The Snyder Cut

 Did It Live Up To The Hype?

Possible Spoilers!!!

Ever since the disappointing theatrical release of 'Josstice League' in 2017, DC fans have been campaigning to see the true vision of Zack Snyder's Justice League. It has been a long, difficult and painful journey to get to this day, but after so many years Zack's vision has finally surfaced in the Snyder Cut. So no matter what you actually think of the Snyder Cut, whether you loved it or maybe you think it didn't live up to the hype, it is a true testament to the power of the fans, who have supported Zack all the way and forced WB to clean up the mess they made with the abusive Joss Whedon back in 2017.

So what are my thoughts on the Snyder Cut? Firstly, it's important to note that I never actually saw Josstice League, this was because I didn't want to taint my viewing of the Snyder Cut, I wanted the first time I watch it to be the directors true vision, not some comedy, MCU wannabe mess that Joss produced. So I don't actually have anything to compare it to in terms of improvements. However, I do know what the Josstice League was like and everything that was wrong with it due to all the fans complaints over the years.

Something that was immediately clear to me was the tone this film was setting, It was a lot darker than that of Josstice League, and I think for everyone, a lot more fitting to the stakes being set in the film. If the world is being invaded and you're fighting a losing battle against an alien army, you're not going to be cracking jokes every 5 minutes. A sense of peril and almost hopelessness against overwhelming odds hangs over our hero's as they all have internal battles as to whether or not they believe they can overcome this challenge and defeat evil. A theme that is at the heart of the film is of course unity; Batman/Bruce was the person who assembled the whole team together and just like in the comics, he is the glue that holds the team together, providing motivation for struggling members when they need it most. This feels right to watch, the way it should be, especially when compared to the joke cracking, doubtful Batman that fans saw in the original 2017 film.  

With the centre of the film revolving around each of our troubled hero's it would make sense to invest time into introducing each of them, setting them up for the audience so we have a good understanding of them, what are their motivations? What are their fears? Thankfully, the Snyder Cut does this very well! A decent amount of time is spent on fleshing out their character, but not so long that it gets boring or feels like they're just fishing for stuff. I especially enjoyed Wonder Woman's intro and after not seeing her in action for a while (I've not seen WW84 YET!), it did a fantastic job at reminding me how powerful and badass she is, as well highlighting her strong drive to conquer evil and protect the innocent. This is despite Gal's acting ability sometimes being a bit weak...

Batman in this film is REALLY BATMAN! As previously mentioned he is the glue that holds the team together, he is motivational, determined, and not scared or hesitant to enter a battle where the odds are massively against him. But that is how it should be, that is who Batman IS! And this film captures is character perfectly... Plus, no more stupid, out of place jokes that undermine his ability!!!

Cyborg and Clark are the heart of the film, these characters are really allowed to blossom with plenty of time invested in them as they both go on an emotional journey that shapes the outcome of the film. The Flash for me stood out a lot too. This was the first time I had seen the Flash on the big screen for any length of time and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't know what to expect because being the goofy, comedic character can go one of two ways, you can over do it and become annoying or you can nail it. And I think Ezra nailed the role! I think this was down to the fact so much responsibility sat on his shoulders in the later part of the movie and when required he could forget his jokes for the time being and get serious for a change. This showed a certain level of understanding of the character that was very refreshing.

Speaking of jokes, there's a LOT LESS of them!! Which I'm sure everyone is happy to hear about, and the jokes or comic relief moments are left to the 'funny' characters like the Flash. As well as being timed appropriately, these jokes are better received than flooding the whole film with them.

The main antagonist is Steppenwolf. What an antagonist he is too!! Built like a mountain with an intimidating (IMPROVED) appearance and taking any abuse the League have to throw at him and just shrugging it off makes this villain VERY daunting. You begin to wonder whether or not anything the League has to offer can put him down. He just keeps walking unfazed, reminds me of Michael Myers in that way. Nothing will stand between him and his goal, that is all he is focused on and he is unstoppable. Great job! Darkseid is briefly shown in this film, however, there is a sense of lurking evil because you know that he is watching all you do and is simply waiting for the right time to strike. You know he is coming, you just don't know when and that sets a feeling of unease in the film.

Probably the most anticipated sequence in this film is the Knightmare sequence and in my opinion was probably the best part about the film. Seeing all the badass post apocalyptic outfits the hero's have managed to cobble together is really cool. But the star of this sequence believe it or not, was Jared Leto's Joker!! Who'd have thought I'd be saying that... Joker's first on-screen interaction with Batfleck was tense and absolutely filled to the brim with hints and easter eggs about their history together. This was a legendary interaction and goes to show that Jared really has potential as a great Joker if handled correctly by the director. The only problem with this is that now I want more of Batfleck and more of Jared's newly revised Joker!! I hope this movement has rebooted Zack's story arc for the Justice League and other future projects!!

It isn't perfect though, the 'new' Wonder Woman theme gets played what feels like every 5 minutes during a battle scene, and as cool as it sounds, it does wear a bit thin! Additionally, at risk of execution by fans, I thought some of the visual effects had seen better days, with some areas looking cartoonish, extremely computer generated or just out of place with things like shadows, lighting or water effects not looking realistic. Just pay attention to the scene near the start of the film where Luthor is standing in water inside the Superman ship and you'll see what I mean...

All in all I did really enjoy the Snyder Cut and it's safe to say it did live up to the hype that the fans had built over the course of 4 years!! A little tip though, if you're going to watch it, split it into 2 2hr parts. This will stop you getting restless, bored and will help to keep your concentration levels high throughout the film!!