My Final Thoughts on The Snyder Cut

Poster Description: The poster is black and white, with “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” written at the top in white. The JL symbol is surrounded by a square with a star-shaped gap between the letters. Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Batman, and Cyborg stand side by side.

Here, you can read my thoughts on Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

We did it! We’re at the film’s final part with twenty minutes to go. Slight foreshadowing: it’s going to get weird.

Epilogue: A father twice over

1) Woohoo, our boys are growing as people!

Back at home, Victor wears the hooded jacket we met him in. He was angry then, destroying his father’s Dictaphone, but Victor fixes it here. His father’s voice plays out like nothing happened, and Silas expresses his pride over his son, as well as “bringing him into the world… and back into it.” That’s my favourite line out of the whole speech, which is rather long. Later on, Victor visits his grave shared with his parents, and sheds the hooded jacket. Then, as the sun shines on his metal body, Victor finally smiles.

As Silas’ recording continues, we catch up with the rest of the League. Arthur reconnects with Vulko and Mera, leaving in the back of a truck. He’s going to talk to his father, and Mera looks on with an expression that’s hard to read.

Barry visits his father in prison again, announcing his new job at a crime lab. “Taught him NOTHING he knows!” Barry’s dad laughs, much to Barry’s embarrassment. Afterwards, we see the speedy hero running through the city in his costume, looking absolutely elated. As he should!

Image Description: Central City is an illuminated blur as Barry runs in his Flash gear. His arms are flying back behind him, his eyes are closed, and there is a big, boyish smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Martha Clark moves back into her farm with help from her son and his “work friends.” It turns out Bruce kindly bought the bank that reclaimed the farm to make amends. It should also be said that Bruce offers Clark his congratulations, which could be due to Clark and Lois getting engaged, or the results of that pregnancy test she had in her top drawer in Part 5.

The future might look a little uncertain at this point, but Bruce and Diana have found a pretty decent space for the Justice League to assemble. So, besides returning Athena’s arrow to the temple, Diana doesn’t have much to do. She appears to be wearing more practical heeled boots this time around, though, so that’s good?

2) Oh, hi, Luthor…

Well, that post-credit scene in Justice League is back, with a few changes. Luthor still escapes from Arkham Asylum (for the emotionally troubled *snort*) and Deadpool’s dad comes to chat with him on a yacht. I’m not kidding. DC created this guy, Slade Wilson, first, a.k.a Deathstroke. The man even wears red and black with crossed swords at his back.

Image Description: Deathstroke looks menacing with a black and red mask and full-body armour with many straps and buckles beneath a dusk sky.

Justice League dangled this scene with the promise of a bad-guy league, but this version celebrates that Luthor knows Batman’s true identity. And then –

3) This is a (K)nightmare!

There’s a corpse in a car, blasted by sand and wind. Hang on! This isn’t Mad Max, is it? Or District 9? There are those ships from Victor’s vision before Superman’s resurrection. This looks like the apocalypse, but Victor has had an upgrade.

Image Description: Surrounded by burnt-out cars, Victor looks formidable. Along with a metal body and half-metal face we are familiar with, he now has a small blue light in the middle of his forehead and a large, black gun that comes out behind him.

One by one, all these familiar characters materialise into this alien world. First, there’s Mera, holding Arthur’s trident. Oh, no. Who killed Arthur? Who is this “he” they keep talking about?

Deadpool’s dad has had a fancy haircut, but I can’t really care because I don’t know how we got here! He was about to hunt down Batman a moment ago! WHAT IS GOING ON? Barry wears the same outfit from the dream Bruce had way back in Batman VS Superman! So, this future must be what Bruce meant by “something darker” in Part 6. Ooh, it’s all coming together, but then…

That laugh. My skin is crawling just thinking about it.

Image Description: We are looking over Batman’s shoulder at the Joker, who points a yellow gloved finger at him. Dressed in a dirty, frilled shirt and waistcoat, the Joker’s hair is long and dark green, his face is white, and he has black smudges around his eyes. His mouth is a bloody gash. For once, he looks earnest.

Jared Leto’s Joker calls for a truce with Bruce? Aw, Snyder, don’t make this Joker canon, please! I thought he was just a fever dream from 2016. Also, don’t wound me with the concept of Harley Quinn’s death after she finally got the film she deserved. How are we supposed to feel for a “Boy Wonder” we haven’t met yet? This is too much exposition through a face I’d rather not see anymore, and now Superman has joined the party, and he doesn’t look so happy.

