Spoiler Alert: The following article contains spoiler alerts for Justice League, Avengers: Age of Ultron and the new Justice League Snyder Cut.
History Has Been Re-Written. The long awaited and demanded Snyder Cut has made its debut. It promised to transform 2017’s Justice League into essentially another movie. There have been changes to the dialogue, story and sequence. Several of the original’s major flaws like Ben Affleck’s goofy smile at the return of Superman in the final battle have been remedied. However, relationships have also been changed, and not necessarily in a good way.
There is a reason behind this massive disdain of the original Justice League. When Snyder stepped aside, the movie was taken in a lighter direction, and I’m not talking about lighting effects. Many viewers go in expecting action, not talk. The 2017 version did not satisfy many viewer’s standards for action.
Like it or not, however, talking scenes inspire character development, and keep the movie from being a two hour video game commercial. Movies like Justice League are not about superpowers or battle sequences. They are about friends or family dealing with superpowers and battles.
Idealistically, in a movie like this, you should be able to strip away all the special effects, all the battle sequences, and it should not make a difference. The movie should be able to consist of all the Justice League characters sitting and talking in a Starbucks and still work perfectly.
On You-Tube, there is a comment that compares the “Something is Definitely Bleeding” joke from Whedon’s Batman to Snyder’s Batman who holds a parademon blast with his hand. The comment reads That(Snyder’s) Is “The Batman We Deserve.”
This is no doubt the attitude that most viewers have, which is what led to the Snyder Cut being released. But while holding a blast with a bare hand may be a cool effect, it hardly reveals anything about the depth of the character.
In 2017, The Flash added some Jewish comic relief that movies like Black Panther, The Avengers and even Dawn of Justice lacked. But this may well be why the original Justice League failed. Are superhero movies supposed to have Jewish comic relief?
Some critics dubbed the original Justice League as a two hour Saturday morning cartoon. There were in fact similarities. But even a Saturday morning cartoon has more complex character relationships than a two hour fight sequence.
In shedding the elements that many fans despised, the movie has also lost some of it’s humor. It is not closer to a two hour video game commercial, it has become a four hour video game commercial.
One noticeable casualty of Snyder’s changes was Superman’s “do you bleed?” line. This line is important because it adds continuity between this film and it’s predecessor.
One “relationship” change is in the way Justice League members debate whether or not to resurrect Superman. In the original, they resurrect him because they feel they need him as a leader. In the new version, they do it simply because they feel he is needed to fight Steppenwolf. But what if Steppenwolf was not in the picture, guys? Would you still take a chance to help your fallen comrade?
The 2017 version of this scene includes Wonder Woman accusing Batman of risking lives by resurrecting Superman. Batman points out that “is it a risk, yes but its necessary.” Wonder Woman replies “why, because of your guilt!?”
In all fairness, Bruce’s guilt about the death of Superman in the 2021 version is transparent. However, the Snyder version of this scene does not contain the same “moral” conflict that the original does, and is more of a strategy session.
Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent still have one conversation when Bruce helps them get the farm back. However the conversation between Superman and Batman during the final battle sequence has been removed. Batman and Superman have less dialogue together.
Yet another “Saturday Morning Cartoon” style scene where Superman and the Flash race has been removed. Despite the fact that this change reduces the campy feel of the 2017 version, this scene (or lack of scene) changes the relationship between Superman and The Flash. Yet one “dialogue scene” that did manage to make the cut is a scene where Alfred teaches Wonder Woman how to make tea.
In the end of the original version, there was a shot of a victorious Justice League overlooking the landscape they just saved. It’s the same shot, but the Justice League members are about to board Batman’s plane. The Snyder version is visually superior. However, yet another exchange between Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman has been removed, the one about Superman being glad he’s there to see it.
Furthermore, the Snyder Cut goes off on quite a few tangents. The story with the Amazons, the Mother Box and Cyborg’s background simply takes too much time. This was no doubt an attempt to re-create an Avengers style movie by explaining all the characters’ backgrounds. The difference is the Avengers all already had their own private movies, and it was not necessary to go off on these long tangents to explain their background.
Snyder Cut does contribute a superior villain with Darkseid. Having Steppenwolf report to someone does change his character in a good way. Another much-improved scene is Superman’s entrance into the final confrontation.
But changes like this could have been added to the original version (along with other changes like music) without the previously mentioned changes.
For the first few hours, the Snyder cut does not necessarily make Justice League a new movie. It is just the original Justice League movie from another angle. But as the movie unfolds, it turns out the Snyder Cut does make good on its promise to make Justice League a different movie. And it therefore also creates different relationships between the characters.
Critics labeled the original Justice League a two hour Saturday Morning Cartoon, and rightfully so. But give me a two hour Saturday Morning Cartoon over a four hour video game commercial any day (or night, if we’re trying to be darker).