When it comes to the anticipation for the release of different versions of pre-existing films, very few generate the type of excitement and hype that Zack Snyder's unseen cut of Justice League has created. The most comparable instance in which both audiences and fans demanded that an unseen version of a specific film be released, was in 2006 when Warner Brothers finally gave in to the demands of Superman fans with the release of the much talked about Superman ll: Richard Donnor Cut with fans finally getting to see the version of the film that Donnor originally filmed and nearly completed before he was replaced by Richard Lester, who ended up reshooting most of the film. In a scenario that almost mirrors the production history of that film, director Zack Snyder left the production of Justice League due to a personal family tragedy and was replaced by Avengers filmmaker Joss Whedon with the latter ultimately refilming 80 percent of the final cut that landed in theaters. The end result of that version proved to be both a financial and critical failure with the future of the DCEU being uncertain. Fast-forward four years later after an aggressive campaign from both DC fans as well as those of Zack Snyder, audiences finally get the opportunity to see the latters original version of the film which spans a running time of just over 4 hours long. With the release of Snyder's cut of the film finally becoming a reality with the filmmakers vision becoming fully realized, the question fans have is whether Snyder's cut lives up to the amount of hype and expectations generated over the past year of its assembling. The answer is both a surprising and enthusiastic yes. The newest version of Justice League is leaner, darker, bigger in terms of scope, and more thorough in its development of the films main characters. It not only manages to be leaps and bounds ahead of what audiences were given in 2017, but the significant alteration of the film in comparison to Joss Whedon's version is an eye-opening experience that needs to and should be rightfully seen by every DC and comic book fan to get a clear idea of the vision that Snyder had in store for both these characters and the DCEU universe going forward. The Snyder Cut of Justice League is an ambitious, passionate, and visually stimulating comic book film that deservedly stands as being the strongest DC film since Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy.
Bearing virtually the exact same plot from the original cut, Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League centers around Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) teaming up with Diana/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to put together a league of metahumans such as Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and the Flash (Ezra Miller) in a mission to save the planet when an evil presence threatens the world's existence. Whereas the plot remains virtually the same as Whedons version, the overall experience is one that's entirely different and ultimately more satisfying. Zack Snyder's Justice League presents a rare occurrence in which a filmmaker who originally left their project due to unusual circumstances receives the opportunity to finish it while having complete creative control in doing so. The newest version of Justice League essentially has the imprint of its directors trademark style of visionary storytelling all over it with him also managing to surprise in numerous areas, that often became the subject of various criticisms from audiences prior in regards to his struggles as a consistent storyteller. The Snyder Cut Of Justice League feels like a larger and more fleshed out version of the story that both Snyder and Warner Brothers were originally going for. The film is significantly darker than the previous version with Snyder showing the clear threat that looms with the presence of a much more effective Steppenwolf, along with the inclusion of Darkseid. What's most surprising about the Snyder Cut as a whole in comparison to its predecessor, is the emotional weight that the film carries with audiences growing attached to the main heroes along with becoming invested in each of their background stories/character arcs. The ones that receive the largest upgrade in terms of development in this cut are Cyborg, The Flash, Cyborg's father Silas, and original villain Steppenwolf with the latter's motives becoming more clear along with his presence being more intimidating as well as threatening. The experience of watching the newest version of Justice League is one that feels surreal unlike most other alternate versions of films that came before it. Snyder's version of the story is greater in scope with it carrying a powerful message regarding teamwork and unity in which a group of outsiders come together to protect mankind in the same vein as Marvel's Avengers. At a time where the future is uncertain and filled with bleakness, Snyder's Cut provides fans with an optimistic feeling of hope with the assembling of the Justice League feeling more like what comic book fans experienced back in 2012 with the release of Whedon's The Avengers. Though Snyder's universe didn't have the carefully planned and steady buildup that the MCU had prior to the release of the original version of Justice League, the film more than compensates for the lack of proper separate origin films for characters such as Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash at the expense of making audiences sit through the films 222 minute running time that's conveniently split into a total of six chapters plus an epilogue. Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League is both long and drawn out, but its excessive length is used to maximum potential with the story feeling far more coherent and epic than Whedon's version. While probably no one outside of Snyder's loyal base of fans was clamoring for his version of an already disappointing film, DC fans and audiences alike will be deeply grateful that they did as the Snyder Cut of Justice League surpasses the Whedon version in every aspect of its filmmaking from the writing and directing to the performances of the main cast, and a more accurate depiction of the characters that fans desired. Although the film very much feels like a Snyder directed feature with his traditional excessive use of slow-motion shots along with a more dark and grittier atmosphere, this is unquestionably his best directing effort with him delivering a breathtaking visual experience while incorporating a surprising amount of emotion, humor, and heart into the film. It's an experience that fans may not necessarily desire to endure mainly due to the films excessive length, but they'll be glad that they did while hoping for more.
