The Snyder Uncut

Brief thoughts on the not brief ‘Snyder Cut’ of Justice League

The best jokes are grounded in truth. And it’s true that it took me the better part of a week to watch ‘The Snyder Cut’ of Justice League. Not because it’s bad, necessarily — though it’s not great. It’s just really fucking long. When I asked my wife if she was game to watch a four-hour movie, the look I got let me know it would be a late night long haul for me, solo.

Anyway, my biggest takeaway from ‘The Snyder Cut’ is the importance of editors. While the new footage adds a few significant elements — Darkseid — the vast majority would seem to be extended sequences with new musical interludes. It’s tedious at best and ridiculous at worst. Above all else, the vast majority of this stuff just wasn’t needed. Editors are worth it, as it turns out.

Of course, this wasn’t just about editors here. This was also about another director finishing out a movie that Zack Snyder couldn’t (for tragic reasons). And there’s no question that the Whedon cut is lighter, more Marvel-like. I honestly don’t mind the dark side (for shame) of Snyder’s vision,¹ I just think he could have still edited the damn thing.²

Still, I’m glad they made this. And I’m glad it was on HBO Max, because there’s no way anyone should have paid money to sit through this for four hours in theaters. But as a home experience, spread over a week (and nicely cut up into parts for your viewing pleasure), it was fine. Aside from the fact that it was released in a 4:3 ratio. Which was utterly absurd.³

¹ In some ways, I actually wish it was darker. Darkseid seems more imposing than Thanos, the Marvel big bad cut from the same cloth, because he’s less seen and heard from. It’s like with Jaws, the terror should be in your mind. The scene with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) whispering about his arrival is actually haunting! This could have been a horror movie!

² And the Epilogue — “Knightmare” — some of which was new, was fine but strange. It’s good to see where Snyder would have taken the franchise, but it feels very tacked-on, because it was.

³ Sort of humorous that in a time of intense hand-wringing over the future of cinema, Snyder goes 4:3 and HBO Max-only with his four-hour opus.