Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

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Just saw the film, and I wasn't really blown away by it. My main problem is the pacing, or the lack thereof, I mean I might be oversimplifying it, but it just feels like these scenes were thrown next to each other in a sort of chronological manner, and... that's it. It just goes on and on and there are no interesting changes in rhythm, in stakes, in whatever, it just... goes on. It was actually tiring to watch this for 4 hours. I hate when people are saying this, but this might be the first time I have to say it as well: there really could've been at least 30 minutes cut out of this. I mean, we could argue whether a filmmaker has an obligation to make a film accessible or enjoyable, and I'm pretty sure many people enjoyed it nevertheless, but this just wasn't a well-edited, well-structured movie for me. It's just so overly long and slow for no reason. I just didn't enjoy watching it.

Even if I thought there were very exciting things in there! I liked this new (or original) Steppenwolf, it made much more sense, I liked the whole Darkseid story, even these stupid Mother Boxes were redeemed in a way, that is all fine. And yeah, we could say that some of our heroes had expanded backstories and characters, but it just wasn't engaging on any level for me. Even the action scenes, which were much more detailed and made more sense than in the 2017 version, felt slow and dragging. I liked the Amazonian battle scene with Steppenwolf, it was a huge improvement over the original, but it was still so unnecessarily long. And this all comes down to pacing for me - I don't mind the actual length if the pacing helps me, as a viewer, get through it. But here it was just "here you go, these are the shots, watch them".

And also, is it nitpicking to point out how I was always forced to look at Gal Gadot's cleavage? And I thought it was Whedon's sexist idea to shoot the poor actress from all the sexist angles and stuff like that, but... this is all here as well.

All in all, I didn't mind the film, there were good and exciting ideas there, there were some good visuals, but sometimes it just felt so self-important with its length and slow-mo shots and singing Icelanders and video clip segments... I agree that it is a superhero film that feels and looks nothing like your average modern superhero film. It just feels exactly like a tiring Zack Snyder-film. Oh, and I really liked the 4:3 aspect ratio.

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Best superhero film since Man of Steel.
My appreciation for Snyder as an auteur is restored.

4/5

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Not sure if this was posted before, but I think I completely agree with Kermode on this. I had my own take on the film above, but I wanted to check out what he thinks, and I think "coherently dull" is an appropriate description of the film.


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DHOPW42 wrote:
April 3rd, 2021, 8:49 am
Not sure if this was posted before, but I think I completely agree with Kermode on this. I had my own take on the film above, but I wanted to check out what he thinks, and I think "coherently dull" is an appropriate description of the film.

Kermode is on point. Despite all the outsized reactions from people like MZS, this thing really is an average superhero movie that is 4 hours long. There is nothing in this film that is genre-defying.

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A Borges man wrote:
April 3rd, 2021, 10:15 pm
Despite all the outsized reactions from people like MZS, this thing really is an average superhero movie that is 4 hours long. There is nothing in this film that is genre-defying.
I wouldn’t say it is really average. That’s an oversimplification. 4 hours long doesn’t make it “average”. Does the film transcend genre? Or is it defying? I’m definitely inclined to say most likely not. But it has certain elements that wouldn’t have worked for many people who expect even way more conventional characteristics from these types of movies (specially one where the team comes together) if it had been released in theaters normally, not to mention the R rating as well. Specially when MCU’s fever is still significant.

ZSJL is not establishing any new and thorough defining form for these projects but it brings a somewhat recognizable voice for itself, so to speak, in my opinion.

On a more personal note, I really liked the film! After the abysmal disappointment left in me by 2017’s version this was a surprise. I had no expectations for this whatsoever after watching trailers; I thought it was going to be more of the same only longer. But it was different despite maintaining similar aspects.

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Paradoxicalparabola wrote:
April 4th, 2021, 12:43 am
A Borges man wrote:
April 3rd, 2021, 10:15 pm
Despite all the outsized reactions from people like MZS, this thing really is an average superhero movie that is 4 hours long. There is nothing in this film that is genre-defying.
I wouldn’t say it is really average. That’s an oversimplification. 4 hours long doesn’t make it “average”. Does the film transcend genre? Or is it defying? I’m definitely inclined to say most likely not. But it has certain elements that wouldn’t have worked for many people who expect even way more conventional characteristics from these types of movies (specially one where the team comes together) if it had been released in theaters normally, not to mention the R rating as well. Specially when MCU’s fever is still significant.

