Justice for All

The long-awaited Snyder Cut of "Justice League" will finally make its debut on HBO Max in March, triumphantly and awkwardly placing a capstone on the DCEU's original gameplan

At one point in time, Zack Snyder was one of my favorite filmmakers. He came hot out the gate with "Dawn of the Dead", a remake of the George Romero zombie classic of the same name. He managed to respectfully pay homage, make "Dawn" his own and delivered one of the best zombie films of the 2000's. He followed with the highly quotable, quintessential machismo epic "300". His visual style lent itself to the project perfectly, channeling the imagery and energy of the graphic novel in elegant fashion. This led to him helming the long-gestating "Watchmen" adaptation, which despite its flaws, most likely turned out as best as it could. Distilling the comic's depth into broad stokes befitting a motion picture would have been a challenge for even the most esteemed auteurs. Then, there was a shift.

Snyder's first movie not based on an existing property was "Sucker Punch", an ambitious, but ultimately vacuous cinematic sugar rush. Technically, it showcased Snyder's signature visual flair, but it was the first real indication of his tendency to overindulge when left to his own devices. It didn't win over audiences either, becoming his first major critical and commercial failure. No big deal, right? Setbacks happen. When it was announced he'd be directing 2013's "Man of Steel", I was elated because I knew Superman would get to punch someone in the face after a rather milquetoast outing with "Superman Returns" and punch people in the face he did. Perhaps a little too much. While the film had perfect casting (right down to Henry Cavill's granite-like chin), a story by Christopher Nolan and a screenplay by the experienced (but overutilized) David S. Goyer, it was rightly criticized for its characterization of the Big Blue Boy Scout and bombastically destructive final act. It was a more cynical take on Superman's lore and while it had interesting concepts, like framing it similarly to an alien invasion movie and rightfully playing off of mankind's distrust, it wasn't quite the home run Warner Bros. expected. Queue calling Batman out of retirement.

Warner and DC had just put their highly successful "Dark Knight" trilogy to rest the year before, but after the box office receipts for "Man of Steel" didn't reach superhuman heights, their trusted cash cow was trotted out again to save the day. Instead of giving "Man of Steel" a proper sequel or establishing another character with their own solo adventure, producers accelerated straight into "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice". The sprawling two and half hour (three hours for the Ultimate Cut) superhero yarn was a disjointed mess. While the move was a financial success, as it grossed nearly $880 million dollars worldwide, it still underperformed considering it featured DC's marquee triumvirate. I distinctly remember how I felt leaving the theater opening night and it was the first time I didn't trust Zack Synder. Not only was there distrust, but I felt he fundamentally misunderstood what these characters were all about. The theatrical version of "Justice League" didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it felt like...well, exactly what it was; a Frankenstein of a movie cobbled together after its original director stepped down. The improvements it made over its predecessor were virtually washed away by its deficiencies, amounting to an adequate yet toothless action-adventure film with a ridiculous budget due to reshoots. While "Dawn of Justice" left me seething with anger, at least I felt something. I remember leaving out of "Justice League" with no feelings one way or the other and I'm not sure what's worse.

So, I'm conflicted on my stance about "Zack Snyder's Justice League". On the one hand, I loathed where his vision was heading. While it isn't totally irredeemable, I believe "Batman v Superman" to be one of the worst big-budget blockbusters I've seen in a theater. Learning Snyder's follow up will be four hours long and Rated R isn't instilling much confidence either. However, as a would-be creative, I feel for the man. Unfortunate circumstances took him away from the project and it's a shame he didn't get to see his dream come to fruition. When watching interviews, it's clear he has passion for what he does. There's a genuine happiness he exudes relishing an opportunity to complete the story he wanted to tell and barring any malicious intent, that's a freedom all storytellers should be granted. At this point, its very existence has become nearly as mythic as the heroes its showcasing. Its troubled production aside, it will be interesting to see the intended direction of this franchise before DC and Warner started to hit the reset button. In support of that, I will be front and center when Snyder's "Justice League" takes the stage next month. For better or worse.