Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) Review

After 4 years, a social media campaign and countless trailers we finally have Zack Snyder's Justice League in all of its 4 hour glory. It is crazy that a social media campaign really convinced Warner Bros to release this film and I am glad after his personal tragedy that Zack Snyder got the chance to make this film they way he wanted. I watched the film today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a group of people with remarkable abilities coming together in order to save the world from an ancient evil. 

Main Character

I have always said that I really like Ben Affleck as Batman and I think he is great here. He is back to being a more serious character but you see more clearly here how the character has progressed since the events of Batman V Superman and Affleck does that well. He isn't given a real standout action scene but he is given a consistent amount of decent action and Affleck still has the physicality of Batman to make that seem realistic despite being the only member of the team without powers. Gal Gadot is back as Wonder Woman and I think anybody disappointed by Wonder Woman 1984 will be very happy to see her being a real star here. Gadot is a real glue that holds the heroes together and she does it really well and she really shines in the action scenes, she is the main one who shines in the action scenes and that is a real highlight. 

Supporting Characters

In the original version of Justice League, I thought Ray Fisher did a decent job as Victor Stone/Cyborg but he is so much better here and is easily the best character in the film. He is the real heart of the film and we learn so much more about Victor and the pain that he has and continues to go through in his new form. His role is larger and provides some real depth and delving into his personal life does a great job in telling his narrative. Ezra Miller is Barry Allen/The Flash and he is a fun member of the cast, he is clearly the comic relief of the film but he never becomes too much and unfunny, he has his serious moments but he works well as part of the group and is a nice addition. Jason Momoa is back as Aquaman and he is also a lot of fun here, we get a bit more of his backstory and it does work better here and make him feel like he has some development that links to his solo film. Henry Cavill is also back as Superman and he is okay, honestly he isn't in this film that much but he has some really standout moments and though he is less charming then he was in the theatrical cut he is still good here. The real surprise though is Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf. In the theatrical cut he was such a dull villain but here is a terrifying physical presence that has an interesting character arc and he was a great opposition for the Justice League here. 

Story 

The overall story isn't too different to the theatrical cut but it is handled much better here. The characters are just given way more development time here and it does make you care about them and the way they develop as a group. The film has a much larger scale and for the most part it does work, it doesn't feel too shoehorned in and fits the overall feel of the film and what could have been the future of the DCEU. 

Script

The script is good, there is plenty of drama here and we see the characters go through some things that especially with the longer runtime makes you care. There is also humour sprinkled in here mainly from Miller, Momoa and Jeremy Irons as Alfred which does lighten the film at times when it very much needs it. 

Style 

The one thing you can say about Zack Snyder is that he makes great looking films and this is another one of them. The action scenes are great and filmed really well to really encapsulate the epic nature of the characters and the film that we are seeing. Now the one major glaring issue is that this film is 4 hours long and it really shouldn't be, I appreciate the majority of the new content but there are clear parts of the film that could have been cut and it would have provided a better pacing, 3 hours is surely long enough, Avengers Endgame did it and I think this film could have done it. 

Overall

Overall, this is a fantastic film and a Fantastic experience. This is a much improved version of Justice League and what it does is make me want to see more of Snyder's vision for the DCEU. 4 hours is a big commitment so I think only fans will do it but I would say give it a chance, it is a lot of fun. 

Rating - 9/10

Justice League (2017) Review

With the Snyder Cut being announced this previous week I have now rewatched the original version of the film and here is my review for Justice League. The premise of the film sees after Superman's death Batman and Wonder Woman set out to form a team to save the world from the forces of Apokolips.

Main Character

Ben Affleck is back as Batman for the last time and I thought he did a good job in the film. As I mentioned in my Batman V Superman review I really like Affleck as Bruce Wayne and I feel like his character develops a bit this film. You see him as more of a team leader, and a bit more light hearted which felt natural and made him easy to root for in this film, though he doesn't lose his edge as Batman needs to have that. Gal Gadot is back as Wonder Woman and she is great in this film, she is really strong in the role and is a character you can get behind, the dynamic between her and Batman is a highlight of the film and feels like a natural progression from their relationship in the previous film. 

Supporting Characters

Ezra Miller plays The Flash and he did a really good job, his character is nothing new to me due to the character being used in the TV show but it was done effectivley enough. He is clearly the comic relief character and he was funny, I also liked his dynamic of the new hero and you just see his confidence grow in the film which felt like some character depth. Jason Mamoa plays Aquaman here and he isn't given lots of character development but he is no doubt fun to watch, especially in the action scenes. It was a good start for the character which would obviously be further expanded in his own solo movie. Ray Fisher plays Cyborg and he might be the most interesting character in the film, you see how his changes have really affected him as a person, for a big part of this film he feels more like machine then man but working with the other characters brings the best out of him. Now this one could be considered a spoiler but lets face it this was revealed way before the film came out, Henry Cavill is back as Superman and this is The Superman that we should have got in Batman V Superman, he is actually likeable and more charming. He is still great in the action scenes and has the necessary mix of humour and drama that this franchise finally got on track with the character.

Story

The story of seeing this dysfunctional team of special individuals having to come together is fun, I mean we have seen it in The Avengers but it is done fine here and seeing each characters personality come out when together to make a fun dysfunctional group. But the story is kind of all over the place, first the villain, Steppenwolf has really bland motivations and you know he is basically just a glorified henchman for Darkseid. Also due to three of the main characters don't have movies before this, the film has to rush there origins and it feels like we don't really know that much about them except if you are a comic book expert. 

Script

The script is much better here, it has a really good blend of drama and humour to it. It has the Joss Wheddon feel about it which when he took over this film it seems like he added a bit more of a balanced tone instead of Zack Synders very moody tone that had been in his previous films. 

Style 

The style has some interesting action scenes, it had a great representation of the new characters powers especially The Flash which made this a fun film for sure. But there is some CGI issues, especially in the final act, it just seems like it was made in a bit of a rush and without care. Also the first act is choppy and the pacing is off which makes it hard to focus on the important parts. 

Overall

Overall, I was suprised by how much I enjoyed this film, it is a great fun experience with a good set of characters and set up hoepfully the first of more installments of this franchise. If it can get a bit more focused and get a better villain a future Justice League Film could be up there with The Avengers films. 

Rating - 8/10