10 Ways Zack Snyder’s Justice League Is The Director’s Best Superhero Epic

Zack Snyder is known for his long, epic, CGI-filled superhero movies. After releasing the spectacle that is 2009's Watchmen, it was as if the director became addicted to portraying superheroes in these hyper-stylized worlds. What followed was Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman, two grandiose movies that started the "SnyderVerse" of DC movies.

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But as drawn-out as those movies' runtimes are and as sweeping as their soundtracks are, none are as epic as Zack Snyder's Justice League. At just over four hours in length, the movie is a behemoth full of Lord of the Rings-scale battles, world-building, and Greek mythology.

10 There's Still Focus On Smaller Moments

There's no denying the scope of Zack Snyder's Justice League, as it jumps from one epic CGI-filled battle to the next. The battle with Darkseid alone is one of the most rewatchable scenes in the DCEU. However, surprisingly, there's just as much of a focus on the smaller moments too.

There are heartfelt scenes between characters, whether it's Barry meeting Iris West or visiting his father in jail. But funnily enough, even in small scenes like these, Snyder still manages to throw in a highly detailed CG rendering of a hot dog bun seed. Regardless, it adds a more human layer to the superheroes, who have been depicted as gods in all of the movies.

9 It Has Every Superhero's Best Moment In The DCEU

The characters' solo movies were all full of exciting moments, but every superhero has their best scene in the series in Zack Snyder's Justice League.

Aquaman perches on the Batmobile being driven by Batman while wind brushes through his hair. Wonder Woman stops dozens of bullets with her wrist armor during the bank heist. The Flash goes back in time by entering the Speed Force. And Superman doesn't flinch when he's hit by Steppenwolf's ax. Though some of those moments were in the theatrical cut of the movie, it was still shot by Snyder, which is why it made it into the "Snyder Cut."

8 The 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Before the movie begins, a disclaimer appears on the screen that says, "This film is presented in 4:3 format to preserve the integrity of Zack Snyder's creative vision."

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Though the square aspect ratio might night exactly seem epic, the reason why Snyder shot it in 4:3 is that IMAX cameras use the aspect ratio of 2.39:1, which is much closer to a square than normal. Shooting in 4:3 makes the transition between the IMAX scenes and the other scenes less jarring. The 4:3 ratio was also the cinematic standard during the Hollywood Golden Age in the 1950s, which gives it a classic look.

7 The Darkseid War Scene

Fans will unfortunately never see Darkseid's full story arc, as his appearance on ZSJL was the first of a planned three-movie arc. However, the flashback to Darkseid's war is one of the biggest, most expensive-looking sequences of the movie that wasn't in the theatrical cut.

The scene is almost like a movie within a movie, as Wonder Woman narrates the events of the Atlantians and the Amazonians fighting Darkseid and the Parademons. There's no battle in any other Zack Snyder movie like it, as it combines the sheer volume of the warriors in 300 with the fantastical elements of the DCEU. And it's one of the best examples as to why the Amazonians should get a spin-off show.

6 There's So Much World-Building

Though none of it will have much of a pay-off, as Warner Bros. has put an end to the SnyderVerse, there was so much world-building in the movie and it made for some exciting possibilities in the future.

The Knightmare sequence at the end of the movie paved the way for a horrific next installment where Darkseid had accomplished his task, not to mention that Batman looked ridiculously cool in a trench coat. Not only that, but the prospect of Deathstroke teaming up with Lex Luthor, and Martian Manhunter being up to some hijinks of his own, led to something that film buffs unfortunately won't get answers to.

5 It's Split Into Chapters

Between watching the movie episodically and watching it from start to finish, it makes a clear distinction between who the real fans are. However, the chapter titles actually make it more useful for the viewer and they make the movie much more easily digestible.

Zack Snyder's Justice League is a movie and it is intended to be watched in one sitting, but that's almost impossible for a lot of people, even in the age of binge-watching TV series. Being four hours in length, fans can dip into any chapter they like if they don't have time to watch the full movie.

4 It Made Leto's Joker Great

It's no secret that Jared Leto's portrayal of the Joker in Suicide Squad was polarizing. The character was covered in tattoos and even had grills, essentially looking like a gangster rapper. Any upcoming movies featuring him or even led by him were canceled. However, Snyder brought the character back, and the fanfare when he appeared in the movie's first trailer proved that there were enough fans who loved him.

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The portrayal of the character in the epilogue of ZSJL is massively satisfying, as the director seemingly softened the character's edges. He felt more like the Joker, but he still maintained some of that strange humor he had in Suicide Squad, such as offering to give Batman a reacharound.

3 It's Like A Comic Book Come To Life

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is like walking into the pages of the comic book, as all the Spider-Man characters were animated at different framerates to give the impression of it being choppy. Few other superhero movies can pull off tricks like that to make it truly feel like a comic book come to life, but Zack Snyder's Justice League comes the closest out of the live-action movies.

The 2021 epic is one of the most rewatchable DCEU movies because Snyder has a no-holds-barred approach to CGI. Between Aquaman surfing on a Parademon and the Flash sauntering around while time has all but stopped, it is the most playful Zack Snyder movie without losing its scope or overall dark tone.

2 All Of The Easter Eggs

Ever since it began in 2013, there have been loads of comic book references in the SnyderVerse. And being over four hours in length, it's hardly surprising that the 2021 movie is littered with easter eggs too. Some are more obvious than others, such as a Green Lantern showing up in the war against Darkseid.

But others are hidden and require multiple rewatches to find them all, such as Lois' pregnancy test and even a Spider-Man reference. Zack Snyder even has a cameo about 15 minutes in, which could be seen as narcissistic, but so many directors have done it over the decades. And it's most appropriate in Snyder's case, as his full name is literally in the title of the movie.

1 It's Told Like A Greek Myth

Ever since Man of Steel, Zack Snyder has treated superheroes like gods, and there are so many references to Greek mythology in the new movie that it could very well be a greek myth itself. The Old Gods, which are made up of 12 Olympians, take part in the war against Darkseid, and it even depicts Ares wounding the villain with a giant ax.

Even the way the superheroes are framed in the shot, it gives the impression that Batman is more than just a human being who does CrossFit and has a lot of money. And even more than just a symbol, a modern Greek god.

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