Zack Snyder's Justice League

Much improved. The tone proves more consistent throughout, and including big-bad Darkseid ups the narrative stakes, while the expanded backstories supply more robust emotional stakes.

The four-hour running time feels right for the story, but screenwriter Chris Terrio’s structure feels more suited to a television series. Alongside Batman v Superman, this production hints at a broader, more epic storyline including a Darkseid-controlled Superman and a final reckoning between Batman and Joker. Releasing multiple four-hour films was never going to happen, but multiple seasons of a Justice League series could have set HBO up with a post-Game of Thrones franchise.

This new version isn’t perfect. Ezra Miller and Jesse Eisenberg still feel miscast—though the latter has almost no screen time. And the finale’s murky visual effects fail to evoke an appropriate sense of awe.

But I enjoyed this passion project more than I expected. If nothing else, it’s the best Green Lantern movie we’ve gotten to date.