ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE (2021) REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Justice League was one of the most highly anticipated films of 2017, unfortunately, following its release, it received a mostly negative response from critics and was one of the biggest disappointments in the DC Extended Universe. One of the main reasons why Justice League failed to meet expectations was because it faced several issues during production. Zack Snyder, who had previously directed Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, was forced to quit filming following the shocking death of his daughter, Autumn. This led to the production company, Warner Brothers, hiring Joss Whedon, who is best known for making Avengers Assemble and its sequel, Age of Ultron, as Snyder’s replacement. While Whedon did a great job with both of the Avengers films, he didn’t find similar success with Justice League. The failure of Justice League led to fans expressing an interest in an alternate cut more faithful to Snyder's vision. Fans and members of the cast and crew petitioned for the release of this, which they nicknamed the Snyder Cut. At the time, industry insiders regarded the release as unlikely. However, Warner Bros. decided to move ahead with it in February 2020; in May, Snyder announced that the original cut would be released as Zack Snyder's Justice League via the streaming service HBO Max in the United States and on Sky Cinema in the United Kingdom. Prior to its release, it was screen in advance to critics who said that it was an improvement over the theatrical version that was released in 2017. However, is Zack Snyder’s Justice League worth sitting through the near four hour runtime?

Determined to ensure Superman's (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), also known as Batman, aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), also known as Wonder Woman, with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman, Wonder Woman, Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), DeSaad (Peter Guinness) and Darkseid (Ray Porter) and their dreadful intentions.

If anything, Zack Snyder’s Justice League proves why production companies and studios need to trust a filmmaker to create something in their own vision. The reason why a lot of films disappoint is because of studio interference. Instead of letting the director make a film their own way, studios reject their ideas, which can lead to the film they make struggling to leave much of a lasting impression. An example of this is Suicide Squad which was directed by David Ayer. Like Justice League, Suicide Squad was a big disappointment following its release in 2016, with many criticising the poor computer generated imagery, and underwritten characters. Ayer soon admitted that he would have made Suicide Squad differently if he wasn’t held back by the studios saying that his “soulful drama was beaten into a comedy”. The changes he would have made included changes to the story and more screen time to Jared Leto’s Joker. Another example of studio interference is Ant-Man which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was directed by Peyton Reed and released in 2015. However, it was originally meant to be directed by Edgar Wright who is best known for creating the comedic Cornetto trilogy which includes the films, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End. However, Wright quit because of creative differences. He said that his ideas were turned down by Marvel Studios. This led to Ant-Man being one of the weakest films in the MCU as it followed a typical origins story that didn’t offer anything that hadn’t already been done before. Hopefully, the release of Snyder’s Justice League will show that studios need to trust the filmmaker and let them create a film in their own unique way as the end result could lead to success.

I can’t imagine fans being disappointed with what Snyder has created with Justice League. The hard work and the long wait is definitely worth it. It improves on the theatrical cut in almost every way, including the characters, performances, story, visual effects and tone. However, those who aren’t a fan of superhero films, especially those in the DCEU, won’t have their minds changed by Snyder’s Justice League and will find it tough to sit through the film’s 242 minute runtime. Because of its long runtime, the film is not suitable for a casual watch. Although I watched Justice League in one sitting, some may prefer to watch an hour or two at a time. Justice League was originally planned to be released as a miniseries, however, these plans were scrapped in favour of a four hour film. If I’m being honest, although I really enjoy films, I think that Justice League would have worked as a miniseries, with each part being released weekly. However you watch it, whether sitting through the entire runtime in one go or taking your time, Justice League is worth watching. 

One of the main issues of the original Justice League were the characters, with many of them lacking background and felt underdeveloped and underwritten. In Snyder’s Justice League, the characters feel more fleshed out and are given a backstory. Aside from Cavill’s Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman, Batman, The Flash and Cyborg haven’t had a solo film. When watching the original Justice League, little was known about the latter two characters, apart from their superpowers. The Flash had superspeed and was mainly used to provide comic relief and Cyborg was a moody recluse whose father experimented and turned Victor into Cyborg. Fortunately, in Snyder’s Justice League, both of these characters are developed well. We see more of The Flash in action, with one memorable sequence seeing him rescue a young woman from crashing into a truck. Cyborg’s relationship with his father, Silas (Joe Morton), is effectively explored. After Victor and his mother are injured following a car crash, Silas is forced to turn his son into Cyborg in order to save his life. However, Cyborg isn’t appreciative of his father’s actions. Because the main characters are given more screen time, it’s easy to root for them as we understand their motivations better and they feel more dimensional. 

Another aspect that is an improvement in Snyder’s Justice League are the performances delivered by its talented cast. With names including Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams, who are three of the most talented actors working today, one would expect strong performances and that’s certainly the case here. Because their characters are given significantly more screen time, they are given more to do. As Batman, Affleck delivers his best portrayal of the character. Inspired by Superman’s selfless and heroic actions in Batman v Superman, Batman begins searching for powerful individuals to help him stop the evil Steppenwolf. More screen time is given to Wonder Woman, with Gadot continues to impress, making her an easy character to like. One of the few highlights of the original Justice League was a scene where Wonder Woman stops a bomb going off in a bank. In Snyder’s Justice League, the length of this sequence is extended by a few minutes and is more exciting. Miller is clearly having a lot of fun as The Flash who is excited to be recruited by Batman. At the time of writing this review, Miller is set to reprise the role in a spin-off film that adapts elements from the Flashpoint storyline which I’m interested in seeing. The standout performance is derived by Fisher who is given more to do with his role as Cyborg. Although his character isn’t the most likeable, Cyborg is one of the most interesting, with the film capturing his strengths and weaknesses. Although nothing has been announced yet, I would like Cyborg in future DCEU films and in his own spin-off.

Snyder’s Justice League is at its most exciting during the action sequences, including the final battle that takes place towards the end. In the original Justice League, this final battle felt rushed and anticlimactic. Fortunately, in Snyder’s Justice League, this battle feels more dramatic and exhilarating. The visuals are also an improvement, especially during this sequence, and are suitably dark to match the tone of the scene.  

The special effects also no longer resemble a video game.

Although I enjoyed watching Snyder’s Justice League at home, I would have much preferred to have seen it at the cinema. However, because they’re currently closed, I can understand why Snyder released it on the streaming services HBO Max and Sky Cinema as fans had been waiting long enough to finally watch his version of Justice League. 

With Justice League, Zack Snyder has created an action-packed film that will certainly satisfy his fans, and is a significant improvement over the theatrical version that was released in 2017.

8/10