By Caden Merrill, April 6, 2021
Director Zack Snyder’s true vision of his film adaptation of the Justice League was realized with the March 18 premiere of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” a four-hour epic featuring DC’s iconic superheroes.
Referred to by fans as the “Snyder Cut,” the film was met with more positive critical reception compared to the original theatrical cut. Acting as film critics, Cal Poly Pomona’s moviegoers and DC fans discussed their opinions of the film with The Poly Post.
Outside of his classes, Jake Urrutia, a third-year marketing management student, enjoys watching numerous superhero movies, including the latest “Snyder Cut.” As an avid DC fan, Urrutia shared his key observations.
“I honestly thought it was a huge improvement over the original,” Urrutia said. “The characters that I felt weren’t really fleshed out, like Cyborg and Flash, had a lot more to do and seemed so much more integral to the plot.”
Additionally, Urrutia explained how Cyborg and Flash displayed deeper personalities and how Steppenwolf, the movie’s villain, was portrayed as a more formidable threat with his intimidating redesign, along with his problematic relationship with Darkseid that enriched his character.
Offering a different perspective, fourth-year business administration student, David Argueta, commented on how Warner Bros., the film’s distributor, interfered with the theatrical cut which tainted the end result.
“I think that all fans can agree it was the film we were supposed to receive,” Argueta said. “Knowing Warner Bros., they rushed the (theatrical cut) to have it released on time.”
The production follows the common pattern of studios and directors battling over their desired versions, Argueta added.
“I think the biggest takeaway for studios is to respect the creative direction of the director no matter what, and ‘Justice League’ is a perfect example,” Argueta said.
Snyder, who previously directed “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” completed filming in 2016 and began post-production before tragedy struck. Snyder’s daughter, Autumn, committed suicide in March the following year, eight months before the slated Nov. 17 release date, which forced him to abandon production to grieve with his family.
Having to act fast to meet the deadline, Warner Bros. hired Joss Whedon, writer and director of “The Avengers” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” to finish the film. However, Whedon ended up throwing most of Snyder’s footage on the cutting room floor and rewriting a significant portion of the screenplay, resulting in reshoots.
Upon theatrical release, critics stated that the film felt slapdash and sloppily amalgamated, evidence of its rocky production. Fans panned the film as well, collectively giving it the unofficial nickname “Josstice League.” It appeared Snyder’s true vision would never be able to see the light of day. Nevertheless, Snyder knew he had an obligation to give his fans what they wanted, and during the pandemic, he set out to finish what he started.
“The fan community has sort of risen up demanding this version,” Snyder told IGN during a making-of video. “Because of the promise I’ve made them over the course of (“Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman”), it has created this movement that said, ‘We need to know how it ends.”’
“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is available to stream on HBO Max.