On November 17, 2017, the highly anticipated DC superhero assemblage "Justice League" was released in theaters, but the reputation was mediocre and the box office performance was not ideal.
What's even stranger is that Zach Schneider, who has the director's signature in the film, has never seen the film.
Later, people gradually learned that in addition to the theatrical version of "Justice League" completed by "Avengers" director Joss Whedon after Za Director quit, there is another version that has not yet been completed, that is, the version that originally expresses Za Director's vision for DC.
Since then, a campaign calling for the "release of the Za guide version of "Justice League" has begun in a big way.
On March 18, 2021, the original team was called to make up for the reshoot and all the production of "Zach Schneider's Version of Justice League", officially launched on the HBO Max streaming platform.
The "positive film" we have been waiting for since 2017 has finally arrived.
One
What is "Zach Schneider's Justice League"?
Although most fans who follow DC are very familiar with the ins and outs of "Zach Schneider's Version of Justice League", for most ordinary viewers, the appearance of this version may be a bit confusing.
It all stems from the bumpy behind-the-scenes story of the 2017 film: During the filming and production of Justice League, director Zach Schneider was forced to quit due to a family tragedy, so Avengers director Joss Whedon was invited to take over the film and made drastic changes to the film according to the opinion of producer Warner.
After the release of this "Justice League", which became unrecognizable under the influence of many parties, disappointed fans began to call for the release of "Za Director's Cut Version of Justice League".
At this time, all people want is a "director's cut version", which is quite common in Hollywood, and there have been more than one precedent in za's career - the director's cut versions of films such as "Watchmen" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" have greatly improved the reputation of the film, which is considered to be far better than the theatrical version.
So, naturally, when the new film has a bad reputation in theaters, fans turn their attention to the "director's cut version" option.
However, in the end, the "new version" that people waited for has gone far beyond the scope of the director's cut version.
The reason why it is called "Zach Schneider's Version of Justice League" is because it is not only the length, addition and re-editing of the theatrical version, but also very rarely reshoots, make up special effects, change the soundtrack and other laborious work, and the plot and characters are quite different from the theatrical version.
It was a giant ship carrying different crews to another end, and of course there was only one captain – Zach Schneider. It was a journey that belonged entirely to Zadui, and it was also the end he had drawn for himself in the DC Universe.
Two
Return to the Zaguid DC Universe
Za's version of Justice League begins with the death of Superman.
This is a scene from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Superman dies with The Monster Day of Destruction, and he let out one last cry of pain.
But what the previous game didn't show was that Superman's deathbed cry spread through the universe like a bell, confirming Luthor's warning to Batman in the Easter egg at the end of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: "Ding-dong, God is dead." The bell cannot be recovered, he has found us, he is coming. ”
With the death of Superman, Earth's most powerful protector, the villain Steppenwolf is waiting for an opportunity to snatch the three mother boxes and use their power to destroy and conquer the earth, while Batman and Wonder Woman try to assemble a team of superheroes to resist the invasion.
As far as the main plot is concerned, the Za guide version does not seem to be so different from the theatrical version, and even many of the shots are the same.
However, from the first minute of the film, you will never be able to confuse the two versions, and the style and tone of the two are very different.
When watching the theatrical version, there is always a lingering sense of violation, almost can feel the sense of tearing reflected in the film by different creators and different revision opinions, and the most personal and somber visual style of Za Dao is out of place in the relaxed version.
However, in the za-directed version of "Justice League", the filmed material picture and the director's creative intention are finally in line with the direction, and the misplaced puzzle finally returns to its proper position.
The divinity of the hero portrayed by Za Dao and the R-rated action scenes and epic and magnificent pictures that are extremely powerful complement each other in the film.
In the DC Universe built by Zadui, superheroes are not your friendly neighbors, but more powerful and controversial outliers.
From the pious chanting of the residents of the seaside village to the shocked expressions of the terrorists who lack faith like witnessing miracles, Za Dao got his wish and presented DC's superhero elders on the screen as gods on earth.
