ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE
Cert 15 ★★★ On Sky Cinema and NOW TV now
It was supposed to be the blockbuster that would save DC
Comics’ troubled
“Extended Universe”.
Instead, 2017’s
Justice League was the film that finally made it implode. After Zack Snyder left the production to deal with a family tragedy, Marvel alumnus Joss Whedon took over and churned out a confusing mish-mash of superhero staples.
So after years of fan campaigning, Snyder was given a green light to bring his original vision to the screen.
This new four-hour version is twice the length and makes roughly twice as much sense. Fans will love the extended scenes but casual viewers won’t welcome the return of that grim DC tone.
Once again, the action picks up after the dreadful ending of Snyder’s dour Batman v Superman. The Man Of Steel (Henry Cavill) is definitely dead (did anyone actually believe that?) and the world is in mourning.
But with Ciarán Hinds’ inter-dimensional invader Steppenwolf sensing an opportunity, a depressed Batman (Ben Affleck) summons up the energy to recruit a crack team of superheroes – Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg and Ezra Miller’s The Flash.
Thankfully, Snyder makes full use of Miller’s motormouthed ramblings. They aren’t exactly funny but they let a chink of light into a relentlessly dark fantasy world.
While this bloated epic can be hard-going in one sitting (I’d recommend watching it in chunks), there are flashes of brilliance.
The new finale is far more spectacular, The Flash gets an achingly beautiful slow-motion sequence to show off his super-fast superpowers and Cyborg’s extended scenes provide some much-needed heart.
It’s better than the original but this superteam still aren’t a fun bunch to hang out with.