I don't think I've ever seen a film so drastically improved from one version to another.
And this is coming from a guy who was underwhelmed by Snyder's previous work on Man of Steel and absolutely disgusted by Snyder's repulsive thematic takes and character assassination in Batman v Superman.
The Snyder Cut was absolutely mind-blowing. It was a total vindication of him as a director, artist, and cogent filmmaker. And a validation of the vision that we now know could have generated a distinct and intriguing DC cinematic universe to compete with Marvel.
I owe Zack Snyder an apology.
When I heard he had been released as Justice League's director and replaced by Joss Whedon, I thought, "Good. It's too bad DC couldn't do their own thing and compete with Marvel. But at this point, they might as well cut their losses, conform to Marvel's standards, and do a little something to salvage the mess Snyder made of the DC Universe."
I didn't hate the theatrical cut of Justice League because it did just that. It felt rushed, incompatible, and generally forgettable, but at least it didn't actively sabotage its own source material.
When I first heard calls to "Release the Snyder Cut!" I thought, why? Why would anyone care to see the same mediocre movie with a few different scenes, ones that we're probably better off not seeing if Snyder's previous work with DC characters is any indication.
Well, I was wrong.
This Justice League is a totally different film. It makes the theatrical cut look like a particularly poorly edited YouTube fan video.
I was absolutely floored at times and I cannot begin to comprehend how Warner Brothers executives decided the released version would be better or more profitable.
It's remarkable how few complaints I have. And, again, this is coming from a guy who was enormously disappointed by Snyder's previous directorial ventures with DC.
I will say that, perhaps, casuals should be wary of this one or watch it in parts instead of all at once.
Though it is exponentially superior to the theatrical cut, I still think it could have used a good bit of editing. It does drag on and, while I'm glad we got Snyder's completed project rather than an empty shell of it, I still think we'd be better off to get a trimmed down version.
But either way, do yourself a favor and give the Snyder Cut a look. It'll be a worthwhile journey, and might just change your mind about a man and vision that deserved another chance. Might even make you long for a DC Universe that could have been.