Jesse Eisenberg | Screenlife Reviews

Director’s cuts are not an uncommon occurrence in the movie industry. We’ve seen classics like Blade Runner and Apocalypse Now improve upon the already iconic finished products and some not as successful attempts (sorry George Lucas). Zack Snyder’s Justice League may be the most deserving of all for its director to be given a second chance, with the original 2017 film caught in a storm of personal grievances and restrictive studio mandates which eventually led to his replacement by Avengers director Joss Whedon. The resulting product was a surface level fight-fest, with nary a full character arc in sight, that attempted to please studio executives rather than the fan base rampant to see out Snyder’s vision, which began with 2013’s excellent Man of Steel. Finally, after years of vehement online support, Warner Bros acquiesced, allowing Snyder to present his full, gigantic 4 hour vision of the ultimate DC super-hero team-up on streaming services around the world. Does it live up to the hype? Yes and no. Let’s get into it.

For the uninitiated, the broad strokes of Justice League centre around Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) attempting to recruit a team of super-powered individuals to fight against the oncoming threat of Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), an intergalactic being hell-bent on destroying the Earth and cultivating it into an apocalyptic wasteland for big bad Darkseid (Ray Porter). In order to do this, he must collect the DC equivalent of the Infinity Stones, the Mother Boxes; three cubes scattered across the globe which, when combined, create an unstoppable force to change the planet to the user’s will. As the newly formed Justice League – now including Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) – clash with Steppenwolf, they begin to realise that their only way to achieve victory may be through some less than ethical means and a recently deceased Kryptonian.

Simply put, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the vastly superior version of the film, feeling like far more of a thematically and tonally consistent sequel to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman than Whedon’s cut. Narratively it is a very similar beast, with majority of the big action set-pieces remaining intact, but where Whedon’s version threw away character development and story in favour of quippy one-liners and mindless filler scuffles, Snyder restores these aspects, with a particular focus placed on the characters of Cyborg and Steppenwolf, two of the most underserved and generic characters from the 2017 film. Cyborg’s origin and relationship with his father is the emotional centre of the film, leaving the baffling question as to why Whedon chose to remove the only fully fledged character arc from his movie. Fisher is wonderful as the troubled half-man half-machine, conflicted over his feelings towards his father’s work that left him alive but cost him his mother and any semblance of a normal life. No longer does Cyborg simply become a hero after a pep-talk from Wonder Woman, but from some serious soul-searching and forgiveness, a theme Ben Affleck’s caped crusader learnt the hard way in Batman v Superman.

Ciarán Hinds’ incompetent villain Steppenwolf is also reworked into a more sympathetic character this time around, less concerned with collecting macguffins to destroy the world than he is to serve out a debt owed to Darkseid and win back his place as the right-hand man of DC’s answer to Thanos. Sure this may be shown in something of a clumsy and eerily relatable way, with Steppenwolf communicating with his boss via a series of magical Zoom calls, but using redemption as a motivator following an implied betrayal of Darkseid makes for a much more interesting character. Steppenwolf’s revamp extends to the visual side as well, marking a significant upgrade for the creature who has gone from a poorly rendered, gladiator armour wearing alien to a ferocious, spike clad minion of death, worthy of the threat Snyder insistently reminds us he is to the newly formed league of heroes. The scenes involving Steppenwolf also showcase a new feature of the Snyder Cut: the R rating. Gore features heavily as Steppenwolf slices and dices his way through scores of Amazonian and Atlantean soldiers, who explode in puffs of viscera at the blade of his lethal axe. It’s an unneeded touch for sure, likely to alienate the ever-present audience of young children who come to these films to see Superman and Wonder-Woman kick butt without any evidence of actual harm, but it certainly fits in with Snyders MO of throwing everything at his likely last outing in the DC universe.

That’s right, all the quirks that come with Zack Snyder’s style are present here on a scale larger than anything we have seen before. That includes some truly cringe inducing dialogue, a return to the gritty, grounded characters of before (gone is the giddily childish humour of Whedon) and as much slow-motion action that the human mind can physically endure before exploding. Seriously, at times it feels like a quarter of the film is just slow-motion shots of our heroes narrowly avoiding a bullet or pushing something out of the way of harm. The lack of a restriction on runtime allows for all sorts of overindulgence on Snyder’s part, from an extended scene of hymns to Aquaman sung by an Icelandic village to an almost Return of the King number of endings, including the much hyped “Knightmare” sequence, which serves as an intriguing, if unfulfilling look at where Snyder’s proposed trilogy of films would have gone. Jared Leto’s singular scene as the Joker here is better than the entirety of Suicide Squad, even if it is about a fraction of the length of that mess, but doesn’t elevate the film significantly or warrant a complete viewing on its own merits.

