Zach Snyder's Justice League

The first step in reviewing Zach Snyder's Justice League, now streaming on HBO Max, is to go back and read my review of the theatrical Justice League. In that review, I gave it a 7.5/10 (in hindsight I'd say I overrated it by ~1-1.5 points) and stated that it gave me "hope" because while the majority of the film was entirely forgetful, the interactions between the heroes helped it to shine. I don't think it was the abysmal atrocity many thought it was, but watching ZSJL proved to me that aside from one or two scenes I remembered almost nothing from the original. 

ZSJL is bred from tragedy and has become one of the most polarizing stories in the movie industry of the last couple years. After Zach Snyder's family lost their daughter to suicide in the midst of filming the original, he needed to step away, leaving the door open for super-nerd Joss Whedon to come in and wrap it up. I don't envy Whedon's responsibility in this (though lately it seems hard to feel sorry for a guy who's apparently a huge a**hole, among other things...) and we'll never likely know the full truth, but as the "legend" goes, Whedon changed Snyder's version a lot. The original theatrical version did feel like a Frankenstein of a film, but it re-exposed DCs biggest flaw in that they had rushed to get to that point without establishing the myths, lore, and characters first. 

A part of me also doubts this was Snyder's "original" vision. The dude has had 2-3 years to think about how to make this so I hardly believe this was just sitting on a cutting room floor (or an editing room, or a written draft). That's really neither here nor there because the case study of this endeavor is just fascinating to me. Zach Snyder is a talented filmmaker with an up-and-down resume, but he's also the man with the plan in the DCEU and what the Marvel Universe has proven so emphatically (and insanely successfully) is that you Must. Have. A. Plan. (I'm looking at you Star Wars). DC had a poorly constructed one to start and studio heads became far too involved in the filmmaking process. Now, it seems like they care less about the plan and more about individual films which, while they've produced better, more unique entries (mostly), leaves me wondering how/if these are ever going to come together again. Zach Snyder's vision for the Justice League suggests they do and, while it still feels very rushed, the direction he wanted to push the universe was exciting. And again, a lot could be speculated around how much of this plan was the "original" given how much time it has had to sit on the shelf. 

"I challenge you...to a dance battle!!"

I could probably do an entire Rath Write-Up about the DC universe and where it needs to go, but the bottom line - which I state in my original review - is that I desperately want it to succeed. Competition always breeds the best results in things like this and while it may never reach the highs of the MCU (likely depending on the person), it could be distinctly different and exciting. 

Zach Snyder's Justice League, for better or worse, is a good first step in that direction. If you're a fan of Snyder, or are familiar with his work, it's astounding just how different this film feels in tone, scope, and grandeur. It's something he's always been good at, even if decisions like "Martha" tend to get in the way. The color palette here is darker, most scenes have some form of slow-motion, and aside from Ezra Miller's Flash, the humor has been mostly removed. But there's also a weight that was glaringly missing from the original. The villains are more threatening. The heroes are more epic. The stakes are higher. So, as I said, for better or worse - because Snyder comes with both in his package - this is a very different Justice League, even if the story has the same arc. 

Because the film is 4 hours long (yes, you read that right if this is the first time you're hearing it), there's a lot more time to explore different characters. This is a director's cut after all and, while 4 hours is certainly way too long, it didn't slog as much as I thought. We get more backstory for everyone and the lore - and while not every scene is important, there's a lot of benefits to this. Both Cyborg and Flash get much more screen time, especially the former. Ray Fisher's Cyborg feels the least interesting to me, but I think that stems more from my unfamiliarity with the character rather than the movie-version itself. Ezra Miller's Flash has an intro scene that's one of the best in the film (if not the outright best) and one of the best of the year, showcasing why Miller was a perfect choice for this role. There's also a lot more info about the lore and mythology to this universe which, if there's one area I believe DC could "outdo" Marvel, it would be the rich history. We learn more about the Mother Boxes (that felt completely random in the first film), the history of Earth, the expanded universe/multiverse, and Steppenwolf and Darkseid. Darkseid is the "Thanos" of this series and he's set up as such here, while Steppenwolf gets a visual overhaul (read: upgrade) and is way better than his "villain of the week" feel in the original. His (and Darkseid's) motives here aren't anything all that special, but they're at least present - a low bar I know - compared to an original film that seemed to lack them all together. 

