It took me a while to watch e four hour movie just after re-watching the two hour version so I can compare. However, maybe it is not fair to compare two hour movie, against what is essentially two movies or a mini series.
First of, Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League was much needed cut, it is worth the watch. On rare occasions audience has the chance to see the movie they expected so much to be re-created.
It is rather long movie but since we are binge watching series, four hours does not seem that long, but the dynamics of the movie, kind of make it to feel lime it was a mini series or a movie in two parts.
The Snyder cut feels more connected, than the 2017 version, it is absolutely more explorative and richer with mythology. The character development is of course more in depth and it serves the story.
The soundtrack of the movie and the music is a great improvement. It is absolutely fantastic.
A little bit on the difference between the two versions
While of course the movies are different, the storyline is pretty much the same, there are only extra two hours as said before to explore the characters and improve the plot points. There is a key plot element added, which adds to the epic finale of the movie. The final battle is almost fully redone and it is absolutely amazing.
Almost all scenes from the first movie are there, but much of them are changed in dialogue and order, and only few are completely removed.
About the darkness of the Snyder Cut.
I did not find the Snyder Cut to be more dark than the 2017 version. It simply isn’t, it is more epic, bit not dark. In fact it is much more hopeful and brighter. The epilogue includes darker parts but this is not exactly related to this movie.
Let’s start with the screencaps, the movie is divided in 6 parts and an epilogue.
Spoilers ahead!
Part 1: Don’t Count On It, Batmam!
Part 1 is very similar to the 2017 version, some chronology is fixed and there is a beginning and a reason for the mother-boxes awakening.
Part 2: The Age of Heroes
The best addition to the movie and the first introduction to Darkseid, and a key point to the plot. The mother boxes origin is explained and we get a glimpse of the first defeat of Darkseid.
Part 3: Beloved Mother, Beloved Son
This part of Zack Snyder’s cut added much needed character exploration, we get more into the lives and origin of Cyborg and the Flash. Batman is doing his team recruitment.
Part 4: Change Machine
The fourth chapter of the movie is introduces one of Darkseid’s followers, DeSaad and reveals a greater secret hiding on Earth, greater than the mother boxes. Batman’s team proves worthy in the first encounter against Steppenwolf.
Part 5: All The King’s Horses
A bit late in the movie, Superman’s awaking. This is one of the plot lines, that I feel it was not represented as good as the first movie. Superman’s absence was much more present and strong in the first movie, it did had a better emotional connection in the first movie, at least to me. In the Snyder cut, with all the added material, the fact that humanity is missing Superman is not as noticeable.
There is also a “future to be” sequence, which is connected to the title of part 6, and the epilogue.
Part 6: Something Darker
Something Darker is referenced only once, shortly in the part, it is so short it feels out of place even. In this part we get the final epic battle. The largest gallery.
Epilogue
The Epilogue is a mixture of happy/dark moments. While mostly happy, there is a dream sequence which as mentioned above is connected to the “Something Darker” reference in part 6. And this is where we get the Joker cameo.
The size of the screencaps is 1440×1080.
Check out selected artwork made from the screencaps
or maybe read upon some critical points of the The Snyder Cut that were not understood as well.