Zack Synder's Justice League review

 

           Be warned there will be *SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it.

Back in 2017 Justice League was released to the world. Needless to say it wasn't met with exactly amazing reviews by almost everyone who watched the movie. Full of problems both behind the scenes and in front of the camera the movie was pretty much a damp squid. But a strong movement began to grow online soon after the movies release. A movement that started with the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. Could a director's cut of the movie really be any different from what was released in theaters the world over? and if so just why was director Zack Synders true vision pretty much tore up and thrown to the side like a child's play thing. Months and months passed with little to no real news that the 'Snyder Cut' would be released. That is until 2020 when the director unveiled his movie with a 2021 release on the HBO MAX streaming app. The fans had won, a directors vision would be seen through and with that let us begin the review..

Zack Synder's Justice League is a true behemoth of a movie. Clocking in at just over 4 hours long it's almost as if this movie ate the theatrical version for breakfast. All the cast is the same here so nothing has changed drastically in that aspect apart from some characters i.e Flash & Cyborg having a whole lot more screen time to develop and prove just why they belong on the big screen and as apart of the Justice League.  Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Mamoa and Henry Cavill are here too as Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Superman respectively. Following on from the events of Batman v Superman : Dawn Of Justice, Justice League opens with a fallen Superman's last scream of pain before demise flooding through space and time. A giant sound barrier is seen passing over all areas of the world as earth's mightiest hero has fallen. The opening sequence is in true Zack Synder fashion just epic. Much like the opening to Batman V Superman this opening is almost poetic like in it's depiction of Superman and what his dying, final breath entailed. From there the movie flows along naturally with plenty of familiar scenes in location and dialogue. Bruce Wayne begins his recruitment of other hero's to join his cause and fight against the incoming threat. It's all good stuff and is perfectly balanced as this movie is split into 6 chapters and an epilogue and to be honest it makes it flow a lot better. You could easily dip in and out of each chapter as each one feels self contained in itself and tells it's own arc. So for the most part the story for Justice League is intact but it's fleshed out so much more that the theatrical cut is left feeling like an empty husk. Gone are the silly jokes, gone are the downright stupid moments like The Flash ''falling'' right on top of Wonder Woman's chest. That's not to say there isn't some jokes here because there are but they are down properly and add to the scene when they do happen. 

Upon the theatrical cut's release and everything that followed it Zack Synder had stated that Cyborg was the heart of his version of the movie. So is Victor Stone aka Cyborg actually that important? the answer is yes. He absolutely is. He is the driving force of the movie along with Barry Allen / The Flash. Speaking of The Scarlet Speedster he too gets a lot of cut content restored like saving Iris West (his future wife in a future movie perhaps) more scenes with his dad Herny Allen and a scene towards the end of the movie that is sure to leave any hardcore DC fan jumping and cheering with joy. The rest of the cast do a bang up job here too truthfully some are far superior here than they were in the theatrical version. Ben Afflecks Batman is still not quite as good as he was in Batman V Superman but he is vastly improved over what we got in the cinema release. 

So all in all was Zack Synder's Justice League worth the wait? absolutely it was. It's just shy of 4 hours long but it doesn't feel nowhere near that length. It's more focused on it's narrative, a lot better character wise especially with the villainous Steppenwolf. He goes from a mother mentioning minimal threat to an actual character with a lot more backstory and motivation given as to why he's doing what he's doing. And as for the fabled ''Knightmare Scene'' that promised so much I can safely say it is absolutely spectacular. It promised a lot and had a lot to live up to after Batman V Superman but it does deliver and in such big ways. Not only does it give us our first on screen interaction between this universe's Joker and Batman but it also gives us a glimpse at the world that would be created after Lois Lane is killed and Superman goes totally AWOL. The interaction between Batman and Joker is nothing short of pure brilliance as the way they bounce off one another is just gripping to watch. It's so fascinating to just sit and think afterwards how much of their relationship we haven't seen but has actually taken place spanning decades. Zack Synder has created and built a universe unlike any other in the DC universe with this movie, Man of Steel and Batman V Superman. He took a lot of bold risks and boy have they paid off. His unique vision and storytelling will live on for years to come as even though this is seemingly the last DC movie he will helm fans and stars alike seem intent on making another part happen. Could it really come to fruition? I for one really hope so as there is so much to still unpack and be told. If it is to be the end then all I can say as a hardcore DC fan myself is thank you Zack Synder. And thank you to everyone who made this all a reality. This universe and vision for these characters that I adore so much will live on with me and many others for a long, long time. Zack Synder's Justice League is a masterpiece of the superhero genre and most importantly it's just a beautiful movie through and through. 

★★★★★