There's no botched mustache CGI and that's a blessing in and of itself

The action is also far better, which is a win for DC who struggles in this department big time. Batman v. Superman had some incredibly disappointing smash-punch-smash action that grew stale and I won't even start on Suicide Squad. There are highlights in this universe, Wonder Woman's "No Man's Land" scene being one of the most iconic superhero scenes well...ever. In ZSJL, Wonder Woman gets an awesome opening during a bank heist that's very moody (and she's freed of the PG-13 rating of the original), and Flash's scenes - which were highlights of the first film - are better and there's more of them this time around. The finale, which originally divulged into the punch-smash-punch borefest, has true moments of awesomeness, and while there's still not much here that rivals the best Marvel action (i.e. Civil War, Winter Soldier), seeing Wonder Woman decapitate some parademons is undeniably awesome. 

Aesthetically, this film is better shot and edited, although the use of slow-motion adds probably 3 hours onto its length (I kid, I kid...kind of). Zach Snyder has a definitive style and this film is better for it. Likewise, the music gets an upgrade from the mostly-generic theatrical release with Junkie XL helping out. And Hans Zimmer's inspired two-note Man of Steel theme makes a handful of subtle appearances that shook me; I had never realized that score was that powerful, but damn. Unfortunately, the CGI-heavy film looks pretty rough for the majority and again, it's hard to not compare it to Marvel where the special effects are downright incredible. Cyborg in particular ranges from looking fine to God-awful, depending on the scene, often being so jarring that it was taking me out of the movie. Additionally, there's a LOT of green screen, which is common for a movie like this, but it's very noticeable during the finale and other scenes, which now that this movie has had nearly $400M poured into it (or something like that), there's kind of no excuse for it. But hey, at least the meme-producing mustache CGI is gone!

It also still suffers from the fact that getting to a Justice League movie was a rushed endeavor in the first place. DC didn't have to copy the playbook provided, but characters like Aquaman, who are awkwardly shoehorned between this in-the-past release and the fact that his film has already released, can't help but feel awkward. And the much talked about Knightmare sequence and end-of-film "cameo" (that's weirdly ruined halfway through the film anyway) feel more fan-service-oriented as tack-ons, both coming at the end of the film. To be fair, the Knightmare sequence excites the hell out of me if Zach Snyder is allowed to continue into Parts II and III, but it feels like a Marvel post-credits teaser that's included in the actual film (and same with the cameo). The phenomenal casting of all these heroes defeats a lot of this because they do feel like a super-family, but one can't deny that, even still, Justice League made an appearance too early in this universe. 

So now the biggest question: will we ever get THIS cast together again? 

I'll continue to be fascinated about the Zach Snyder Justice League story for a long time to come. My fascination stems less from the film, but more so the path on how we got here and how shocking/impressive it is that a director got enough of a fanbase to support his dream that Warner Brothers made it a reality. And you know what? The resulting film is a better (and much, much longer) version of what came before. DC and Snyder fans are likely to claim it as the second coming of Christ, while your typical movie critics will likely continue to s**t on it. For me? It's an improved version of a forgettable film that still begs for this universe to take a collective leap forward in quality. If it ends up building off Snyder's vision, then it's a [small] step in the right direction. 

CONS

• There's still the fact that a lot of these characters are being introduced for the first time and that feels off
• Visual effects for the hundreds of millions spent on it aren't up to par. Cyborg looks awful at times
• Overlong, obviously. I never felt like it was a slog, but there's plenty of filler here
• Snyder's tendencies are on full display for better or worse: dark colors, overuse of slow motion, etc
• Epilogue(s) feel tacked on - even if they are exciting
• DC continues to be tragically awful at over-revealing in their marketing. E.g. Why even mention the Joker was in this film vs. letting films experience it as a surprise?!?
• Cameo at end is awkwardly ruined mid-film...very odd

PROS

• I'm still a big fan of the casting of these heroes. Ray Fisher and Ezra Miler get a lot more time here to add their value, and collectively this group sings
• The tone of the film has completely shifted and is now appropriately epic and has weight, just as a film with these heroes should be
• Much more time spent on the characters and lore. These additions are all wonderful
• The humor is better balanced and less Whedon-esque (even if I may have liked it the first time). It basically all lands on Barry Allen's shoulders now and hits with laughs often
• Similarly, the action is far better here, particularly in the finale. The R-rating also feels strangely appropriate, allowing awesome things to happen like Wonder Woman decapitating foes and Batman dropping an F-bomb
• Awesome and epic original score. Superman's theme gives me chills
• The Knightmare sequence is an exciting glimpse into where Part II and III could go...but will we get them?
• Epic in scope and engaging throughout, this is still a flawed, but improved Justice League

Rath's Review Score | 8/10