Zack Snyder’s Justice League is coming this week, years after the director was forced to leave the DC Comics superhero blockbuster, and his vision for what could have been will finally see the light of day. Judging from early comments from film critics, this new Justice League could prove to be everything the Joss Whedon’s version wasn’t.
Despite directing Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and also working as a producer on the first Wonder Woman, Snyder left the Justice league project before completion, meaning the movie audiences got to see wasn’t something that contained the true intended identity of the film but was instead a rushed attempt to put together a somewhat working product. That regrettable decision is worsened by allegations from Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher that Whedon and Warner Bros. acted in an abusive manner towards the film’s stars.
Now that Snyder finally got to make the movie he always wanted, it seems his effort and struggles may have been very much worthwhile. Early reviews are already showing plenty of praise for Snyder, calling this Justice League “Superior to the 2017 version in every way,” pointing to a very cohesive story that leaves plenty of room for character development and flashy superhero action. Some critics are actually calling Snyder’s Justice League outright epic or the “most operatic superhero film ever made.”
The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzalez claims to have watched Zack Snyder's Justice League three times and gives a special shout-out to composer Tom Holkenberg’s score, considering it not just a better just Justice League but a good movie in its own right. Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier noted how Snyder’s Justice League is obviously still very similar to Whedon's version yet “very different” for the way it’s improved by all the changes and new material.
Others weren’t as keen as to offer their unconditional praise for Snyder, but even in that case, everyone seems to concur that this is indeed a much better Justice League in absolutely every possible way, although it’s still a bloated superhero movie for some. For true DC fans, it might be comforting to hear that the movie's even gotten approval from the family of Darkseid's creator Jack Kirby, with the villain getting real screen time in this revamped version.
Perhaps the biggest question still left to be made is how a movie that only works when edited as a four-hour cut could have actually made it to theaters without it being transformed into a noticeably inferior experience. All that being said, Snyder’s Justice League still hasn’t crossed the finish line, as Wonder Woman 1984 also earned early critical praise before being brought down by public perception and memes made by fans.
Zack Snyder's Justice League will be available on HBO Max starting March 18, 2021.
Source: colliderfrosty/Twitter