There is no doubt this was one of the most anticipated films of the year. After years of calls from fans, it is finally time to see this 2017 film through the eyes of the original director, Zack Snyder. Warner Brothers bent to the fans will, the Snyder Cut is now very real thing, and what a transformation we have received.
Written by Elliot Lines
Back in 2017 the release of Justice League was highly anticipated, but with a string of awful events, complications on set and plenty of re-shoots, the end product was ultimately a disaster. This called for a rescue mission, which came in the form of original director Zack Snyder. The fans screamed loud enough for Warner Brothers to hear and they got their wish. It was going to be difficult to match the poor reception the 2017 film received, but this was always going to be under the spotlight. Mounted with pressure, what has been produced here is miles better than even expected, it shows what could have been done with the DCEU had time been spent on building a franchise to compete with Marvel.
A four hour run time is something that anyone could gawp at, strangely this benefits from the length. The time flies, showcasing how enjoyable this experience is. You could easily put this into two films, but the extra time allows for a smooth flowing story.
One problem with 2017 film was how cramped it felt, almost rushed, a common theme in the DCEU, but here there is no such feeling. Each character feels more fleshed out, giving each one of them a huge part to play in the development of the story. One in particular was Cyborg, who's part here is astronomically larger than before, he feels integral to the story, unlike the previous film.
However, we quite easily could've stopped at around 3 and a half hours, but clearly Zack Snyder wanted to show his full vision. Therefore the last half hour did feel slightly disconnected to the rest of the film, although creating excitement for what could've been, or what could be to come?
Warner Brothers clearly realised the potential of what had been done, and giving Snyder the war chest to finish his work was a fantastic move. The changes made to some of the CGI, with Steppenwolf the notable character getting the biggest upgrade, were a clear indication of where the 2017 film was pushed out to quickly. Action scenes here were bold, these are action set pieces that deserve to look their best. Filled with big superhero moves and well choreographed fight scenes which felt crisp, there almost felt like there were bigger stakes here. Unfortunately at times there may of been a little overuse of the slow-mo function, which in the Flashes case it needs to be used, but may not of been necessary for every character.
You should not be put off by the length of the film, spending more time with these characters gives them more meaning to this story. Now not feeling like a superhero mash up for the sake of it, Zack Snyder's Justice League provides a more elegantly assembled superhero ensemble.