It seems that when the Zack Snyder Superman movie, which kicked off the DC Extended Universe, came out, that everyone was raving about it.
The brilliant new Superman movie that all the fans were excited about.
It was a magical moment. In the wake of the original Avengers, a second Superhero Extended Universe had emerged.
And then everyone remembers when the world was dissappointed by Zack Snyder's Batman vs. Superman.
What nightmare is this? Batman fighting Superman? As the theme of a movie?
The very idea took the wind out of the sails of all hopes for a great DC Extended Universe.
Then came a moment that we all really remember.
Wonder Woman.
The magic of Black Panther and Wonder Woman, the two massive strokes that were heard round the world.
By then, many of us had forgotten about the DC Extended Universe.
But there was a core group of fans, a fair number of them, who understood what Zack Snyder had been doing with Batman vs. Superman, and had stuck with him.
They were right.
And now there were a fair number of people who were willing to take a chance, based on Wonder Woman.
Then came Justice League.
It should have been a massive triumph.
It was a grand movie, it made over 660 million dollars at the box office, an insane amount of money.
Massive numbers of fans saw it. Remember that these were pre-Pandemic prices. It should have been seen as a major blockbuster success.
But the studios had so massively overspent on the special effects budget- something that was not at all necessary to pull off Zack Snyder's vision- and the promotion of the film, in expectation of a $1 Bilion + Avengers-like success, that making over 660 million dollars actually lost money, and a movie that made over 660 million dollars at the box office and was seen and loved by massive numbers of fans was dismissed by the media as a flop simply because the studio so overspent on it that it still lost money.
I recently had the privilege of seeing Zack Snyder's Justice League on Roku.
And I had a realization.
Everything that made 2017's Wonder Woman great is present in each and every one of the Zack Snyder DC movies- with the possible exception of Batman vs Superman.
And Batman vs. Superman was setting up one of the most moving moments in cinematic history.
Batman vs. Superman was setting up Superman's moving and epic return in Justice League.
I implore you to give the other Zack Snyder DC movies a chance, if you at all loved 2017's Wonder Woman.
These are movies of ideals, of deep sacred ideals held onto in the face of darkness.
These movies are an answer to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight.
Not darkness and jaded despair, but holding on to hope and light and high ideals in the face of darkness.
Not CSI but rather Saving Private Ryan.
These are counterparts to the wonderful Wonder Woman movie we all remember and love.
Batman vs. Superman was not a crowd-pleasing movie, it was a daring artistic gamble.
Because Batman vs. Superman was not a standalone movie. It was necessary setup for Justice League.
We don't get the payoff from Batman vs. Superman until Justice League.
If you at all love 2017's Wonder Woman, give Zack Snyder's DC movies a chance.
Above all, don't think of these as the darkness of jaded cynicism.
Rather, think of these as holding on to hope and high ideals in the face of darkness.
Not CSI but rather Frodo and Sam in Mordor.
That's Zack Snyder's Justice League.
And both of the first two of his core DC movies are setup for Justice League.
This is the reason that the tone changes and becomes less dark and more fun in Justice League.
Because Justice League is the payoff for the entire 3-(or 4-)movie series that began with his Superman.
Justice League is the joyful hopeful turn at the end of the dark tunnel.
Superman, unlike Batman vs. Superman, stands alone on its two feet.
Let's rediscover this movie that so many loved when it came out.
And let's watch it and the entire 3-film series alongside our beloved Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
That's my 3 cents after seeing Justice League on Roku.
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson