Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Rating: 7.5/10
Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Henry Cavill, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Joe Morton, J.K. Simmons, Diane Lane and Connie Nielsen, featuring Ciaran Hinds as the voice of Steppenwolf and Ray Porter as the voice of Darkseid
RATED R for intense action and destruction, language, and gore
By now, we all know the story: Marvel (later known as Disney’s MCU) hit the jackpot when they started teaming up the superhero leads from all their blockbusters films, reaching levels of cultural and box office influence usually reserved for the likes of Star Wars.
DC, which boasts its own treasure trove of beloved comic book heroes and villains, was in a hurry to catch up.
Still, with The Avengers shredding box office records, DC rushed their version of a big team-up, Justice League, into production, with Snyder at the helm. But he had to leave the project after his daughter, Autumn, sadly took her own life. Joss Whedon, writer and director of the first two Avengers films, was brought in to patch things up.
Burdened by everything from Whedon and Snyder’s differing styles as filmmakers to Henry Cavill’s CGI-ed mouth (by the time reshoots began, the actor had moved on to a contractually-mustachioed role in 2018’s Mission Impossible: Fallout), Justice League stumbled into theaters as a crammed, underwhelming and ultimately forgettable release (which I gave a 5.5 out of 10 on this blog).
Amidst this massive disappointment, DC limped on, eventually gaining some traction with 2019’s colorful Shazam!, the smash hit Aquaman, and 2020’s Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. But then, the long-anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 left fans divided upon its late 2020 release.
Then, finally, after years of rumors that Zack Snyder had filmed a version of the movie that was very different from what ultimately came to theaters, Snyder gathered his old footage and released Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a 4 hour, 2 minute monolith currently on HBO Max that showcases his original vision for the project.
The gist is still the same. The world is in mourning following the death of Superman (Cavill, whose demise came at the end of Batman v Superman). Unsettled by a doomsday proclamation given by an imprisoned Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), Bruce Wayne (Affleck) has kept in close contact with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), while also monitoring the activities of uniquely-gifted individuals like the super-quick Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) and ocean-dwelling tough guy Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa). When a nasty inter-dimensional baddie named Steppenwolf (voiced by Ciaran Hinds) comes to earth with an army at his back, seeking three all-powerful relics called “Mother Boxes”, Bruce reaches out to his “team”. Lingering nearby is the mysterious Cyborg (Ray Fisher), whose enhanced sensibilities enable him to unpack any data and analyze any situation.
Turns out, Steppenwolf is just the beginning—he seeks to level Earth so that his interstellar overlord, Darkseid (voice of Ray Porter) can find some rumored cosmic force that will help him conquer all worlds. If Steppenwolf can gather the Mother Boxes and fuse them together, the (short) countdown to Earth’s destruction will be on, as will Darkseid’s desired conquest of the universe. Bruce and his “super friends” are ready and willing to fight, but facing foes and weapons from other dimensions, they realize they need another ally, one with strength and abilities beyond this Earth: Superman.
It should be noted that Zack Snyder’s Justice League is not just a longer version of the same film (unlike, say, the director’s Extended and Super Cut versions of his 2009 DC venture, Watchmen). While this movie follows the same basic plot beats, I’d say 80 percent of the footage is actually different. Most of Whedon’s jokes have been yanked, every scene has been expanded, supporting characters who had/have yet to appear in their own films (Cyborg and the Flash) have been fleshed out, and DC’s Big Bad, Darkseid, makes an appearance.
The biggest bonus of this new version – and there are many pluses, from a better-looking Steppenwolf to a more palatable color scheme – is the increased development of Cyborg. Reduced to a brooding presence and a few punch-lines in the original release, Cyborg here gets major character treatment, the movie exploring the car accident that mangled him, his increasing awareness of his superhuman abilities, and his strained relationship with his scientist father (Joe Morton). Given this depth, Cyborg morphs from a barely-there outsider to arguably the handiest and most central member of the team—at least until a rejuvenated Superman shows up. In fact, each “major supporting” character – Miller’s Flash, Momoa’s Aquaman, even Amy Adams’ Lois Lane – gets more time to breathe in this version.
This movie isn’t perfect. Snyder’s love of slo-mo means that there’s probably 20 minutes they could have cut off, not to mention more would-be ending scenes than The Return of the King.
It’s also perhaps inevitable that Zack Snyder's Justice League feels strained and out-of-time. It’s weird seeing Arthur Curry playing rebel-without-a-cause after he claimed the Antlantean throne in the memorably-entertaining Aquaman, it’s awkward watching Amber Heart as Curry’s love interest Mera knowing the offscreen drama that recently got her recast, and there’s an air of melancholy witnessing Affleck and Cavill in roles they have already exited. This movie feels like it could have been the start of something, but, with the recasting, the subsequent standalones that furthered the timeline, and the notion that The Batman (with Robert Pattinson under the cape and cowl) is on the horizon, it has already been passed by.
Still, with a mix of small character moments, key flashbacks, exciting team-ups, colorful visits to Themyscira and Atlantis, and great action, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a strong and full vision, a much worthier outing for DC’s greatest heroes and something more capable of contending with the Avengers films.
Bottom Line
In a time when blockbusters tend to be short, snappy, and action-packed, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the rare comic book movie that takes its time, incorporating key character flashbacks, imaginative fantasy sequences, and an army of supporting players into a project that feels whole and inspired, and generates the overall feeling of depth and closure more commonly found in a TV miniseries. The characters are stronger, the effects are better, and the team-up (and inevitable triumph) feels more earned. Thank you, Zack Snyder.
ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE (2021)
Directed by Zack Snyder
Screenplay by Chris Terrio
Story by Zack Snyder, Chris Terrio and Will Beall
Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Batman crated by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Wonder Woman created by William Moultom Marston
Justice League of America created by Gardner Fox
Fourth World created by Jack Kirby
Length: 242 minutes (4 hrs. 2 minutes)
Rated R