Red-eyed alien #1…

Image Description: Clarks wears his red and blue Superman suit and cape. His eyes glow a dangerous scarlet.

But...it was all a dream/premonition?! Damn it, Snyder, you’re better than that!

4) Martha isn’t an alien.

So, Bruce is on holiday, and a man in a cape has just arrived at the door. It ain’t Superman, though. It’s the red-eyed man who visited Lois in Part 5. You could say I was utterly crushed that the twist of her being a secret alien was not to be. Ah, well.

The caped visitor carries a warning for Bruce: Darkseid isn’t defeated yet. Still, it’s a good thing the Defenders of Earth are banding together, and the stranger offers support for the battle to come. But before he flies off, it is revealed his name is the Martian Manhunter. Yes, really. So, more cliff-hangers.

Because I’m impatient (and unfamiliar with DC Comics beyond the films), I decided to do a bit of research about this new character. The Martian arrived in 1955 as a green-skinned alien from Mars, also known as J’onn J’onzz. Like his costume, the Martian’s abilities are relatively similar to Superman, except being able to shapeshift, and his main weakness being fire. With all this in mind, it makes sense that J’onn is often a substitute to Superman within the League when Clark is otherwise engaged.

I was also surprised to learn that Green Lantern was planned to appear in the epilogue. However, Warner Bros. was clearly still smarting from 2011’s Green Lantern, so a compromise was found.

And red-eyed alien #2!

Image Description: The sun’s glare shines from under brooding clouds just over the Martian Manhunter’s right shoulder (he faces the camera, so it looks like his left!). His skin is silver, etched with darker lines around his forehead, eye sockets, cheekbones, and the angles of his neck. Like Superman, the Martian wears a cape, but it’s black and held in place by two disks attached to the rest of his dark costume. His eyes glow, but his face looks peaceful.

5) A touching tribute.

The film ends with the message “For Autumn,” in tribute to Zack and Deborah Snyder’s daughter. Indeed, her memory touches many aspects, including the vulnerable admission from Barry to Bruce about his need for friends. But, most crucially, in that very same scene, a billboard advertises the Samaritans charity with the hopeful words, “You are not alone.”

With the credits rolling, we are treated to an especially raw rendition of “Hallelujah,” sung by Allison Crowe. It’s very moving, indeed.

So...final thoughts?

While four hours might be pushing it for an acceptable run-time, the glaring mistakes left in Justice League has been fixed. Ray Fisher and Ezra Miller get to step out from their co-stars’ shadows, with easier characters to empathise over, and the entire League feels more like a team. Snyder’s brooding colour scheme ramps up the intensity, although the tendency to take even the more ridiculous aspects (like prolonged slow-motion sequences) seriously may not be to everyone’s tastes. Steppenwolf’s make-over and Hinds’ performance give us a proper bad guy to hate, with better motivations to flesh him out. Darkseid remains a bit more elusive, though I hope the journey to the Knightmare storyline will fill in the gaps - you know, as long as Jared Leto’s Joker stays the hell away. As a tribute to his daughter, Snyder's cut is one of the best films to come out of 2021. Four months on, I have thoroughly enjoyed this mad project. The DCEU appears to be having a much-needed revival, and the Snyder Cut may be the benchmark for what's to come.

The Verdict: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

My Sources:

Zack Snyder’s Justice League poster - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12361974/

The epilogue, explained - https://www.vulture.com/2021/03/zack-snyders-justice-league-epilogue-explained.html

Image: The Flash - https://filmcolossus.com/zack-snyders-justice-league-epilogue-explained/

Who meets Lex Luthor? - https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/zack-snyders-justice-league-deathstroke-scene-sets-up-lost-batman-solo-movie/

Image: Deathstroke - https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2559018/joe-manganiello-drops-first-look-at-deathstrokes-snyder-cut-look

Deadpool & Deathstroke: Who came first? - https://screenrant.com/deadpool-deathstroke-origin-rip-off-mocked-marvel-comics/

Image: Victor gets an upgrade - https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a35852757/justice-league-ending-explained-joker-knightmare-snyder-cut/

Image: The Joker - https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/justice-league-zack-snyder-cut-joker-jared-leto-epilogue-knightmare/

Image: Knightmare Superman - https://comicbook.com/dc/news/justice-league-snyder-cut-knightmare-scene-explained-spoilers/

Who is the Martian Manhunter? - https://collider.com/who-is-martian-manhunter-snyder-cut-cameo-explained/