Game options: "surreal in its absurdity"
"Imbued with a depressing sense of loss"
"The great convergence is being forced out"
On March 18, the premiere of the film "Justice League of Zach Snyder" took place on the network.
The title contains the name of the director, for the sake of the director's vision of which this picture was created.
Justice League, which hit theaters in 2017, was a collaborative effort between Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Agents of SHIELD).
At the beginning of 2017, Snyder prepared a four-hour piece, which then, at the request of representatives of the Warner Bros studio, was reduced to 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The film was to be finalized for post-production.
Then in the family of Zack Snyder and his wife Deborah, the executive producer of the project, a misfortune happened - their daughter passed away.
The couple was forced to abandon further work on the tape.
Joss Whedon, tasked with completing the film, rewrote and re-filmed many scenes in his own manner.
After the release of the picture, fans created a petition demanding to show the world the original version of Snyder, and also circulated the hashtag #releasetheSnydercut (“release the version of Snyder”) on social networks.
They were supported by actors Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot.
Critics point out that the new tape needs to be assessed taking into account the history of its creation.
IndieWire columnist Eric Kohn points out that Snyder's version was made to meet the needs of the people who were pushing for it to be released.
In his opinion, fans can be considered co-creators of the film.
“The whole concept of Snyder's directorial cut is shaped for an era that is set by customization: Either you enter at your own risk or you refuse,” warns Cohn.
RogerEbert.com editor Matt Zoller Seitz believes that the film will appeal to those who have been waiting for it - however, other viewers (even comic book fans) may not fully understand the tape.
Nevertheless, Seitz argues that Snyderkat is superior to the 2017 version in all respects: Whedon's painting, he says, "lacked the kind of hurricane nonsense that Snyder is known for."
Tod McCarthy (Deadline) noted that the name of the author is deservedly included in the title of the film.
The critic admitted that he was happy for the fans who achieved their goal.
© kinopoisk.ru
At the same time, a number of flaws can be found in the Snider version.
So, some critics complain about the form of the picture.
The film is a little over four hours long and is divided into six parts (plus an epilogue).
Nevertheless, within them, the narrative is also structured in fragments.
Matt Zoller Seitz, for example, believes that the tape could be presented in the form of 32 short films.
He compared the parts of the film highlighted by the director with the monthly comic book issues.
“The film is awkwardly sewn;
instead of building on a previously generated impulse, a great convergence is being worked out, ”said Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair.
Entertainment Weekly critic Darren Franich generally found the plot illogical.
“It takes forever for everything to end up with nothing,” he writes.
However, showing the Snider version as a single film (and not a mini-series, as previously planned) has its advantages.
The Guardian author Peter Bradshaw believes that thanks to this format, the viewer has the opportunity to experience all the madness inherent in drama - especially in connection with questions of theology (for example, Superman's mother Martha and his girlfriend Lois Lane Bradshaw compares to the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene).
Although the plot is fragmented, the picture from start to finish retains the dark atmosphere inherent in the work of Zack Snyder.
Critic Tod McCarthy found constant musical accompaniment superfluous - according to the expert, it is not necessary for Junkie XL's compositions to emphasize the disturbing atmosphere every minute.
“You can also say good things and praise Snyder for his ability to withstand the mood for so long, but more readily, perhaps, one would like to criticize him for not trying to add variety and change the pace of the protracted disclosure of characters who, for all their totemic appeal, completely one-dimensional, ”McCarthy said.
“Snyder’s four-hour film is imbued with an oppressive sense of loss — both irrevocable and reversible — making the screening difficult and strangely poignant,” echoes Richard Lawson.
Some critics agreed that the tape turned out to be too long.
According to Eric Cohn, Snyder should have finished the film on a superhero battle with Steppenwolf.
He complains that the credits are followed by an abundance of scenes, each of which could be the last.
“This is the beginning of the end,” declares Steppenwolf.
And there is still an hour left before the end, ”Darren Franich said ironically.
Richard Lawson suggested that the abundance of slow motion scenes also affected timing.
Critics note the best elaboration of the characters' characters.
Matt Zoller Seitz points out that all the characters (and not just Batman and Wonder Woman, as it was in the film with Whedon) was given enough screen time.
Eric Cohn noticed that more attention was paid to the stories of Cyborg as played by Ray Fisher - and this character shows good potential.
© kinopoisk.ru
Tod McCarthy appreciated the new interpretation of Steppenwolf: now the antagonist has more screen time, which allows him to show it in all its glory.
The visual solution, according to the critic, has also been rethought successfully.
Darren Franich, on the other hand, notes that the villain has poor motivation and a monotonous storyline.
He also did not appreciate the portrayal of the other antagonist, Darkseid
.
"Here Darkseid is such a typical villain a la 'See you in the next sequel', so openly squinting under Thanos that it doesn't matter what Darkseid Kirby (comic book author Jack Kirby. -
RT
) came up with first," writes the critic.
Franich is also confused by the same type of dialogues between superheroes: according to his observations, each time Batman, Cyborg and Wonder Woman outline the situation, and Aquaman asks for something to clarify.
Zach Snyder's tape evoked a gamut of various associations among critics.
“Four hours and six parts (plus an endless thirty-minute epilogue) in this bizarre reworking of old material are overshadowed by sleepy acting, cheap plot ramifications and empty world elaboration, which makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the author speaks of the DC -
RT
Cinematic Universe
.
) to Shakespeare, ”says Eric Cohn.
Peter Bradshaw considered the release of the film (for all its flaws) a triumph of justice.
“There is something exciting about this weird, operatic sunset of the superhero gods that may yet turn into dawn.
Snyder's film is somewhat surreal in its absurdity, it can be tiresome, but at the same time fascinating, "the expert summed up.
Matt Zoller Seitz saw Zach Snyder's Justice League as more than a blockbuster.
“This is not just a commercial feature film, it is equally influenced by rock concerts and video games and multimedia installations.
It's crazy.
It's monumental.
This is art, ”the critic concludes.