Besides the Snyder Cut being stunning to watch visually, the soul of the film lies within its main cast whom ultimately prove to be a fantastic ensemble team. One of the few aspects of the Whedon version which stood out despite its enormous amount of problems, was the strength of its cast with everyone appearing to have chemistry that felt both natural and realistic. With the Snyder cut, that relationship is built on with the cast in addition to their performances feeling more natural as a whole. Ben Affleck once again owns it as Bruce Wayne/Batman with him showing audiences that his casting as the Caped Crusader was no fluke as he perfectly embodies the role of the teams leader/outsider. Affleck feels more fleshed out in this version with him appearing to be having fun with assembling his team, along with having a more firm grip on playing the role of Bruce Wayne. As for Batman, Affleck is fantastic to watch and serves as being one of the strongest actors to don the cape and cowl. The same can be said for Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. Cavill continues to make the case with fans that he's the ideal choice for the part despite the polarizing response fans have towards the way his character was handled in both Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman. He's hands down the best film version of Superman since Christopher Reeve. Gal Gadot is perfect as Diana/Wonder Woman with her portrayal of the character being compelling to watch along with her showcasing strong chemistry with Affleck. Ezra Miller delivers a solid performance as the socially awkward and geeky Barry Allen with his character appearing to be more fleshed out this time. Ray Fisher stands as being one of the films true standouts as Victor Stone/Cyborg with his character arc experiencing a massive upgrade in the newer cut. With Stone, Fisher brings a great deal of emotion to his part with him serving as being the heart of the film. Jason Mama's performance as Arthur Curry/Aquaman is spot on with him being both fun to watch and charismatic despite his character being more unpleasant in this version. Jeremy Irons does great as the smart talking yet loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth with him providing both Bruce and the Justice League with tactical support. His scenes with Affleck are solid with both men feeling realistic as their fictional counterparts. As for the films main antagonists, Ciaran Hinds delivers a strong performance as Steppenwolf, a godlike military officer from the planet Apokolips who searches for the three Mother Boxes held on Earth. Hinds role as Steppenwolf stands as being one of the films most significant changes with his character posing even more of a threat this time around, but his motives are more understandable to the audience with him coming across as being a bit sympathetic. Ray Porter is effectively chilling as Darkseid, the tyrannical New God from Apokolips and Steppenwolf's nephew and master. The rest of the cast deliver strong and noteworthy performances with Joe Morton receiving a substantial upgrade in screentime as Victor's father Silas Stone in a performance that's both scene-stealing and moving, along with the always reliable performances of Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Diana's mother Hippolyta, Willem Dafoe as Aquaman's mentor Nuidis Vulko, Amber Herd as Mera from James Wan's Aquaman, Ryan Zheng as S.T.A.R labs scientist Ryan Choi, and both J.K Simmons and Harry J. Lennix shining in a brief yet vital role as Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon as well as the hotly anticipated Martian Manhunter. A lot of what makes the Snyder Cut of Justice League so enjoyable to watch and engaging lies within its performances with the huge ensemble of actors/actresses giving the film a genuinely epic feeling, that they're watching a team up which bears both the size and scope of the first Avengers flick. Watching the Snyder Cut, audiences can clearly see the enthusiasm and excitement that the films all-star cast has for telling the story with their performances feeling more fleshed out and natural in comparison to Whedon's shorter version. Everyone brought their A game to this film with the Justice League cast feeling like a truly great fit in terms of both working and building off each other.
Given that this version of Justice League is helmed by Zack Snyder, fans already know what to expect from the filmmaker in regards to his visual flare as well as his unique style of directing. Hailed as being a visionary filmmaker, Snyder lives up to his name with his newest cut of the film being exhilarating to watch on both a visual and storytelling level. Whereas audiences may become annoyed with his endless amount of slow motion use, they'll marvel in the epic vision he presents in telling the story. The films use of CGI is excessive but works for the most part with a few shaky moments such as the use of CGI work on Martian Manhunter. Other moments where it's breathtaking are the scenes involving our heroes fighting Steppenwolf with his presence and Darkseid's being hugely appealing on a visual front. The sequences such as Steppenwolf doing battle with the Amazonian warriors in Themyscira are exciting to watch with helping to give the Snyder cut a scope that feels like a legitimate meshup of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. The films cinematography and use of lighting gives the story a greyish look, that matches the dark and gritty tone of the previous Snyder directed DCEU films despite the more hopeful outlook that Justice League's story possesses. The films pacing ends up being one of its most glaring issues with it feeling endlessly long with its 4 hour running time, but one can clearly see the necessity behind its length when seeing how the film adequately provides background information on all the key members of the Justice League team with characters such as Cyborg, The flash, Silas, Alfred, and Steppenwolf benefitting the most from the extended length. The costume and background design both work together in bringing Snyder's universe to life along with adding to the grandeur of the production. One of the key elements of a Zack Snyder directed picture that often make his films appealing to audiences as well as being polarizing is his hyper-aggressive visual style of directing. His films turn out to be visually stunning because of the immense control he possesses over the way he wants things to look with his version of Justice League being no exception. One aspect of the Snyder Cut that's most shocking is the amount of emotion and heart that the film carries in contrast to his previous works. As far as storytelling goes, this is Snyder at his strongest and most passionate in giving the fans what they want while simultaneously showing that he's the filmmaker most equipped for carrying out the unifying of the popular DCEU characters when it comes to them assembling. For those who felt that his abilities as a storyteller were somewhat lacking, they'll be genuinely surprised at what they see here.
