So just watched the ZS cut. Well, I have this much to say about it. It's more Justice League than Avengers was Avengers. It has depth that is worth investing in. It champions for the marginalized, the grieving and the hopeful. Is it perfect? No. Is it everything it touted to be. Yes. Is it better than the theatrical. There is no comparison. How did WB allow for the theatrical to be released when this was the possibility? Am I a Synder fan? No. Do I think he hit a home run with this one? In terms of a superhero movie, yes. I think this is the future for DC. If WB was smart, they'd allow him to finish his story in a season 2 of the Snyder-verse. I was never really a DC fan growing up outside of Superman and Batman, but this movie won me over. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has a role to play. The characters are significant and matter to the plot. I will admit that I jumped through some of the exposition scenes that were from the theatrical cut that dragged on a bit, but other than that I didn't feel like I watched a 4+ hour movie. One of the worst parts of this movie is that Eisenberg is still Lex Luther.....can't really change that though, unfortunately. I could do without the added gore and cursing as it just felt excessive and unnecessary. The sequel setting up epilogue scenes that follow the closing voice over scenes weren't really necessary imo. I would have left those as teasers for season 2. It looks like we'll be able to get our hands on physical copies of this cut in the summer. I'll be buying it to see if I can do a trimmed edition that tones it down a bit.
I think the main connection I had to this film and what rose it above the mediocrity that the other DC ventures, and many of the Marvel ventures have, was the overwhelming themes of grief and hope. The visuals, characters, music, and narrative all were immersed in these two themes. This is completely understandable as this whole production was dedicated to Synder's daughter. I hope the Snyder's have found a sense of healing and hope in this process. Grief is a cycle that does not end, it is only endured. "Heal, Love, Win. The time is now" As one of many who have lost loved ones, this resonates to the core. 7.895/10