Warner Media knew my birthday was March 18th and released the Snyder Cut as a gift. OK, that’s a load of bullshit but a man can dream. Seriously though, this film is a cinematic milestone for both fans and Warner Bros. It is a far cry from its predecessor from 2017 simply titled Justice League. This is worth the 4 HOUR run-time, I promise you. It is recommended that you don’t view it all in one sitting. Space it out over a few days.

Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) is one of the most savage villains. His motivation and backstory is flushed out a ton. As you can see, he is the offspring of a frenzied porcupine and Decepticon. The guy shows up and wrecks everyone and everything. Not only is he extremely powerful, but he is driven by redemption. This makes him a formidable threat to the heroes and all of humanity.

Every supporting character has a lot more relevance. Alfred is charming, funny, and a genius with technology. I want to know more about him in his younger years. The people of Atlantis who we meet in the follow-up film, Aquaman, are introduced and serve as an introduction to that world. We learn of events taking place that setup his solo film. It’s the well-needed connective tissue for the shared DCU.

My biggest complaint with this movie is the pacing. Too much time is spent on slow-motion sequences, brooding, and premonitions (aka Knightmare World). The editing is so seamless that it can be jarring as to what is reality and what is alternate-reality or future past. It’s all really confusing even for a sweaty nerd like myself. I’m sure if given a sequel, all of this would be explained.

The focus should have been on Darkseid. He is supposed to be the big bad, the final boss. All I saw was a rock-skin dude that got his ass beat so bad, he forgot where he was. Speaking of ass beatings, Batman hands out a lot of them. Sure, our superpowered heroes do their fair share but when it comes to numbers, the caped crusader stacks bodies. To be more accurate, Parademons. They deserve a henchmen of the year award.

As of now, I have watched this movie twice. It’s a beautiful picture, every frame is like a comic book splash page. There is so much character development in this story. I would love to see a solo movie from Cyborg and The Flash. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the superior version of DC comics’ most iconic heroes. I give this an 8.5 out of 10.