(Photo by Warner Bros./ courtesy Everett Collection)
Director Zack Snyder was among the frontlines in the battle to bring back the zombie, his 2004 Certified Fresh remake of Dawn of the Dead nestling in snugly with the likes of Shaun of the Dead and Land of the Dead. But it was with his second feature that he developed a signature style: 300, combining a comic-book palette with unflinching machismo and fetishistic style. The adaptation of the Frank Miller comic was a pop-culture phenomenon, and helped establish the gritty Warner Bros. look on comic-book movies that started with V for Vendetta and was furthered by The Dark Knight.
There was no stopping Snyder now, as he next tackled Watchmen, once thought a graphic novel too dense and troubling for film. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and Sucker Punch were stepping stones into the world most know Snyder for: As the creative guide behind Superman movies, and the DC Extended Universe beyond. Man of Steel was a big enough box office hit for the studio, and if audiences had some qualms about the direction of the character, their curiosity was nonetheless piqued for the next movie.
That would, of course, end up being the biggest title bout of comicdom: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ben Affleck put on the suit, the first to do so after Christian Bale in his Dark Knight trilogy run, and went mano-a-mano with Henry Cavill. A single word may have put this quarrel between two mama’s boys to bed, which opened the path to the next movie referred to in BvS‘s subtitle. Justice League arrived, pulling in Gal Gadot, who would go on to make the Certified Fresh Wonder Woman, and introducing the new movie versions of The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Justice League‘s disappointing Tomatometer and box office have made “Release the Snyder cut!” a clarion call for the online hordes, referring to the supposed three-hour version of the movie that existed before studio executives and meddling forced it down to its current 120-minute runtime.
Snyder has since lessened his presence within the DCEU (he’s still a producer on Wonder Woman 1984), and is returning to where it all began with Army of the Dead, an upcoming Netflix movie starring Dave Bautista about mercenaries who pull off a heist in Vegas during a zombie outbreak. And speaking of heists, the director snuck into the Warner Bros. edit bay and lifted the raw footage of Justice League, releasing the legendary Snyder Cut during COVID lockdown on MAX. Now he’s in bed with Netflix with Rebel Moon, which aims to launch an entire media franchise. —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 82299%
Critics Consensus: A kinetic, violent and surprisingly worthy remake of George Romero’s horror classic that pays homage to the original while working on its own terms.
#2
Adjusted Score: 87614%
Critics Consensus: Zack Snyder’s Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director’s vision — and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence.
#3
Adjusted Score: 81386%
Critics Consensus: An ambitious, over-the-top zombie heist mashup, Army of the Dead brings Zack Snyder back to his genre roots with a suitably gory splash.
#4
Adjusted Score: 77689%
Critics Consensus: Gritty and visually striking, Watchmen is a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel, but its complex narrative structure may make it difficult for it to appeal to viewers not already familiar with the source material.
#5
Adjusted Score: 70700%
Critics Consensus: A simple-minded but visually exciting experience, full of blood, violence, and ready-made movie quotes.
#6
Adjusted Score: 72165%
Critics Consensus: Man of Steel‘s exhilarating action and spectacle can’t fully overcome its detours into generic blockbuster territory.
#7
Adjusted Score: 56959%
Critics Consensus: Legend of the Guardians‘ dark tone and dazzling visuals are to be admired, even if they’re ultimately let down by a story that never lives up to its full potential.
#8
Adjusted Score: 62238%
Critics Consensus: Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn’t enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.
#9
Adjusted Score: 50354%
Critics Consensus: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story — and some of America’s most iconic superheroes — in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action.
#10
Adjusted Score: 30683%
Critics Consensus: It’s technically impressive and loaded with eye-catching images, but without characters or a plot to support them, all of Sucker Punch‘s visual thrills are for naught.
#11
Adjusted Score: 31539%
Critics Consensus: Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire proves Zack Snyder hasn’t lost his visual flair, but eye candy isn’t enough to offset a storyline made up of various sci-fi/fantasy tropes.
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