This review does not include spoilers for “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”
Four years after the D.C. movie “Justice League” was released, Zack Snyder, the original director, was able to release his four-hour adaptation of the film.
However, after his daughter’s passing, Snyder left mid-production for mental health reasons, handing over the director role to Joss Whedon. Whedon proceeded to strip down much of Snyder’s vision, taking the film in a different direction than Snyder’s had planned. However, much of the cast was upset with how Whedon’s “Justice League” turned out and felt that the audience had a right to see Snyder’s original vision. This led to a movement called “Release the Snyder Cut,” which ended up giving Snyder the chance and funding from HBO Max to make his adaptation happen, according to Vanity Fair. With funding and full creative control, Snyder undid Whedon’s version of “Justice League” and brought his rough cut to life.
It’s not hard to notice that the “Snyder Cut” is much more detailed than the original, seeing as it is four hours long as opposed to the original two hours. If there is one word to describe the new version, it would be depth. Stripped down, both the original “Justice League” and the “Snyder Cut” have the same plot, but the “Snyder Cut” does a much better job with storytelling. Unlike the original, which almost seems rushed, the “Snyder Cut” takes its time to go through every detail of the plot. It ensures that the viewers understand the “why” of everything and not just the “what.”
In the original, the characters seem to just do things because it’s how the movie is supposed to progress; but in Snyder’s adaptation, it’s clearly explained why certain events take place.
The “Snyder Cut” also makes the main characters seem more like a team rather than just some people working together; it gives them more backstory and character development. In the original “Justice League,” many of the main characters seemed more like side characters. For example, in the new adaptation, the Flash has some solo scenes where the viewers get a look into his life. In the original, he was just the fast and slightly annoying comic relief. The “Snyder Cut” made his character more enjoyable and allowed the viewers to understand him more.
The movie also brought attention to many other side characters that were mentioned in the original but were essentially forgotten.
Overall, the production of the “Snyder Cut” is much better than the original “Justice League.” In order to bring Snyder’s adaptation to life, they reshot some scenes. The fighting scenes in the adaptation were more cinematic and interesting to watch. There were some great shots during the fight scenes that truly brought the whole movie together.
Overall, Snyder’s adaptation of “Justice League” is truly a pleasant cinematic experience and anyone that didn’t feel satisfied with Whedon’s version should take the time to watch Snyder’s.