It took years of debate but the ending of the discussion between the quality of the originalJustice Leagueand the potential of theSnyder Cutis finally over. With the release ofZack Snyder’s Justice League,fans can rest well with the knowledge that the director’s version is now available for everyone to watch.
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All things considered, even the originalJustice Leaguehad a few plus points that were even better than those found in theSnyder Cut. Of course, the latter has its own many advantages overJustice League, making it most appropriate to weigh these out to judge which version is the best.
10Story Set-Ups: Snyder Cut
TheSnyder Cutdoes justice to the arcs the superheroes have. It has the rightdetails for the characters, setting up the events that eventually take them where they’re meant to be. For instance, Aquaman getting the quindent came out of nowhere inJustice League, but theSnyder Cutexplained that Vulko had told him about it.
The same goes for Cyborg’s arc, as his tragic past is actually detailed in theSnyder Cutthat sets up the storyline of his dissension with his father. The director’s cut lays out the backgrounds for the characters to explain why theJustice League make their decisions in the movieas they play out.
9Pacing: Justice League
Poor pacing is something that plaguedother works likeSuicide Squad, where things seemed rushed. TheSnyder Cutsuffers from being too bloated to the point where scenes are extended more than necessary and a good hour could have been chopped off.
Justice Leagueis better in this regard as it contains the story within two hours. The pacing is also a notch quicker since scenes don’t linger too long and the movie explains the purpose of each moment without dragging along the way theSnyder Cutdoes.
8Character Quality: Snyder Cut
Something that was probablyborrowed from DCAU movieswas making the characters fully layered.Justice Leaguewas severely weak here, making The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman feel like they had little involvement.
Snyder Cutfixed this problem by making these characters the heart of the story, as they had their own struggles and issues that made them relatable. Each protagonist had a balance in theSnyder Cutthat truly makes it a team-up movie.
7Music: Justice League
This one can be argued in either version’s case but the edge goes toJustice Leaguedue to each scene containing a specific and consistent soundtrack. It also had homages such asthe originalSupermanmovie’s theme and kept the pacing of the music even from start to finish.
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Snyder Cutfeatured a distinct soundtrack that was also impressive but it suffered in places where the music didn’t accommodate for the change in tone and seemed to be on repeat. Simply put,Justice League’s score was edited far better.
6Better Villain Portrayal: Snyder Cut
This one should really go without saying consideringJustice Leaguehad the flattest antagonist one can think of. That Steppenwolf came out of nowhere, had no distinct goals, and was a generic bad guy. The one inSnyder Cutdisplayed his emotional range better, and the movie laid out his mission to redeem himself well.
It also has Darkseid in clear context, placing the ruler of Apokolips as the tyrant he is and leaving no doubt of the threat he poses. The inclusion of his pursuit of the Anti-Life Equation also plants the seeds for Darkseid to be the overarching villain of the DCEU.
5Editing: Justice League
This is another area thatkilledSuicide Squad’s momentumbut was avoided byJustice League. While the move was clearly cut around other scenes, it still told a coherent story that, while not the best, still retained a sense of self and told the gist of the plot.
Snyder Cutopted to go for everything that was filmed, resulting in scenes that looked mashed together in a relatively unprofessional fashion. It meant there was a lot happening at the same time, which could be confusing.
4Thematic Quality: Snyder Cut
Zack Snyder has always been a director who’s gone for allegorical takes in his story. As a result, every protagonist inSnyder Cutisworthy of their own spin-offsince each got a thematic quality. This was seen with Cyborg, whose arc was allegorical of the journey young people take in life. Superman also had various references made to prophetic connections.
Justice Leaguewas too basic here, as it overflowed with juvenile jokes that left no room for a deeper look into the art of filmmaking.Snyder Cuteven had an aesthetic that went along with every setting, whether it was signaling doom or the heroes’ incoming battles.
3Action Sequences: Tied
There’s not much to distinguish between the two versions, with the only real difference being the designs of the characters. Apart from that, the action sequences were along the lines of other DCEU movies where a lot of slow-motion sequences and explosive moments were highlighted.
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The fight choreography was certainly unique in either film, with theSnyder Cutgoing for more balanced contributions from the heroes whileJustice Leaguehad Superman do the most damage. Visually, the two did a good job in their own takes on these scenes.
2Dialogue: Snyder Cut
There’s zero competition at this point, withSnyder Cutbeing far ahead ofJustice League. The former’s dialogue gave care toward the characterizations of the protagonists, as each hero’s dialogue stayed true to their personalities.
Justice League’s dialogue predominantly contained a lot of jokes, but those that just didn’t suit the kind of characters that were uttering them.Snyder Cuthad more engaging and complex conversations taking place, with the comedy arriving only when the timing was right. Even the flow of the words is far better to listen to in this version.
1Winner: Snyder Cut
Zack Snyder’s vision for the film ultimately prevails in all the areas that matter the most. By making most of the potential of the characters, theSnyder Cutends up being a complete movie that ticks all the boxes to make the heroes worth rooting for.
Justice Leaguewas far too mellow to have a lasting impression since there were no high stakes involved nor long-term impacts. TheSnyder Cutsets up potential sequels while also closing out several storylines established here. It might be overly long but it’s the version that offers the most depth.
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