Zack Snyder's Justice League is an American superhero film directed by Zack Snyder. It stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons and was released on 18th March 2021 on HBO Max and BookMyShow Stream.
**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**
The film starts from the climax scene of Batman Vs Superman, where Superman dies and has awoken the Mother Boxes and that's where enters Steppenwolf, a servant of Darkseid tasked to collect all the three mother boxes and synchronize them to form The Unity. Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) along with Diana (Gal Gadot) is trying to find and recruit more metahumans and to build a team to fight against what's coming. Now along with Victor/Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Barry/The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Arthur/Aquaman (Jason Momoa), will Diana and Bruce will able to protect the Earth from Steppenwolf and his master Darkseid? This is all about Zack Snyder's Justice League.
The story is by Chris Terrio, Zack Snyder, and Will Beall and the screenplay is by Chris Terrio. As you know this the director's cut of the 2017 film Justice League which was just about stopping Steppenwolf from retrieving all the three mother boxes. The film was panned by critics and even the audiences had a mixed reaction after watching the film. The feeling was not complete and hence the 2017 film was a letdown. The makers now with Zack Snyder has come up with a 4 hours version of the same film but is it worth it?
My answer is YESSSS!!! A big Yes. For three years everyone has been craving to see how Snyder's version would look like. Joss Whedon directed the earlier film which failed to deliver an immersive experience, it was exciting and a reasonably good film but is that everything? Characters with no depth and no emotional connection ruined that movie. But this is so much better. Incredibly better. The characters appear genuine and they're fleshed out really well, especially Cyborg, his frustration of being stuck or be it the sour relationship of his and his scientist father Dr. Stone, or not accepting his machine body - is brilliantly shown. After a point of time, Cyborg appears more human than the others.
Even Steppenwolf is back with a deadlier look and with more explanation as to why is he doing this. His character appears more concrete than before and truly terrifying but also shows his submission to Darkseid and his orders. He's vulnerable in front of Darkseid and always bows before him. There are many subplots and surprisingly every one of them works, I done know how, but nothing felt redundant to me. Everything fits in the right place and I kept wondering why this or that scene was cut in the theatrical version. Despite its 4 hours long runtime, it's never boring or drags.
Everything is spot on and very detailed. The 4:3 aspect ratio is a little weird but that's how Zack Synder has thought of making this saga. The film is a visual dazzle in every frame. The action sequences are a delight and exciting just as expected. Steppenwolf and Darkseid serve as the strong antagonist, especially Darkseid, whenever he comes to the screen my heart begin to beat faster, he's that terrifying and with fire in his eyes and the powerful and effective deep voice of Ray Porter, Darkseid truly comes alive as the smart and tyrannous God that's equally scary and chilling. The film keeps you engrossed even it becomes slow for a while like in the scenes with Lois and Clarke which are emotionally charged and can even make you sob and then there is Barry who brings in some light moments.
The performances are amazing by everyone and the dynamics between the superheroes are enjoyable like was in the 2017s Justice League too. The performances that really stand out are Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Amy Adams, and Diane Lane. Ray Fisher beautifully portrayed the feelings of living in a shell and alienated from people of his age. Whereas Ezra Miller brings a goofiness through his character. Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Diane Lane as Martha are in solid form bringing a humane touch to the story dealing with death and grieving for the one they loved the most. It was nice to see Ben Affleck after a long time as Batman. He makes this Batman more restrained whereas Gal Gadot always shines as Wonder Woman. Jason Momoa brings in his charm as Arthur. Amber Heard as Mera, Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta, J. K. Simmons as James Gordon, or Jared Leto as the Joker, everyone leaves an impact, small roles but they did their best.
Now comes the cinematography which is by Fabian Wagner is undeniably one of the best things to see in this film. The film is absolutely stunning, filled with many spectacular visuals, watching the action sequences are a delight and the credit also goes to the VFX that surely gets mediocre sometimes, but considering the limited budget of $70 million, it doesn't look that bad. Even Disney animated film like Frozen or Raya and The Last Dragon has a budget over $100-$150 million. The music by Tom Holkenborg and is powerful and just fits the film's tone. It touches your heart in the scenes of Lois and Clarke and is exciting in action sequences. The editing by David Brenner is just about perfect.
This is the Justice League we deserve. Not a masterpiece but surely a landmark movie for DC Universe. Zack Snyder's Justice League has everything we wanted, the epilogue sets the bar high for the upcoming sequels and we might see a multiverse concept in upcoming DC movies. Petty Jenkins' world of Wonder Woman looked colorful but Zack Snyder who's known for his greyish tint in his film, this Justice League is darker, even better, and grander than the theatrical version. No doubt, just stream it, the amazingly fleshed-out characters, a solid story with many subplots and backstories, and breathtaking action sequences, this director's cut is one of the best things to witness this year. It would have been amazing to experience this epic saga on the big screen but releasing it online feels a lot better choice considering the runtime.
Rating:- 4/5
Now streaming on BookMyShow Stream and HBO Max.
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