The continued narrative of Superman continues to be Snyder’s greatest contribution to this iteration of the DC universe, even if he doesn’t lean into the character’s moral compass as much as in Man of Steel, with his endlessly positive message of hope ringing louder now than ever. It is genuinely exciting to see him return to save the day, and the touches of Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel score in Thomas Holkenborg’s completely re-recorded and otherwise rather generic score are goosebump inducing during the climactic fight scenes. Cavill’s performance is one for the ages and the fact that this may very well be the last time we see him don the blue and red (or black this time around) suit can’t help but feel bittersweet, especially given this film’s lack of importance to the overarching DC story going forward, with Warner Bros declaring Whedon’s cut the canonical entry in the franchise. There is some retribution in knowing that Cavill’s last appearance as the Man of Steel isn’t marred by a digitally removed moustache (Google it) but here’s hoping it isn’t the last time we see him on-screen.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a fascinating experiment of a film. Whilst it is an undoubtedly good thing that Snyder was allowed to see out his full creative vision, the fact remains that this version of the superhero epic – whilst superior to Whedon’s – is at times a bloated, directionless cluster bomb of a movie, with the director let loose to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the viewer’s eyeballs: the good, the bad and the godawful slow-motion (seriously stop doing that). As a continuation of his previous DC work, this feels like a satisfactory, suitably epic conclusion, even if the epilogue scene doesn’t convey that sense of finality. While it is easy to look at the Snyder Cut as a win, it also represents something of the toxic side of fandom, where “fan ownership” of characters leads to the bullying of studios and individuals into getting what they want. I’m more than curious to see what Zack Snyder would do with the sequels to this film and I genuinely hope they get made, but only if the creative team has genuine interest and supports the project, not as a result of a bunch of bullish, entitled fans. When part of the fandom turns as dark as Darkseid’s minions, no one wins.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Connie Nielsen, J.K. Simmons, Ciarán Hinds, Amber Heard, Joe Morton and Henry Cavill – Streaming on HBO Max in the US and on Binge in Australia now.

It’s a rare occurrence when a sequel to a beloved film arrives years later and actually lives up to expectations. For every Toy Story 3 or Blade Runner 2049 we’re usually hit with an onslaught of awful sequels like Dumb and Dumber To, Independence Day: Resurgence or the unwatchable mess that is Zoolander 2 (I dare you to try and make it through that one). Fortunately for everyone, Ruben Fleischer’s follow-up to his 2009 cult hit Zombieland is worth the wait; delivering more of the zany, over-the-top adventures of the A-List zombie killing cast with all the jokes and gore that fans would come to expect. The film doesn’t attempt to re-invent the wheel – although the limited world-building does spice some things up – and people that didn’t appreciate the first film’s crude humour won’t be converted here, but if you’re in the market for some genuinely hilarious zombie killing shenanigans, then look no further, you’ve come to the right place.

Zombieland: Double Tap picks up 10 years after we left our heroes; with the crew of Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) traversing the apocalyptic ruins of America in the hopes of finding a place to call home and beginning a semi-normal life. Naturally this leads them to the most opulent of homes in America: the White House, where the crew settle into something of a rut, adjusting to life in their new surroundings and forgetting the worries of the chaos outside. Little Rock, however, is unable to shake the feeling that there is more out there and strikes out on her own in a search for people her own age to connect with, setting the wheels in motion for another road trip for Columbus, Tallahassee and Wichita as they attempt to track her and her newly found hippy boyfriend, Berkeley (Avan Jogia), down.

The plot of the original Zombieland was never exactly groundbreaking, with its basic “search for shelter” storyline a staple of the genre. What made it special was the approach it took to that formula, opting to focus on the personalities and interplay of its core cast of characters as opposed to the zombie apocalypse, which serves as a means of both bringing everyone together as well as making for some solid laughs. Double Tap continues this trend, thankfully, again pushing the zombies to the background and opting to focus on the characters we know and love, introducing new struggles for them to overcome and new zany personalities for them to interact with. The story is nearly identical to its predecessor, with our heroes heading towards a new safe haven in order to find Little Rock serving as the substitute for the first film’s journey to the Pacific Playland theme park. It might be easy to dismiss this as lazy writing if it weren’t for the myriad of jokes woven into the adventure and the numerous easter eggs calling back to the first film. This really is a comedy first and foremost and the pacing is swift enough to get you to the next plot beat before the jokes run out and things become stale. The jokes come so fast that it’s almost impossible to get through any scene without a smile on your face, with several recurring jokes that will have you in stitches – a gag to do with the gang’s mode of transportation in particular is pure gold.

