It's been exactly one week since "Snyder's Cut" hit the big screen, and yes, it is 4 hours long. But is it worth the watch?
Unlike most of my articles and Snyder's cut, we will cut to the chase in the first paragraph. With an 8.3 IMDb rating and 73% on rotten tomatoes, it is one of the few movies that share a positive rating on the two platforms, it also means "FREAKING WORTH THE 4 HOURS!!".
Now, let's dive into why I personally think it is totally worth getting a painful bladder, possible UTI, and a bum sore. Zack is back (that rhymed well) to manifest the vision he had of Justice League, which fell short when Joss Whedon was tasked to complete the direction for the 2017 Justice League. And in typical Snyder fashion, the Snyder's cut is yet another part of his artistic touch.
I first came across Zack in 300. The movie hit differently. Not coz of the story, not because of the hype. But, because of the way the story was presented and how it created a "private hype" while I watched the movie. He is second on my list of directors, closely followed by Edgar Wright. Zack's way of directing action is second to none. If you look back at 300, a lot of action scenes are stuck with you. It is because of Snyder's peculiar care and importance to detail and his clever way of using slow-mo.
Zack Snyder specialized in this stuff. It is his bread and butter. The butter is slowly applied to the bread, in high detail. Come to think of it, Watchmen, Batman vs. Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Man of Steel, all follow a similar pattern - Thanks to Zack Snyder. His direction is aimed towards capturing the intense moments and imprint them in the neurons of the watcher, in great detail. And action should be like that, unlike most movies, where endless, quick cut-scenes drain out all the fun from action scenes.
Snyder's Cut features Snyder's favorite aspect ratio of 1.3:1, which is kinda square. He likes it, maybe coz he grew up on comic books. I don't know, I simply loved it. However, the biggest reason to watch Snyder's Cut, if you are an action fan or a DC fan, is because this Cut is rated PG-R. That means violence and blood...and cursing. Tell me a better way to enjoy a DC movie?
The theatrical cut of 2017 was PG-13 (sad violin music plays in the background). But with Snyder's Cut, you can now completely encompass yourself into seeing what really happens evil lands on a peaceful(relatively) world. It finally pays respect to casting such a heavy range of superheroes in one movie. The R rating will also let you see some of your favorite heroes curse. Whatever floats your boat, mate!
Another huge difference is the choice of color. DC is considered darker than its nemesis, Marvel, and with Snyder's Cut we get to see the real DC. Dark and gloomy. Serious and intense. No time for clowns and bright colors. No time for that kiddish stuff. It's serious in DC. (Ironic, I am talking about a comic book movie.)
Still, I believe Justie League should have been dark and gloomy. Superman is dead. Earth is mourning. Evil just landed. Things should be intense. Thanks Snyder!
Snyder's Cut is 4 hours long. Which makes it the best excuse for giving all the characters the proper back story they deserve. Yes, a lot of details have been changed. He has taken inspiration from many backstories and mixed them up. They still do a much better job of giving the audience a look into why a hero's mentality, behavior, and choices end up like so in Justice League. A few new characters have been introduced and few details have been changed compared to the 2017 theatrical version.
Without spoiling anything, I want to say that the heroes have been given the Human Touch in Snyder's Cut. Zack made an impactful decision to give us long and thorough backstories. Something we haven't really gotten in DC movies. He has paid so much attention to making the audience relate with the heroes. Through some cleverly directed scenes, he has given screen time to, and made some heroes way more impactful than seen in the original 2017 version.
We see Batman's growth out of a hole and into a human. We see the alien Superman getting in touch with his human side. We see how cyborg goes through so much rage, daddy issues, and growing to be a superhero. We see why Aquaman is the sweetestheart but why he decides to be a dick. We see the comedic relief, Flash, and how impactful he is to the team, but also caring, and all the battles he fights in his personal life. We see Jared Leto's joker. Oops. That might be a spoiler.
In a nutshell, Snyder's Cut puts it together. The Justice League of 2017 feels so vague and incomplete after watching Snyder's Cut. It almost felt like Snyder's Cut was the "real-life" version of the theatrical version. The movie is divided into 4 chapters, and they go through everything thoroughly. It shows what happened, what is happening and even what could have happened in very clever ways. The Cut also features a few new heroes which could be paving wy to upcoming movies and storylines. But you might have seen the interviews already. Most of them aren't gonna be shot and remain as a dud in the Cut.
It carries the prestigious legacy of 4-hour movies. Django Unchained, Irishmen, Troy, etc. And Snyder's Cut deserves a spot on that shelf, with a spotlight on it.
