Zack Snyder's Justice League

I really never had any intention of watching the Snyder cut.   Mostly because the Snyder fanboys remind me of early gamergaters.  Their toxicity is off-putting.  Not my tribe so to speak.  I steer clear.   When you're a woman DC, Marvel, Star Trek, whatever, fan, you do have to navigate the bros.  When you're a woman like me who has been throwing male approval cookies on the ground and crushing them to crumbs since she came of age, you get really uncomfortable even liking the same things these aholes like. 

But then came the Whedon revelations. I knew Whedon was guilty of it all, and more, when he "left" his HBO series, The Nevers.  Some day we will find out he was fired of course, and as a direct result of the WB investigation.  But will we ever really know what this investigation turned up?

I still believe there's a lot we don't know about his behavior on the Justice League set.   And that what we don't know was quite bad.  And, yeah, I would believe he locked Gal Gadot in a room and threatened her career.  My question is; where was Affleck? The most powerful person on that set, you can't convince me otherwise.  

So there's a lot I'd like to know about what went down there.  

Anyway, now along comes the Snyder cut.  The #releasethesnydercut fanboys won.  A scary precedent when it comes to those guys who consider the fucking JOKER a role model of how to male.

Still,  taking into consideration the recent information about what an abusive prick Whedon is, and my love for this cast and of watching Jason Momoa do anything,  I decided to watch.

It's a better film.  It cannot be argued otherwise, but some are arguing it, because, you know, internet.  Some say it's just a longer bad film.  That's too simplistic.

The winners of the Snyder release are; Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, and Ben Affleck.

I never thought Affleck  was a bad Batman, just that he had terrible material.  Affleck's actually a great Batman.  Am I crazy though, or are all Batmans pretty awesome?  Other than Clooney's of course.  Someone said to me that if you're over 40 you think Michael Keaton is the best Batman, under 40 you think it's Bale.

I think that's also too simplistic.  Keaton, Bale, and Affleck are all really great Batmans.  You may prefer one over the other, but I'd bet that this is very colored by source material preferences. 

Anyway.  Back to the Snyder cut.  I don't read the comics, I just love the films and television shows.  For both DC and Marvel.  So I really didn't know Cyborg's backstory and Whedon's JL left me none the wiser, I can tell you that.

Snyder's was a revelation and Fisher's performance was great.  Full stop.

As for The Flash, now that's the Barry Allen I know.  Not the sniveling nervous coward Whedon made him to be. 

"I have to try".

And his beautiful scene saving the woman we know is Iris West and his future wife made me SO excited for the next Flash film. 

So I'm glad I watched it.  I'm happy it was released even if it rewarded a bunch of internet wankers.  

But the post-credit scene, which revealed Snyder's grim, joyless, Joker-filled vision for future JL films, ugh.  I am happy the #restorethesnyderverse movement isn't going to gain traction other than as a bowel movement.  I've no interest in that world.  And I thought Nolan was dark.

Also; man I HATE The Joker.  Yeah, even Ledger's Joker.  He's repulsive.  He's a murderer.  He's a lunatic.  He is the lovechild shat out when a Maga, an Incel, and a lefty anarchist do a 3-way mate.  There don't even need to be three people there - most of these people overlap!  Some of them, can be all three, I swear to God.  

Back when Ledger played him I don't think I realized I hate the Joker.  Of course I understood he was the villian, but to be honest with you it took Trump, Bernie Bros, Incels, Maga's, Gamergate, and the fucking internet to make me shudder at the thought of him.  I have a cousin who dresses up as the Joker, full makeup and all.  I think just for Halloween.  But I CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT.  He's 50 btw.  He's MAGA.  He's toxic.  Of course he loves The Joker.  The Joker is a blueprint for these douchebros.

And if all of that wasn't enough, he licks his lips.  A lot.  I cannot abide.

Now as to Ray Fisher's accusations and the resulting investigation, WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff was interviewed by Variety.   This reads like a stinking pile of bullshit to me.  

"Ray Fisher has accused Warner Bros. executives of racially biased behavior and of trying to impede an investigation into alleged misconduct on the set of “Justice League.” Did your investigation corroborate any of his claims of racism on the part of your employees?"

"No. Our investigator, Judge Katherine Forrest, has issued statements specifically about [DC Films president] Walter Hamada, saying that there was no evidence of interference by Walter in the investigation. She said that the cuts made in the Joss Whedon version of “Justice League” were not racially motivated. We took it very seriously, so we hired one of the top investigators out there and gave her a tremendous amount of leeway."

Relax everyone.  They hired a top investigator to investigate themselves.  And that person told them they're squeaky clean.  Sounds legit.

I've no doubt a lot of the abuse Fisher suffered was racist in nature.  I'm also very bummed he's not going to be Cyborg anymore.  I would have loved to see what he would do in the upcoming "FLASH" film, which is going to reset that universe.  Coincidently making it much more diverse.  Which is totally not them trying to cover up for the racism in their ranks. 

In the end, I think this fantastic cast was so ill-served by all of the material, including Snyder's.   Gal hit gold with Jenkins in WW, but the sequel stinks.  The material itself, and Gal's performance.  Stink.   And that doesn't give me much hope for the third Wonder Woman. 

I think Cavill is done with Superman and he could have been a great one.  It was the material which failed him.   I'm not too bummed about this because the dude boned Gina Carano, and that's something I can never unknow about him. 

Fisher could have made Cyborg iconic.  Ezra is amazing as Barry Allen.  Affleck was a great Batman, and he IS returning for The Flash which is going to open up the multiverse.  

Is there a more charismatic screen presence right now than Jason Momoa?  I didn't mention Snyder's Aquaman, because Momoa lights up the screen in both versions.  For me he was the absolute best part of Whedon's otherwise dismal JL.   I know we are getting Aquaman 2, and I hope that's not the end of Momoa's Aquaman.

But we won't be getting the Marvel-like series we should have gotten from this group.  We wuz robbed.  By egos, by Snyder's original vision which in many ways sucked, by toxic Joss Whedon, and by the suits.  

The actors did right by us though.  Hat tip.