Whether it is Superman's memories of his biological father and adoptive father's teachings to him, or more of the "Nightmare Future World", the audience can clearly feel that this is not a film that has been split and independent, it closely inherits the plot of "Superman: Body of Steel" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", which is the final chapter of the trilogy.
Three
Bolder ideas, more shocking spectacles
Perhaps because the four-hour film is sufficiently long, the war scenes in Zach Schneider's version of Justice League are more imposing and the characters are more full of three-dimensionality.
From the opening two mother box battles, it is clear that the action scenes of the film are far more impressive than the theatrical version.
The tragic determination of the Amazons of Paradise Island to fight to the death, the shocking scene of the entire fortress falling into the ocean, create an epic atmosphere for the battle, and a fierce battle in the undersea kingdom of Atlantis is particularly gripping, with the strength of the fist underwater and the amazing ability of Maela (Amber Hield).
In terms of character shaping, the Za director version of "Justice League" also completes the arc of the characters that the theater version has no time to take care of thoughtfulness, especially the originally marginalized steel bones and Flash are portrayed in a more layered way.
The theatrical version was forced by the length of time to directly cut almost all of the backstory of the steel bone, so this became the most surprising story line of the Za guide version, deducing a hero's gradual acceptance of his own transformation process.
The Flash takes on the highlight moments of the film, twice exceeding the speed of light and reversing time, which is both an unexpected reversal and an incomparably romantic visual spectacle. The world recovered at his feet, and the lightning bolts that were beating on his body split out one by one, lighting up the street lamps on the side of the street.
Father's phrase "create your own future" is only then given meaning, and The Flash's future and past are intertwined in that moment.
More importantly, za's version of "Justice League" did not waste such a luxurious lineup and film scale.
Since this is a highly anticipated hero assembly, it is even more important to break through expectations and take bold risks at the story level.
The "Nightmare Future World", which has been laid out since "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", has more details in the Za guide version of "Justice League".
An apocalyptic futuristic world created by a series of events such as The Flash's disruption of time and Superman's abnormal resurrection means that the victory in the film is not without cost, and the future battles will be more sinister.
In this futuristic world, both Wonder Woman and Aquaman suffer misfortunes, Superman seems to be controlled by Darkseid's anti-life equation, and heroes such as Batman have to join forces with villains such as the Joker and Death knell to try to turn time around.
A short future scene is hugely informative, and it leaves enough room for fans to interpret it carefully.
Similar Easter egg plots abound in the film.
The bigger threat behind Steppenwolf, Darkseid, the Martian Manhunter who is mixed in with humans, the fourth generation of atomic man Cai Ryan, the flash's future girlfriend Alice West, the son of Superman in Louise Lane's belly... Since Za Dao did not plan to make any more DC movies, these Easter eggs will not have more meaning after all, but their appearance in the film is already the best surprise for fans.
Four
Not perfect, but condensed with love works
Like Za's other "director's cut" works, Za's version of "Justice League" will still have obvious flaws.
The narrative of the film is too fragmented, too much pursuit of the sense of graphic form leads to the impact of the rhythm, the rationality of the character motivation and behavior logic are still lacking, and the large number of Easter eggs added does not have much effect on the plot.
However, such an imperfect work still has a significance that cannot be ignored.
It is not a "stop loss" work torn apart by different opinions and trying its best not to make mistakes, but a sincere work that Za Dao has poured all his efforts into, the result of the joint efforts of the united actors and the team behind the scenes, and it is also a gift for fans who love DC and every fan who has looked forward to this version of the film, and it is a work that condenses love.
The advent of the Za guide version of "Justice League" has too many conditions that can be encountered and cannot be sought. As Steel Bone says in the film: "Anyone can burn a house to ashes with matches, but the mother box can turn the ashes back into a house." "Now, ash has indeed changed back into a house. That alone is worth cheering.