ZSJL is not establishing any new and thorough defining form for these projects but it brings a somewhat recognizable voice for itself, so to speak, in my opinion.

On a more personal note, I really liked the film! After the abysmal disappointment left in me by 2017’s version this was a surprise. I had no expectations for this whatsoever after watching trailers; I thought it was going to be more of the same only longer. But it was different despite maintaining similar aspects.
I didn't say it was average because it was 4 hours long. I said it was average as well as being 4 hours long. I mean let us not lose sight of this movie being the same evil CGI villain, doomsday device, superhero movie. I do think the movie is a massive improvement from the 2017 movie. But, 4hours! To tell the same story every other superhero movie tells. I liked the movie, do I think it is Jesus? Absolutely not.

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A Borges man wrote:
April 4th, 2021, 2:50 am
I didn't say it was average because it was 4 hours long. I said it was average as well as being 4 hours long. I mean let us not lose sight of this movie being the same evil CGI villain, doomsday device, superhero movie. I do think the movie is a massive improvement from the 2017 movie. But, 4hours! To tell the same story every other superhero movie tells.

do I think it is Jesus? Absolutely not.
You are misunderstanding; I meant that just the fact of it being 4 hours long already does not make it really average (not implying something you said). I understand what you are saying but even though the movie has similar aspects to other superhero films and to its 2017 version, it still tries to convey a particular essence for itself, which the majority in the genre don't even try to, when it could’ve been an even way plainer execution so to speak.

I think you might be more bothered by their fandom although that's just my impression. Some people get too hyped, it always happens. On the other hand, after years of living with the memory of 2017's cut, I can’t blame them if they go haywire with their response to this one.

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Paradoxicalparabola wrote:
April 4th, 2021, 10:09 am
A Borges man wrote:
April 4th, 2021, 2:50 am
I didn't say it was average because it was 4 hours long. I said it was average as well as being 4 hours long. I mean let us not lose sight of this movie being the same evil CGI villain, doomsday device, superhero movie. I do think the movie is a massive improvement from the 2017 movie. But, 4hours! To tell the same story every other superhero movie tells.

do I think it is Jesus? Absolutely not.
You are misunderstanding; I meant that just the fact of it being 4 hours long already does not make it really average (not implying something you said). I understand what you are saying but even though the movie has similar aspects to other superhero films and to its 2017 version, it still tries to convey a particular essence for itself, which the majority in the genre don't even try to, when it could’ve been an even way plainer execution so to speak.

I think you might be more bothered by their fandom although that's just my impression. Some people get too hyped, it always happens. On the other hand, after years of living with the memory of 2017's cut, I can’t blame them if they go haywire with their response to this one.
I mean no doubt this is a Zack Snyder movie, it does have a stronger identity than most superhero movies (typical marvel...etc).

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WB just released this lmao:

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Exclusive: Fake Accounts Fueled the ‘Snyder Cut’ Online Army
While Snyder denies it, one source tells Rolling Stone the director hired a digital marketing firm to juice fan engagement back in 2016, when his $250 million film Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was savaged by critics (earning a dismal 29-percent RottenTomatoes rating) and disappointed Warner Bros. brass at the box office, as well as the DC fan base.
A simple story written by this reporter about Kiersey Clemons being cast for a Flash stand-alone movie also incurred the wrath of the collective just days before the Snyder Cut release in March 2021. Snyder called to say he wanted several sentences from the story removed. “I’m just telling you what the fans are going to do. Trust me, they are pretty, pretty, pretty rough,” he warned. The sentences stayed, and the SnyderVerse throng descended.
When fans review-bombed Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong, sources say the director asked Snyder through an intermediary to tell his fans to stand down — and that Snyder refused. (Snyder says he was never asked to have his fans stand down, adding: “Furthermore, I do not control my fans. They have their own will and their own opinions; you really give me too much credit.”) Another source says Warner Bros. successfully lobbied IMDb, which includes user reviews, to weed out trolls targeting Godzilla vs. Kong. (Wingard declined comment.) Similarly, factions of the SnyderVerse army review-bombed James Gunn’s Suicide Squad four months later, motivating the director to acknowledge the mob on Twitter: “I’ll live — stuff like this means nothing in the big picture. (And important to point out most the SnyderCut fans have been supportive, it’s only a few who feel it’s worthwhile spending their time doing stuff like this.)” Ultimately, both films outperformed Snyder Cut on HBO Max.

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