Of course none of these jokes work as well as they do without a stellar cast delivering them and Double Tap is absolutely stacked with talent, both new and returning. Woody Harrelson has the most to do here, carrying a large amount of the comedy on his back as well as his own subplot as he struggles to understand the dynamic between him and Little Rock, who he believes he has become something of a father figure to. Harrelson was made for this role – his delivery of the crass, over the top jokes are always on point, and there isn’t a dull moment when he is on screen. The writers of the film have paid particular mind to Tallahassee when considering the time jump, as many of his jokes that would be considered a little out of line by today’s standard are addressed and poked fun at, such as his catchphrase “Nut up or shut up”. It’s a fun way to update the material for a more modern audience without diminishing or losing any of the humour from the original film. Eisenberg is solid again as the rule making hypochondriac Columbus, providing more of his signature voiceover to both entertain and introduce the audience to the new aspects of this Zombie infested world. Despite his obvious chemistry with the original cast, Eisenberg is at his best when interacting with the newer cast members, bouncing off of Thomas Middleditch’s character (more on him later) in particular extremely well. Emma Stone continues to deliver great work here, peppering in sarcastic barbs wherever she can, often providing some of the films funnier moments. The weakest link of the original cast is Abigail Breslin, who isn’t bad in her role by a long shot, but who simply just isn’t given much to do. Her character serves primarily as a plot point to spur the adventure on and her screen time is limited as a result. It’s a shame given the solid work she did in the original film, but having her out of the picture does allow for some new talent to shine.

Zoey Deutch is a revelation here as the absolutely clueless millennial Madison, a young woman who has somehow survived the zombie apocalypse living in a frozen yoghurt store freezer. The character of Madison is a clear indictment of the self-obsessed social media generation of today and it couldn’t be more relevant, as she continues to get herself into and out of hot water through sheer obliviousness to the world around her. Deutch displays an amazing comedic talent, imbuing the character with heart and knowing when to pull back on the stupidity so as to create a character that is ridiculously annoying yet always engaging to watch. In a film full of Hollywood heavyweights this relative newcomer more than holds her own and she is easily one of the best parts of the entire film. Rosario Dawson’s character Nevada also plays a key role in the proceedings, presented as a love interest for Harrelson’s character she proves that she can more than hold her own in the chaos around her. Dawson plays her character as a hardened warrior with a soft spot for Tallahassee, who she bonds with over a mutual love of Elvis Presley. Don’t expect to see a whole lot of Nevada however, as she falls prey to the same injustices as Little Rock, in that she is largely present to propel the story forward. It’s unfortunate given the skills of Dawson, but she makes the most of her screen-time and leaves a lasting impression. Rounding out the cast is the duo of Luke Wilson’s Albuquerque and Thomas Middleditch’s bumbling Flagstaff. The pair are positioned as the doppelgängers of Columbus and Tallahassee, each playing off their counterpart to delightful effect. While it might not be the most highbrow of comedy concepts it is infinitely enjoyable to watch Wilson and Harrelson sling insults at each other in almost identical Texan drawls or Eisenberg and Middleditch compare and insult each other’s rules and commandments for surviving the zombie apocalypse.

It’s fair to say that no one was really expecting too much from a Zombieland sequel 10 years after the original. All the key actors had moved onto other projects and even more successful careers and the original was seemingly destined to be lightning in a bottle; an impressive feat just to have this cast in the same movie. Double Tap not only delivers on the promise of getting this cast back together on their A-game, but throws in several new incredible actors, a seemingly endless stream of quality jokes and the right amount of heart to make this one of the most purely fun experiences at the movies this year. While the plot might not be the most creative, the characters are what you come for and they deliver in spades. If you’re complaining that there’s nothing good to watch at the movies this week and haven’t checked out Zombieland: Double Tap, then it’s time to nut up or shut up.

Zombieland: Double Tap stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, Thomas Middleditch, Luke Wilson & Avan Jogia – in cinemas now.