Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill
Runtime: 242 minutes

Synopsis: Zack Snyder's definitive director's cut of Justice League. Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

Verdict: In what feels like an eternity ago, comic book fans around the globe were excited to finally get to see the beloved Justice League in action. Zack Snyder, who had been up until this point the creative brain behind the DCEU, was hired to direct his third entry in the franchise after “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman”, but had to retreat well into production after tragedy struck his family. Following a battle with depression, his daughter Autumn took her own life in March of 2017 at the age of 20, forcing the director to take a step back to mourn his loss alongside his family. I don’t care how tight their schedule was or how frustrated they were with Snyder’s vision, Warner Bros. did the unimaginable by quickly hiring Joss Whedon to finish a project that has been in the making for years. The result was an abomination of a movie that went down as one of the worst comic book movies of all time and the final nail in the universe Snyder poured so much heart into.

Soon after, an urban legend started making the social media rounds. It stated that a cut of Snyder’s film existed somewhere, prompting a movement urging executives to release it. Did it truly exist at the time? The answer is more complex than a simple yes or no, but it doesn’t matter at this point because the now famously labeled “Snyder Cut” finally saw the light of day. I’d like to preface my thoughts on it by saying that no matter how I felt about it, I see it as a victory of creativity over studio interference. I’m genuinely happy for Zack and his fans and do hope that he gets to see his vision through until the end, even if it's in comic book form instead of feature-length movies.

It’s no secret that I quite enjoy “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman” despite their flaws. Zack’s mythology-based take on superheroes is one that I found to be both fascinating and entertaining. “Justice League”, however, follows a more familiar formula, a direction that leans much more on its entertainment factor than I was expecting. It’s got a lot of action, questionable CGI, a bunch of cheesy lines, some comedic moments that don’t entirely land, and extensive use of slow motion. Surprisingly, I got used to the 4:3 aspect ratio pretty quickly and only saw it as a distraction in the opening minutes of the epic 4-hour long film, which brings me to the film’s positives. “Justice League” uses these 4 hours magnificently, properly setting up the characters, conflicts, and gargantuan stakes. I wasn’t bored for a second and, more importantly, none of it was rushed or lacking in development. There’s no weak link in the superhero line-up as all of them get a chance to shine, even those who were never introduced in prior installments.

I will say, however, that this is one of Snyder’s least visually striking films. And aside from a couple of F-bombs dropped by our protagonists and a few set-ups for potential sequels, I also wasn’t wowed by the narrative which follows a pretty standard blueprint, never allowing the story to stand out.

I’d say that “Justice League” was altogether a rather pleasant and fun watch boosted by a great Tom Holkenborg score, no more, no less. I can definitely see myself revisiting it sometime in the future despite its lengthy runtime, especially if it gets a theatrical release. I can almost guarantee that fans of Snyder’s vision will be begging for more as soon as the credits start rolling. As for the rest, you might end up feeling a little let down. You'll find me somewhere in the middle.

FINAL GRADE: 6/10