In addition to Snyder giving his best directing effort with the Snyder Cut, the writing for the newest version of Justice League proves to be significantly stronger than his previous works within the universe despite the questionable character subplot and plot hole. The screenplay by Chris Terrio feels more fleshed out and thorough with its exploration of the plot and characters. With Snyder's version, the stakes feel higher with the threat of the films main antagonists feeling much bigger in scope. The script also does a thorough job of adding in-depth backgrounds to many of the characters who felt shafted with Whedon's film. Not only do audiences find themselves connecting more deeply with the heroes in this version, but also understand their situations and motives for joining the group. Although there are no newer main characters added, the newer supporting ones help to make the story feel more populated and bigger in scope. Despite both versions of Justice League being structurally similar narratively speaking, the Snyder Cut places greater emphasis on themes regarding alliances, the formation of groups and working together against a common foe, the loss of loved ones, hope, second chances, and having faith. This version of the Justice League story places greater emphasis on hope as well as the formation of the team. The film also feels like a partial concluding chapter to Snyder's Superman story with it essentially wrapping up the storylines of both Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman. With the newest versions strengths regarding the script, it also carries its share of weaknesses such as the subplot involving Lois Lanes character feeling a bit off despite being effective. Whereas Lois is shown to clearly be grieving over the loss of Clark still from the events of the previous film, she isn't given much to do besides that in this story. It also isn't made clear or explained on why Superman chose to attack the other Justice League members when brought back to life with no dialogue being given to show why he's doing so despite the sequence itself being thrilling to watch. The idea of the Justice League coming together to bring Clark back to help defeat both Steppenwolf and Darkseid works despite it happening so early in the DCEU timeline because of how it shows the strength of the team coming together and unifying against a common foe. The subplot involving the main baddies searching for the power cubes draws direct parallels to the infinity stones in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Even though Snyder's cut of the film comes with its share of questionable subplots involving characters and plot holes (Why wasn't Martin Manhunter helping save the Earth sooner rather than revealing himself at the end to Bruce), it ultimately turns out to be the strongest written and most thoughtful screenplay of both Justice Leagues with the delivery of fan service being heavily used.
In the end, both cuts of Justice League have their own share of pros and cons with the Snyder Cut being the most rewarding fort those who demanded it. The Snyder Cut is the far superior version of the story in regards to both plot and character development with characters such as The Flash and Cyborg getting their due with newer characters such as Darkseid and Martian Manhunter being a great addition to story. Although Snyder's cut of the film beats Whedon's in every major category of filmmaking, the latter's cut has moments with Henry Cavill's Superman being more like the traditional image of Clark Kent/Superman that audiences have of him with an example being the camera footage of him in the beginning, or the funny bit where he races The Flash at the end. Though Snyder gives Superman a new black suit that looks fantastic, his character doesn't experience much of a change in personality in this cut despite smiling more. Beyond the moments with Superman in Whedon's version, Snyder's film bests the latter's in every other department while providing a pathway for the DCEU to move forward in a form that matches the level of Marvel's recent works. What's most remarkable about Zack Snyder's version of Justice League is how much bigger and grander it feels in scope with each character receiving their proper amount of development in a way that brings them down to a more human level. Every character feels important to the plot and serves to further advance it while expanding the DCEU. As well executed and entertaining as the Snyder Cut turns out to be, it's not for everyone as general audiences may find the directors vision of the characters and their universe to be too dark and gritty despite their presence on film being hugely rewarding to watch. This film was made specifically for loyal fans of Snyder's universe who fought relentlessly for his cut of the film to finally see the light of day with their efforts not only succeeding, but being worth it as the Snyder Cut stands as being the DCEU's best film yet. Zack Snyder's Justice League is an unusual event in filmmaking that needs to be seen to be both understood in regards to its troubled production history and appreciated for finally making its way to the big screen, as well as allowing its most loyal and ardent fans to be heard. The film shows what the DCEU can be which is something special and epic in a scale that's equal to that of Marvel if allowed to continue growing. If this is to be the final film in the SnyderVerse directed by the visionary filmmaker, then he unquestionably caps off his unusually distinct universe on an extraordinarily high note. Snyder's Justice League delivers provides both its universe and fans with a much needed win while showing that there's room for more story to tell with these characters with audiences looking to the future of the DCEU for the first time with a genuine feeling of optimism that the universe can continue to grow into something incredible if left on its current path. As the Snyder Cut shows, there is a pathway to success and fans should be willing to push for it despite the odds of the newest version ever being considered official canon by Warner Brothers. Zack Snyder's Justice League is one of the strongest comic book films made on the DC side in over a decade.
Final Verdict: For DC, comic book fans, and those of Zack Snyder in general, Zack Snyder's Justice League is a must see experience that's long, tensely exciting, and ultimately rewarding.
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