** While this review is spoiler-free, small spoilers might be mentioned. Most mentions are seen in trailers or TV spots. **
Zack Snyder’s Justice League has been a long road. Since Snyder left the theatrical production due to a death in his family, his fans have bided their time. Rumors, debates and arguments took over the internet.
The existence of the so-called Snyder-cut was believed to be a myth by some.
Even this time last year we didn’t know it’d ever happen. Yet, last May Zack Snyder announced the age of heroes would come again. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is now streaming on HBO Max. It’s over 4 hours long including the intermission and credits.
But was it worth the wait?
Personally, I thought it was. It fixes issues from the theatrical, and causes some of its own. But, as a whole, it’s a better movie than what we got in 2017. It’s also Zack Snyder’s brightest DC movie and is filled with hope. Batman is back to his comic-self and has hope thanks to the sacrifice of Superman.
Wonder Woman’s warrior side comes out in full-force. She also isn’t the crux of several sexist jokes unlike in Joss Whedon’s take. But, I’m not here to talk about that one. It’s all about the one we should have seen back then.
It’s good to see Diana not being boiled down to her relationship with Steve Trevor. She has several action sequences, as well Tomb Raider-esque moments that made me happy.
The character who has the biggest difference is Cyborg. It’s easy to see why Ray Fisher campaigned with fans. The title might say Justice League but Cyborg becomes its heart. This is his hero journey while surrounded by legends and novices.
Victor Stone goes through a lot in a short amount of time. Furthermore, he’s also fighting with himself. There is a big focus on him coming to terms with who he is. That’s something many of us can relate to. By the end, you’ll want Warner Brothers to do the right thing and bring him back.
Steppenwolf is another changed character. He doesn’t call the Mother Boxes mother thankfully, and he has an arc. He failed his Lord, Darkseid, in the past and tries to make up for it. Since he isn’t welcome on Apokolips anymore, Steppenwolf goes on his own mission to change Earth in Darkseid’s image.
There are moments where I found myself feeling bad for him. It was slightly awkward considering my previous article on not all villains needing arcs or redemption. This is the exception where a fleshed-out reason works better.
I don’t want to go too deep into the movie as this is only a spoiler-free review. In my next review, I’ll delve into specifics. However, I will say, I have seen people who aren’t fans of Man of Steel and Batman V Superman who enjoyed this one.
So, even if you aren’t a fan of Snyder’s previous work, I recommend you give it a try. And if 4 hours seems daunting to you, don’t worry. The film breaks into 7 chapters and comes with an intermission.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is now streaming on HBO Max.
