By Ben Leschensky
Reporter
I’ll admit it: I liked the 2017 version of Justice League when it came out. I thought it was entertaining, had a decent soundtrack, and featured good chemistry between the superheroes, even if parts of it had me scratching my head (Superman’s upper lip anyone?).
My rosy view of the film faded when I re-watched it last week in anticipation of Zack Snyder’s Justice League release on HBO Max. The jokes fell flat, the action seemed campy, and the ending left me feeling apathetic about the plot’s conclusion.
The new film, passionately dubbed the “Snyder Cut” by legions of fans, blows the original Justice League out of the water. The new movie is epic in every sense; I almost feel embarrassed to say I enjoyed the first one, given how drastically improved the Snyder Cut is. Unlike the Avengers-wannabe film that is the first, the Snyder Cut offers fans the true version of the film as Zack Snyder intended it to be seen: sprawling, gritty, and emotional. As someone who loved Batman v. Superman, the Snyder Cut feels like the natural follow-up to that movie, both visually and storywise.
The film’s four-hour runtime broken into seven “chapters” gives fans extended cuts of all of the action scenes seen in the first movie, and dives deep into character development and emotional drama—something the first version failed to do. Snyder uses the extra two hours of runtime to provide richer backstories for each of the characters, especially Cyborg. We see Cyborg’s complicated history with his family, especially his father, Silas. The dynamic of their relationship throughout the story adds a richness to Victor Stone’s character, and he steals the show. I found myself rooting for him by the end of the film, and I am saddened that he will unlikely get his own movie.
The additional runtime also allows Snyder to develop a more nuanced backstory for the film’s two villains: Steppenwolf and Darkseid. The new version of Steppenwolf looks less humanoid than the first version, and the audience is exposed to his ulterior motives for attacking Earth and bringing the Mother Boxes together. Darkseid, Steppenwolf’s menacing boss, is only mentioned once in the previous film, but he makes his appearance in the Snyder Cut.
Whereas the first film struck a lighter, more colorful tone, the visual effects in this one stuck to the colors and tones seen in Batman v. Superman: black, grey, and dingy. Superman sports a black suit instead of his typical red and blue, paying homage to the colors worn by his Kryptonian parents in 2013’s Man of Steel. The soundtrack is markedly improved as well. Tom Holkenberg offers fans a score that pulls motifs from Man of Steel and Wonder Woman, and new themes for Cyborg and the Flash are equally as moving. As a soundtrack-junkie, the nearly four-hour soundtrack is a delight to listen to.
The Snyder Cut is an excellent film, especially for the fans that willed it into existence. The movie would not have happened without the ardent support of Zack Snyder fans everywhere, and they should feel rewarded for the special final product.