A New Age: The Snyderverse

Let me begin this article by saying this not a spoiler. I am not going to break down the specific scenes from the movie that were epic, but I might reference a few. There will be some comparison to the first cut of the film because I think it is worth noting where Snyder's cut smashed the first film into oblivion. My goal is to show that this cut of the film has set a new standard for the true fans that want to see what we saw on Saturday mornings as children portrayed to the same level of excitement.

Well over the last decade we have seen a near countless production of certain super heroes. It started with spotted, isolated films that were anything but a serious rendition of the comics and cartoons we all know and love. I personally was stupid excited to see the 'X-Men' franchise come to life, but was disappointed that it did not grasp the gritty and lifelike style that the cartoon always made me feel. With every sequel the movies became worse and worse in both quality, as well as content. Every movie seemed to follow a pattern of build up to a super fight, only to leave me hanging that it was the furthest thing from the epic that I was built up to expect. Of course, an argument could be made that these are false expectations, and that I lied to myself to believe it could be accurate. However, with movies like the 'Matrix' and 'Suckerpunch', how could I believe that these time-tested and established stories could not even look the way these others have?

As a child, those of us that looked forward to that intro music on Saturday morning were raptured from the normalcy of reality and cast into a world that would take roots so deep in our minds that we have never been able to let it go. I feel that Mr. Snyder has been able to capture that very sentiment though his direction of the DC films. From the color pallet to the masterful pairings of the music choices as the scenes unfold is unlike anything that I have seen in modern cinema. Although the story itself seemed lacking even from the first creation of the Justice League, I believe that Snyder got it as close to correct with his newer adaptation. Justice League has seemed to me to be a carbon copy of what the Avengers franchise has accomplished, but with the Snyder cut it feels like they broke the mold and created something more unique than just the characters themselves.

If you are as serious a movie lover as I am, then I have no doubt that my next statement will describe yourself, as well as myself. The little details are what really bring any film into the scope of my heart and mind. The little things that make you remember a movie, a line, or even the expression on the actors face when a heart wrenching scene unfolded. These details were what I believe to be lacking with the first release, and I can surmise that Snyder felt the same way. There additions to the story that made this film go from a sheet cake to a three tier wedding cake for the royal family. Such attention was paid to the fine details that it was very difficult to find things wrong with this film. Some would argue that it was too long, but if we were truly fans and lovers of this universe, does it really matter how it is? Or could it really ever be long enough? I think not. There were many breaks to have a smoke or walk around, but I couldn't get enough. Remember that feeling that you had when you watched through the LOTR trilogy for the first time in one sitting, this viewing was very similar; minus the hairy short people.

In closing I will say that the cliffhangers that left the series open to sequels was straight out of the cartoon world. There was mystery, darkness, and intertwining of story lines that made you question what in the hell was actually going on. Nothing made me happier in this film than to see the scene between the Joker and the Batman, but I won't spoil what exactly is going on with those two. All I will say is that it is nothing like what you've asked for, but everything that you've ever wanted. Once the film was over, I was a little star struck. I felt like my mind had just run a marathon and I needed to hydrate before I cam back to reality. Now, you may watch this and think that I am completely outside of my mind with praise. Some reviews online have shown that could very well be the case, but you have to understand that I have been waiting for someone to represent these heroes in the way that my childhood mind remembers them. Snyder hits that mark with a 10 pound sledgehammer.