere to Snyder’s version. However, it did not take me long to get involved with the story and ignore the screen size. The 16:9 still would have sufficed.

Another thing I was glad to see is the black Superman costume. I remember Henry Cavill wearing the traditional in the original film, and if I am not mistaken, in the same takes. I wonder if the digitally added black suit is a middle finger toward the original film. If that is the case, I highly approve. Plus, we don’t have to see Superman’s swollen upper lip from the awful visual effects that removed Cavill’s mustache from his role in Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018).

The ending left me scratching my head. Not to spoil anything, but I wonder if the scene told in a dream was supposed to mean something more than that. If that something more means more movies with the same people, I will be first in line. (I am remaining optimistic that every theater re-open by then.)

All in all, Zack Snyder’s Justice League gives fans what they wanted back in 2017. Waiting over three years for this film was worth the wait. I mean, I did the same thing with the Star Wars prequels and The Dark Knight saga. Good things come to those who wait.

★★★☆