By Juan Calvillo
Warner Bros. recently released “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” which is an exciting romp through the DC Comics universe, and a different movie than 2017’s “Justice League.”
What the film does best is show the hit movie Warner Bros. could have released three years ago. It also gives audiences a glimpse into the world building director Snyder had in mind when it came to the pantheon of DC Comics heroes and villains.
While “Zach Synder’s Justice League” follows a similar story as the original movie, the film is a great example of the old adage: “it’s the journey, not the destination.” Synder’s director’s cut diverges from the original almost instantly.
The movie retains all of its stars with Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, and Henry Cavill as Superman. The big plus this time around is the attention the other three heroes get during the film’s four hour run time.
This time around the movie shows more background for Ezra Miller’s The Flash, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, and Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman. While the original gave some back story on The Flash, both Aquaman and Cyborg were left by the wayside.
Telling a much fuller story for these new heroes gives the audience a better understanding of why the characters are in the movie, and it also allows for a deeper connection to the film.
Above all the actors in the film it’s Miller who truly shines. In the original “Justice League” his character was given a moment or two shine as not only comedic relief.
This time around Miller retains the comedic moments but audiences get a deeper dive into the emotional turmoil he faces. The final outcome of the movie makes his moments with his father seem all that more emotional. It also makes the elation of their final scene so much more deserving than in the original.
“Zach Snyder’s Justice League” not only gives more story for its heroes, but it also dives into more of its villains goals.
In showing more of the villains the movie also shows the possibilities that would have opened for DC Comics and it’s movies. The trailers show not only the main villain Steppenwolf, voiced by Ciaran Hinds, they also show the more unknown Darkseid, voiced by Ray Porter. Snyder’s movie gives the main villain a backstory and more to do rather than simply trying to destroy the world.
The movie shows that villains in big popcorn movies can have some added depth and can actually serve a greater purpose to the movie as a whole.
The visuals are spot on in the movie. The trailers show much of the distinct changes some of the heroes get during the movie and it’s interesting to watch the dynamic effects that occur in most of the big battle sequences.
The look of Steppenwolf, the daemons and even Darkseid are very interesting. The only detraction from this is the armor they give Steppenwolf and the changes Cyborg has in some of the characters’ flight scenes.
A review would be empty without addressing the question of whether this version or the original is the better movie. Suffice it to say that Snyder’s cut of “Justice League” is a much darker, thought-out version of the movie audiences saw in 2017.
The biggest difference this movie brings to the table is its interest in delving more into the stories of each new character and providing a different take on DC Comics first foray into superhero team ups. Comparing the two films is like comparing apples and oranges or comedies and dramas. It doesn’t make sense to do so.
“Zach Snyder’s Justice League” is a different film than what fans were treated to in 2017’s version. Some may point out that if this version of the film had come out in 2017 the landscape for big-budget-hero-flicks would be different.
In the end it’s about the audiences having stellar movies to watch, especially during today’s tough times.
“Zach Snyder’s Justice League” has a running time of 242 mins. The film is now available to stream on HBO MAX and is rated R for violence and some language.