🎬 Zack Snyder's Justice League: Part 1
#SnyderCut
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Used by permission.
In the best approximation, I can make this post to serve as a live-to-tape first reaction to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, aka the #SnyderCut.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but after pulling spears from my back from the 3 hour and 17 minute Spartacus Revolt, I gotta ask…”Why the four-hour cut of the film?”
Two-Face? No that’s Rami Malek in No Time To Die: Photo Credit: James Bond 007 YouTube
On my insistence, we are watching this in chunks. To be fair, I know what’s going to happen no spoiler warnings here. “Darkseid Is” and all that. Our usual nightly streaming schedule is now adjusted for 4 nights of Justice League. Probably in a row unless I get vetoed and we have to go back to watching Mr. Robot.
Don’t make me re-read my own reviews, just leave a comment below.
I’m unusually bullish about my opinions of the 2017 Justice League film (Read my review at Forces of Geek). The Snyder-Verse including Wonder Woman, Shazam, Suicide Squad, Aquaman, and the upcoming Flash have all been enjoyable films, and although I will agree that Batman V Superman was a weak link in the chain, there are good moments in all films. And yes, I loved Man of Steel as a re-introduction of Superman to the big screen. I know this is not a popular view of the series, and one can break out Wonder Woman 84 and Aquaman from the fray, as being an evolution of what Zack started, but with more bombast and “Hollywood” influence to lean on Gadot and Mamoa star power. Shazam separates itself by being a bit more for kids, and with all of it’s flaws (Jared Leto), Suicide Squad is an action movie for the Video Game generation, and I’m fine with that. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is like, wow, a girl-power fun and colorful romp, raunchy at times, and a great exploration of Harley through Margot Robbie. In my end-of-semester generosity, where you get to drop the lowest grade film from the bunch (you pick) these DC films score a solid B. I score Nolan Batman movies as A through A+ for The Dark Knight.
Let’s have Marvel Studios be the standard. Even a ‘bad’ Marvel film is an A- or B+. I probably differ from other reviewers when it comes to Endgame (A) and Infinity War (B) but in all, you can’t beat the star power of Black Panther (A+), or the now nostalgic re-watch of the original Iron Man (A+). The newest Spider-Man films are B+’s to Raimi’s 1+2 which both land at a solid A, and X-Men 2 and the Deadpool franchise are also in the solid A category. So everything is relative.
Why did 2017’s Justice League score so high for me? Probably MoviePass had something to do with it. I think I saw this movie an unusually high number for me, between 5 and 7 times. I was still dealing with a long depression of the loss of my Mom and after she died, I went to the movies way more often than I had in years past. There is a theater near my work, and I couldn’t get enough, it was the perfect thing to do to unwind after a day at the concert and content farm.
While some might struggle with two political ideals in their brain, as humans are complex creatures, I am able to compartmentalize and identify (not compare) movies and movie franchises. My letter grades aside, I judge superhero or comic book movies on enjoyment level and boy did I enjoy Ben Affleck as Batman. I enjoy all of the Batmen over the years in fact. Growing up reading a Grant Morrison comic was different than an Alan Moore comic that was different than a Denny O’Neil comic and so on. DC is Multiverse. Marvel is introducing Multiverse but wasn’t “born in it”. I’m a CW Arrowverse fanboy, we’re loving the Superman and Lois show, and for me, also an animated version of a thing is a separate world. Batman: The Animated Series. DC Universe Animated Original Movies. All of it. Different Flashes, different Aquamans. Thomas Wayne Batman. This is the opposite of Marvel’s approach (we’re looking at you, WandaVision, you tease)!
I can hold the Marvel Method and DC’s diversification of products to make best use of thier IP in my mind at the same time. Maybe DC was dipping their toe into a Cinematic Universe (maybe it would have been nice!) but without a central Kevin Feige with the vision and rollouts, it is hard to catch up with the juggernaut Marvel Studios. What DC and Warner do have are classic characters, deals with auteur directors, and the ability to come out with Todd Philips Joker, a stylized genre film that looks at mental health and so much more. Can Marvel Studios, with their gloss and CGI budget make a “Joker” film? I think we will be extremely lucky to see a Deadpool 3 movie and that’s as crazy as Disney will get.
Part 1
We open on the Death of Superman. Eventually, we cut to Bruce is making coffee in one of those neat campfire stoves, a long credit scene with a horse and his black coffee and mountains and it’s beautiful. “More Darkness”. This is too long, though. Lois gets a latte intro scene that means nothing and we are already fast-forwarding through needlessly sad songs. Not for me, mind you, but I already have someone I am sharing the couch with that’s doing so under a certain amount of duress.
They cut the “talk to fish” line, overall, I feel like this is a different and more serious movie, with familiar scenes. What is this with whole fishing village singing some song of the sea or wind or some bullshit? No thanks…FAST FORWARD!
We are then introduced to Wonder Woman, with the guy that looks like a younger Frank Miller and the bomb and all that. There may be some new shots here but this is one of my favorite parts of both movies. Great action. Wonder Woman rules.
The arrival of Steppenwolf on Themyscira looks so much better, and the Amazonians kick as much ass (as they can) against him. The temple scene is still so good when the ladies take the hammer to the support pylons it’s powerful stuff!
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf in Snyder Cut has a better design
The CGI is vastly improved. And yes, the movie is shown in the 4:3 ratio so that we get more info on the top and bottom of the frame but it’s like the only movie I’ve seen like this and is initially distracting. In fact, I think I will be distracted the whole time. I like a dark movie theater room with no light leaks…maybe I just need a bigger TV.
Thus concludes Part 1 of 6 - stay tuned for more!
(Continue with Part 2 Here)
