If there’s a director who has proven more divisive thanZack Snyder, they have yet to step forward. People either love him and defend his work with the very fiber of their being, or loathe his artistic vision and wish he’d never direct again, and only a very few exist in any sort of middle ground. But it’s those middle-ground folks who truly tell the tale, the ones who balance out the extremes to offer a more representative feeling about his films. What’s interesting is that, generally speaking, Snyder’s original concept films, like the recently releasedRebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, are not as well-received as his films where he’s working from a pre-existing concept, à laWatchmen. The reason is simple:Zack Snyder is at his best working from an existing idea.
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.
The Numbers Don’t Lie for Zack Snyder
Is it a fair statement? Perhaps not, but the numbers don’t lie. Out of all Snyder’s original concept works as a director,only one,Army of the Dead, isabove 50% onRotten Tomatoes(it currently sits at 67%).On the other side, only two of Snyder’s directorial efforts —Justice League(40%) andBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice(29%) — are below, andJustice Leagueis a directing credit technicality, given he passed off post-production duties toJoss Whedonafter leaving the film following the tragic loss of his daughter.
The 2021 release ofZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguefares significantly better at 71%, leaving onlyBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicethe lone exception. And if we’re gettingreallytechnical,Army of the Deadwasbilled as a “spiritual sequel"to2004’s remakeofGeorge A. Romero’s 1979 classicDawn of the Dead, so it is still within the confines of the zombie genre that Romero established withNight of the Living Dead. And if that is taken out of the equation, then all of Snyder’s original films as a director are perceived as below average.
Why Zack Snyder’s Original Concept Films Fail
Now to be very clear, this isnotan indictment of Snyder’s work, but more a reflection of the critical response to his films (in other words, hold the vitriol, Snyder fans), and evena general sweep of the reviews of his original films paints a picture of where Snyder falls short in the eyes of his critics(check out Collider’s review ofRebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiverhere). That same sweep will also tell you those things Snyder is very good at, things like spectacular, visually astounding action scenes and a unique style that is very much his own, in an industry that too often rewards the cookie-cutter director.
The problem is that there’s often very little in the way of a cohesive storyline that binds those sequences together. Snyder’s more interested in the look of the characters, and the visual elements, as opposed to giving the viewer a reason to care about them. His films have a darker tone, part of that unique style, which gives the impression that they are these majestic, grand, and important films, but lack the substance of such films.Ultimately, Snyder is a victim of his own expansive imagination, with the characters needing to supply the backstory, slowing down the film.Chase Hutchinson’s review ofRebel Moon — Part Twofor Collider, referenced earlier, draws attention to this very thing: “The viewer mostly ends up watching a lot of flashbacks, including one ridiculous conversation scene where everyone around a table gets their turn in a game of exposition roulette.”
After ‘Rebel Moon,’ Someone Needs To Remind Zack Snyder What He’s Good At
The polarizing director has indulged some of his worst impulses under his Netflix deal, but his early films hold the key to success.
Why Working With a Pre-Existing Concept Works for Zack Snyder
But when Snyder works with a pre-existing property,a number of those elements that plague his original films are eliminated. When the audience knows the backstory ahead of time, likeWatchmenorMan of Steel, the need for the characters to provide the exposition isn’t necessary to the same degree. In fact, one could argue thatthe only exposition that the characters provide in these films are those elements that Snyder has addedto, or amended in, that backstory. The 20-minute sequence of Krypton’s destruction inMan of Steel, or crafting a clumsy reason for Batman (Ben Affleck) to battle Superman (Henry Cavill), for example.
Those same Snyder elements serve another purpose in these films: they bring something unique to the narrative.His flair for the visual brought what is arguably the best Superman scenein the franchise’s long history, his first flight inMan of Steel. The fight between Batman and Superman is one of the genre’s great fight scenes. It is his mark left onDawn of the Deadthatbrought Collider to say, “Snyder succeeds in creating a fresh narrative that does justice to George Romero’s classic.” Is it always a home run? The lifeless body of General Zod (Michael Shannon) would say no, but it still has people talking about the good and the bad of it years afterward. What it boils down to is this: an unbridled Zack Snyder is too much Snyder, but a Zack Snyder that is reined in by the limits of an existing property allows him to play to his strengths. And when those strengths are allowed to breathe, they’re a wonder to behold.
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiveris available to stream in the U.S. on Netflix
WATCH ON NETFLIX
