In 2017 fans of the DC universe were treated to the first live-action “Justice League” film. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film showcased the action and drama that up until then had been restricted to the pages in a comic book. While it was nice to see some of our favorite superheroes and heroines on the big screen, some storytelling details left the film feeling less than planned out. However, this adaptation to the iconic film will definitely leave you leaning on the edge of your seat… again.

In case you didn’t already know this film is meant to be an extension to the original 2017 version which explains its four hour runtime. Which definitely came as a shock for most moviegoers such as myself. The purpose of this extended version is to provide a more in detailed storyline and plot. In order to accommodate this massive runtime the movie is separated into eight chapters similar to something akin to “The Godfather.” 

Since the film follows the same storyline and scenes I’m mainly going to be focusing on the extended scenes that we didn’t see in the original. One of my biggest gripes about the original film was its lack of character design and development. That definitely isn’t an issue with this film as it manages to provide and in depth backstory and purpose behind each character. One of the film’s greatest strengths is the time spent dedicated to giving a better look at our heroes, their backstories, as well as introducing us to new ones. Even the main antagonist of the film gets their own backstory, which really makes the audience more invested than when they were first introduced. It almost feels like you are meeting the characters all over again from a fresh slate which I really enjoyed.  

The second biggest change from the original has to do with the storyline. If you are a fan of the DC universe, then you will definitely be impressed by this extended film’s dedication to detail which makes the plot much more fluid and attached to the main plotline that’s seen in the comic books.  Even if you have never seen a DC character or movie in your life, this film will certainly help catch you up to the storyline and prevent you from getting lost. In the original cut of the film the shorter runtime prevented the film from exploring the full lore and plot aspect, none of these issues are shared with this new version. The film also squeezes in a sneak peek at the end that is definitely a treat for any that follow along.

Overall this new adaptation and extension turned an okay film into a movie masterpiece that really displays  DC’s unique approach to storytelling.  It manages to clear up many of the downsides of the original while also adding extra details of its own. Even if you’re not a big superhero fan the in-depth storytelling alone will surely draw you in. It’s definitely worth the additional hour and a half of runtime, I recommend this movie to any DC fans or newcomers to the series and I give it a 9/10, you can see the film on HBO max.