Zack Snyder’s Justice League Review
“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is an undeniably different film than what was released theatrically in 2017. Even though this movie is double the length, it is far more than just an additional two hours of runtime. Director Zack Snyder avoided any footage filmed by Joss Whedon which was reported to be roughly 90% of the theatrical release leading to entirely new subplots, characters, tonal choices, and visual effects. However, while it is an objectively better movie, this review will avoid significant direct comparisons between the two films. Being an improvement does not necessarily mean one’s work is good which is why this will be a look at how “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” stands on its own merits.
As the name implies, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” was directed by Zack Snyder and stars an ensemble cast consisting of Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, and Henry Cavill. The movie follows a group of superheroes, based on characters from DC comics, who must join together to fight against a cosmic threat. The premise itself is nothing new to those familiar with the superhero genre, but the dark tone sets the movie apart from the competition at Marvel.
Even from the opening scene, it is obvious that this film is crafted in Zack Snyder’s signature style which will appease the many fans who demanded this release for four years. Yet that also means it comes with all of the flaws of Zack Snyder’s action-packed filmography. Beautiful cinematography and phenomenal fight sequences are offset by odd structural choices, poor pacing, and an excessive amount of slow motion.
Entire essays could be written about Zack Snyder’s obsession with moments and this film is guilty of having many shots that are chill-inducing but are nothing more than that: just beautiful framing with little underneath. Despite an over-reliance on CGI, this film is gorgeous. There are so many memorable shots that stick with you long after the credits finish rolling that it would not be worth it to try and recount them. However, these too often have a tendency to take first priority over equally important aspects such as narrative and pacing. Visually impressive scenes and shots are included or dragged on that could have easily been edited down or cut out entirely. It was clear in many instances that the filmmakers favored effect over storytelling as it is easy to remember specific moments from the film but much harder to recall larger scenes or plot details.
Similarly, this film by no means needed to be 242 minutes. Many times, it feels heavily unedited and seems that Zack Snyder wanted to include every single second of footage that he captured whether or not it was crucial to the story. Yet even with such an extensive length, the film still sometimes feels rushed, especially starting in Part 3: Beloved Mother, Beloved Son. Roughly an hour into the film, two main members of the Justice League still needed to be given full introductions. These introductions then appeared back-to-back disrupting the flow of the entire movie which is merely one example of many rushed sequences. There are also too many scenes that require significant suspension of disbelief where the viewer needs to look past the absurd, over-the-top alien explanations in order to progress the story.
There is a formal structure set by six parts bookended with a prologue and an epilogue. But within each chapter and across the film as a whole, there is some intensely messy storytelling. Character reveals are either slow-burning or wildly fast and flashbacks invade the narrative at seemingly random times. Parts range from highly linear to chaotically nonlinear. This is acceptable if watched as separate parts, or if it were released as a four-part mini-series as originally planned, but when put together it feels quite inconsistent. Although there are pacing and structural problems, the movie never collapses under the weight of all that it set out to accomplish which is an impressive feat. Characters and subplots are intercut enough that they are never forgotten, and entire origin stories are told without grinding the story to a standstill.
Even though there can be complaints about the runtime and scenes that could have easily been cut, it does allow for much-needed character development. The action sequences are masterful and exciting to watch, but the reason this movie works is because the audience is lead to care for the people they are watching. Delicate scenes like Diana making a pot of tea with Alfred serve as a reminder that these heroes are also human and makes them appear vulnerable even after seeing them being basically invincible. And while the character arcs are relatively simple, they show enough personal progression to keep investment high.
To dive further into the action, it should come as no surprise to Zack Snyder fans that the fight scenes are thrilling and well-choreographed and will be the highlight of the film to many. But the reason the action works so well is because it understands an often-overlooked aspect of battles in film: momentum. No fight scene in this movie is just characters beating down on other characters like a child smashing his action figures together. There is always a clear winning and losing side and these sides are highly dynamic. Momentum shifts in a clear visual manner often making it obvious when to be fearful for the protagonists and when to sit back and take a breath. On top of that, even though Steppenwolf is a relatively generic villain with underdeveloped motivations, he serves as a formidable and believable enemy for the Justice League.
Overall, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is a visually impressive epic that succeeds in telling its laundry list of plot points, even if it occasionally comes close to falling apart. Snyder Cut fanatics will be satisfied but even casual viewers will find significant enjoyment in Zack Snyder’s dark albeit flawed vision.
Consensus: 3.5/5
