Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a cinematic unicorn. It exists only because so many people believed in it, despite the best efforts of the studio to keep it from happening. If you are unfamiliar with the story behind this four-hour opus, then here is a quick rundown. Zack Snyder was originally hired to direct the 2017 cut of Justice League, but took a temporary leave due to the death of his daughter. While he was absent, Warner Bros. Executives who were fearful of audience reaction to his version of the film fired him, and brought on Joss Whedon to finish the project. They said that Whedon was chosen by Snyder to finish his vision of the film, which was categorically untrue. Whedon cut villains, storylines, and character introductions, and the movie was panned. Fans immediately realized that there must be a better version somewhere, fueled largely by Zack Snyder’s Vero posts, and the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement began, culminating in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The film is unarguably better than the 2017 version, but as other critics have debated, is it good?
The Snyder Cut is an epic. It is rare that a film reaches over the 3-hour mark, even Marvel with Avengers: Endgame stopped right at that limit, and even more rare that the film justifies that length. This one, however, justifies not only the four hours that it was given, but hour and hours after that. It is innately interesting, incredibly well-written, well-acted, and quite surprisingly, well-paced. The action begins almost immediately, and it is interspersed well throughout the film. Even in the moments without action, the dialogue and the story is enough to keep the audience engaged. Rare is the comic-book film that shakes loose its own genre and rises above what was thought to be possible. The Dark Knight did it, Joker did it, and now Zack Snyder’s Justice League has done it. The latter film is almost undeniably of the same quality as the former two, a masterpiece in its own right.
The film managed to introduce three new characters in a way that felt both natural, and complete. If they were never again revisited, the audience still understands why they mattered. The Flash and Cyborg are the central parts of the film, and their backstories are explained as thoroughly as they would be if explained in a solo film. Aquaman was a conflicted, well-developed character, and one that was enthralling to watch grow and change in the course of a single movie. In the era of the connected cinematic-universe it is not often that a character arc happens in a single film, and in this film, we had three. That alone justifies masterpiece status for this film.
The scope of the film expands far beyond its lengthy runtime, setting up at least two direct sequels and a plethora of indirect continuations. The main villain of the film was only sparsely present, only becoming a relevant threat after the final battle of the third act. The film ends begging to be continued, and even casual DC fans will have reason to raise the cry to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. There are several character arcs that deserve to be wrapped up, including those of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. The story feels like it is still in the rising action, having not yet reached even the climax, much less the denouement. Undoubtedly it deserves the sequels it was created to set up, and the sheer quality of the film should be enough to warrant those. On a personal note, this is now my favorite comic book film, and it is one I will not hesitate to recommend to anyone. #RestoreTheSnyderVerse
Verdict: 10/10
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