Joey Magidson
Readers, Zack Snyder’s Justice League has been out in the world for a few days now. For some of you, it has been a time for celebration. Other folks have been more reticent about it. Plenty are somewhere in between. Regardless, Zack Snyder‘s vision for Justice League is currently being consumed on HBO Max, and that’s noteworthy. Starting up a recurring piece that I want to feature from time to time here at Awards Radar, we’re asking for your thoughts on the film. Whenever something noteworthy is released, we’re going to be taking the temperature of the room, as it were. Hopefully, this will build up the community aspect of the site, generating extra debate and discussion.
Did you love Zack Snyder’s Justice League? If so, let us know. Did you find it to be a disappointment or a letdown? If so, we want to hear from you. No matter how you reacted, we’re curious to discover your thoughts about the movie. Personally, I found it to be much better than expected, somewhat redeeming the original, more deeply flawed, product.
As I said in my review:
It exists and I have seen it. The Snyder Cut is no longer a myth. Yes, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is days away from hitting HBO Max and the embargo has lifted. So, how is it? Well, it’s a bit complicated. Taken on its own, Zack Snyder‘s epic is bloated, overly serious, and somewhat of a mixed bag. However, when you consider what Joss Whedon had done with Justice League when he took over from Snyder, the improvement is palpable. Snyder and his producer/wife Deborah Snyder not only got to come rescue their baby in the shadow of tragedy, but they did manage to give fans what they wanted. That alone is worthy of some acclaim and respect, even before you consider the worthiness of this film.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is still a shaggy dog, but it’s one with a coherent vision at its core. That really does count for something. The movie takes far too long to get where its going, almost trying to be individual short films for most of its heroes, but it does build to something effective. Plus, improved CGI, as well as a better tone, help make this a surprisingly smooth ride, bumps and all.
What did you think of Zack Snyder’s Justice League? Let us know!
I found the first 2 and a half hours or so to be absolutely delightful. I believe Joey said that it was fascinating to watch a movie that just completely disregards pacing, and for a film of this scope and with this many characters, the length was not only justified, but a breath of fresh air. Its like the film could get on with being about the actual people and not just the plot.
Ray Fisher and Billy Crudup were expectedly the performance standouts, but I was also seriously impressed with Ciaran Hinds. No, I’m not kidding. The improved design is one thing, but that they actually managed to evoke sympathy over and over again is incredible. Even though the heroes are fighting to prevent the literal end of the world, it somehow feels like Steppenwolf has the most to lose, and Hinds sells it in a way I would have never thought possible with ‘that’ voice. Its like the sadness was always there in his voice, but we didn’t have a way of identifying it as sadness without those extra scenes. Steppenwolf is, against all odds, probably my favorite aspect of the Snyder Cut.
I remember giving the original Justice League the mildest of passes at the time simply because, at long last, they finally managed to get Superman right. It was pretty thrilling to see an interpretation of the character that was so unabashedly pleasant and optimistic. I left the theater feeling like I won a small victory in that regard despite the quality of the rest of the film.
I really, really shouldn’t have been surprised that the Snyder Cut jettisoned all of that. Like, we couldn’t have at least kept the bright blue and red suit? Once Superman arrives at the end, he verbalizes almost nothing and we just get shots of him looking pissed as hell as he shoots evil looking laser beams out of his eyes. And none of his appearance feels cool on a dramatic level either because it looks like Wonder Woman and Aquaman were doing just fine defeating Steppenwolf on their own. Superman sucks.
Its definitely better than the original, but not by much. Would probably have the two films next to each other in a DCEU ranking. Also, the Joker scene suuuuuucked.
Fair points!