Zack Snyder’s Justice League Proves That DC Should Have Followed Marvel’s Model
At long last the Snyder Cut has seen the light of day, and it turns out that it’s pretty good (though not great, it’s time to lighten the mood Zack). I don’t think that this version of the film proves that Zack Snyder is a better director than Joss Whedon (each director’s filmography suggests otherwise), but that DC should have followed Marvel’s example more closely when building their connected universe.
The main reason why the director’s cut is so much better than the theatrical cut is due to what its four hour length allowed. There was far more character development that was sorely lacking from the two hour version, especially for Cyborg, The Flash and Aquaman who didn’t get any significant screen time before this film. The Avengers films work at two to three hours because much of the character development heavy lifting is accomplished in previous films, so we understand the characters’ personalities and motivations when they join forces to face a common threat.
This longer version reminded me more of watching a short TV season than a film (Warner actually considered releasing it in four parts), where there are longer pauses for character moments between major plot developments. Also like a TV season a lot of time is spent after the climax addressing the aftermath and setting up the next season, though ZSJL does far more of the latter than the former, which is sad considering the fact that more chapters of this story are unlikely to ever be told.
Four hour movies don’t make good business sense at the theater because long running times limit the number of daily screenings which can hurt box office performance, so studio executives are constantly pressuring filmmakers to keep movies to two hours. Three hour running times are occasionally afforded to films that are highly anticipated properties that are likely to be successful over longer runs (e.g. The Lord of the Rings, Titanic and Avengers: Endgame). Four hours is simply too long for an audience to take in a single sitting (even from the comfort of my own couch I watched ZSJL over the course of two days) and would require an intermission at a theater.
Now, having enjoyed this new version of Justice League, I’m saddened by the fact that Warner doesn’t have a plan to reunite these characters again. My fingers are crossed that the studio takes the right lesson this time and begins to play the long game that Kevin Feige has mastered. It’s time to create a roadmap of intersecting movies and TV shows that build anticipation to be paid off with big crossover event films.
But this time, please hire creative talent who don’t insist that superheroes have to be so goddamn dark and brooding.
