Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe, Connie Nielsen, J.K. Simmons, Jesse Eisenberg, Ciaran Hinds, Ryan Zheng, Amber Heard, Joe Morton, Lisa Loven Konsli, David Thewlis, Russell Crowe, Billy Crudup, Joe Manganiello.

You can have too much of a good thing, a statement that has been proved time and again throughout history, a well-ironed phrase that insists the buyer beware of consuming more than they can handle, or of inserting too much belief in the product that offers so much intensity and effects that the final product can leave you bloated, knowing that some of what you have devoured is akin to fluff and air.

However, you can still be overfed and slightly uncomfortable as you take stock of the feast you have worked your way through, and still feel content with what you have may have been treated to; this dichotomy does not happen often, but when it does it can feel a gracious surprise, a moment of the extra portion you did not realise you had the room for.

Such was the clamour of the fan base that it was almost inevitable that what has become known as Zack Snyder’s Justice League, would eventually become the authoritative film when it comes to bringing together the collected heroes of the D.C. Universe, and one that goes deeper, more in keeping with the other powerhouse of publishing, Marvel, and their appreciation of doing justice to the graphic novels created in their name.

It is more than fair to argue thatthe 2017 theatrical release of the film was met with more than just derision, it was considered one of the worst superhero films of all time, and one that did not capture the grave seriousness of the idea, and whilst the reasons to the two films’ difference are left rightly to discussions in chat rooms and fan base boards, Zack Snyder’s Justice League does not only reset the clock on the film and offer a greater meaning to the language and the imagery, it actually brings the piece into the same stratospheric levels as anything that Marvel has produced.

Whilst each actor should be applauded for being heroic in the face of that much talked of adversity, in this restoration of the original director’s disciplined, in depth unpeeling of the story, their own reputations are given that extra bounce, and the inclusion of Jared Leto’s interpretation of The Joker, also gives the actor an additional reason to grin after his own mauling by fans and the press who took exception to his interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime in Suicide Squad.

As poor as the 2017 theatrical showing was, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is such an improvement that despite it coming in at a staggering four hours, the knowledge that this time round you have been treated to the true and authoritative voice and vision of the film.

You can have too much of a good thing, however sometimes you can also lick your lips at the anticipation that what you are being offered is not air and fluff, that it is so much more than undigestible candy floss. Thank heavens for fan insistence.

Ian D. Hall