Saucy Streaming Cinema: Zack Synder’s Justice League

I’m excited to try some new BBQ joints soon as it becomes safer to travel to these destinations! Until then, I’ll be leaning on the entertainment side of the blog. And today, I’m excited to talk about Zack Synder’s Justice League!

Around 3.5 years ago, I wrote a piece for this blog pondering whether the DCEU was the most disappointing superhero franchise of all time. I wonder if that is still true, but there is no denying that Shazam! and Birds of Prey have injected some life into the series. Despite the studio executives moving forward with new entries, a contingent of fans couldn’t help but look back at Justice League and the colossal disappointment they felt watching the film. It wasn’t great then, and with the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBOMax, it is arguably even worse today. 

I’m not going to litigate the “Snydercut” movement or do a deep dive into the examples of toxicity of the fandom (worth doing, but this is a review). We have the film now, and it is almost impossible to view the movie in a vacuum. The core story remains the same- the Justice League must form to confront Steppenwolf and his evil plot to unite three motherboxes which will lead to the world’s destruction. To do so, they need to bring Superman back from the dead to fight their new foe and his army.  It’s fairly polarizing, with many fans decrying it either the worst comic book movie or the best. So let’s slice through the hype (like a cut of well smoked brisket) and dissect this film. 

WARNING! THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

THE GOOD:

I’m trying out a new formula for my reviews. I really need to try and bring more positivity to my analysis, so here it is! There are plenty of things I dug about this version of Justice League. In the theatrical cut, I noted that Cyborg was one of the few elements I enjoyed, and he has an expanded role in this version, to the point where it becomes clear he’s the closest thing to a main character we have. He deserved the spotlight, and Ray Fisher commands a great screen presence even under CGI which isn’t always believable. This extends even in combat, with extra arms emerging from Cyborg to help the baddies. 

Another positive aspect fixes one of my biggest problems with the theatrical cut- the climax. Overall, the action direction is miles and away better than the pervious cut, but it’s really the fact that the final sequence gives every character something important to do, rather than simply waiting for Superman to show up. This is especially true for the Flash, who must use his powers to help Cyborg separate the motherboxes, going so far as to reversing time to prevent the real threat- Darkseid- from claiming victory. It’s a thrilling finale, and maybe Snyder’s best action in the DCEU.

The extra time gives the characters a chance to breathe, and Aquaman’s backstory in particular is filled in here, although there is very little new information since this version of Justice League was released after his solo film. The addition of Darkseid and the rewriting of Steppenwolf’s backstory expands the world even further. However, instead of simply focusing on the new footage here, I’d like to note how much better the movie is with the removal of key scenes and jokes. Gone is the CG Superlip, the awkward opening with Batman and a criminal, and some of the worst Flash jokes. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some lame attempts at humor, but it’s not nearly as exhausting as the previous version. 

THE BAD:

The first negative thing is obvious- the movie simply does not need to be this long. It seems like a movie without an editor interested in taking out scenes which are repetitive or add nothing to the story. Barry saving Iris, the painfully long scene of Wonder Woman finding the Darkseid painting, and the Martian Manhunter sequences add nothing to the core story, and just pad out the runtime. Martian Manhunter is a particular egregious addition, since his reveal transforms a quiet emotional scene into a weirdly emotionally manipulative one. His appearance at the end adds more question than answers, and it’s just indicative of the indulgent nature of the film. You could also shave some time off by removing some of the slow mo. In a four hour film, Zack Snyder’s worst tendencies are amplified, and his limitations as a director are exposed.

The core story is simply not an engaging one, no matter how many scenes you add. Steppenwolf isn’t interesting enough for me to care about, and his new motivation is vague- the movie removes his initial defeat, replaces him with Darkseid in the invasion scene, and just adds generic lines about Steppenwolf’s redemption. Even with the long runtime, Aquaman and Batman are still bland versions of their characters, with boilerplate and cliche motivations/arcs. Cyborg and Wonder Woman remain the best characters, and Superman surprisingly regresses. One of the few things the theatrical cut gets right is Superman, and his smile and demeanor did a lot to erase the bad taste of the dour Superman the DCEU has embraced. We get a badass Superman-with a black suit to boot- but not a very engaging one. The Flash fares somewhat better, but he essentially uses the same trick twice- reversing time for both the Superman resurrection scene and the finale. And the overarching “Knightmare” sequences have hinted future sequels would see him do the exact same thing to avoid a dystopian future.

The brief sequence with Batman and Joker is, to put it mildly, bad. The dialogue (“…I will fucking kill you..”), the performances, and the awful camera work just create an awful distraction from an otherwise straightforward story which seemingly culminates in a message about hope. This future essentially says “you think these heroes united and that’s the best of humanity? nah, our heroes are awful people, life is awful, and they will destroy us.” It completely undermines the primary story.

THE VERDICT:

Right off the bat: This is a better film than the theatrical cut. I’d go even further and say it’s better than Batman v. Superman, Suicide Squad, and Aquaman. As far as the DCEU, it’s firmly in the middle of the pack. While I prefer Superman from the Theatrical Cut and the inclusion of Wonder Woman’s arc of (sort of) being the de facto leader, this is simply a superior version and vindication for its director. Now, there is no way this would have would have been released as is back in 2017, but there is no reason a 2.5-3 hour cut couldn’t have been shown in theaters. It certainly would have cost less. After enduring so much tragedy, I’m happy for Zack Snyder that he was able to complete his vision. Any complaints or critiques I have are not reflective of what I think of Zack Snyder as a person.

Despite being a better version, the film often suffers from its runtime, or more accurately- Snyder’s use of his runtime. Scenes often repeat beats or serve no purpose other than to remind audiences some of these characters exist (the Lois Lane and early Aquaman scenes come to mind). Additionally, many scenes are there just for sequel bait, including the reveal of Martian Manhunter and all things “Knightmare” related. In the end, however, many of the problems can simply be traced back to the core story, which is terminally flawed in my view. Steppenwolf is not the protagonist worthy of bringing this supergroup to cinema, and too many beats feel a bit similar to the first Avengers film. Most of the characters aren’t developed to a meaningful degree, or at least not to any extent which makes them engaging. When the movie is dedicated to its best character- Cyborg- it does great work. There is no reason Flash and Aquaman couldn’t have had similar treatment. What’s worse, Superman-while talked about quite a bit- is an afterthought of a character by the end of the movie. While the movie continues to suffer from some rough CGI in patches, these are the real issues which bring the experience down.

Again there’s a lot to like here. The universe feels established, and uncovering the mythology is a fun ride. The DCEU is rich with histories of ancient civilizations, aliens, and literal gods. It’s a well crafted universe. There are some thrilling action sequences (although I could do without Superman vs. the League), and characters like The Flash get more do here rather than being solely dedicated to comedy relief and saving civilians. Despite my issues, the four hour runtime is not the disaster that it could have been either. Gal Gadot, as always, brings such a fantastic presence and energy to the screen, and her scenes with the rest of the league- even the blank bro-slate that is Aquaman- are among the film’s best quiet moments.  Perhaps most impressively, the climax is a true triumph, and it justifies the move to bring these heroes together for an epic team-up. These six heroes just deserve a better story to unite them. 

SCORE- 6.5/10