No Major Issues with this Deluxe Edition

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is an indulgent affair that is significantly better than its predecessor. However, it is a Zack Snyder movie. It comes with all the positives and negatives associated with the director. It’s bombastic, violent, and slow-mo heavy. It’s also visually arresting and wholly unique. I expect casual moviegoers will find the movie enjoyable, if not a little confusing, while die-hard comic book fans will absolutely love it.

The crux of the narrative is unchanged from the theatrical version. Batman is on a quest to unite Earth’s heroes (Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg) to stop the baddie Steppenwolf from destroying the world. Along the way, Bats and Co. determine they need to resurrect Superman, who died at the end of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” 

In other words, the story isn’t changed, but the path the heroes take to complete their mission is new. At 4 hours and 2 minutes, “ZSJL” fleshes out the various super beings’ personalities and motivations. Counterintuitively, by giving the characters room to breathe, this version of the film is less of a slog than the theatrical cut. “ZSJL” is still long, but it mostly makes sense, unlike the theatrical release, which was a shallow, tonal mish-mash and a perfect example of why studios shouldn't produce a movie by committee.

Ray Fisher’s Cyborg is the greatest beneficiary of the new version. His complicated relationship with his scientist father is fully explored, giving Fisher ample time to show off his more-than-capable acting chops. All of the other heroes are also noticeably improved, with the debatable exception of Aquaman. Ben Affleck’s Batman is more menacing; Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is compassionate, yet terrifying; Ezra Miller’s Flash is even more quippy and excitable. 

There is also a grandiose quality to the film that matches DC Comics’ characters. They are the equivalent of Greek gods, struggling to protect and relate to mankind. Snyder’s visuals and willingness to linger on shots embody this concept. Said another way, Snyder creates the movie equivalent of lavish splash pages. 

All this being said, there are pacing issues. Snyder’s love for slow motion is admirable, but a few real-time fights would have added much-needed variety. Snyder also has a tendency to go darker than is strictly necessary, both visually and in character violence. He also overstuffs his stories with more, more, more. It can be frustrating but also strangely alluring. 

My hypothesis is that some of the good will “ZSJL” is receiving is due to the context of its release. We’ve been inundated with info about this cut of the film for years, as well as multiple films involving characters from the story. In hindsight, we’re filling in the gaps that exist with this knowledge. If this released in 2017, it would have also received mixed reviews. 

A final point I want to make is about hope. I’ve read several reviews stating that this movie lacks hope. I disagree. Hope is defying the odds. What’s more hopeful than a group of men and women fighting against a power that is vastly stronger than they are? “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is brimming with hope. — David (@itsmedavidcross)