In “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”, determined to ensure Superman’s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.
For in-depth thoughts on Zack Snyder’s Justice League, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original streaming release here.
For an additional take on the film, please see my colleague Ricky Valero’s review here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Zack Snyder’s Justice League looks outstanding in its 1.33:1 native 4K HDR10 presentation. We respect Snyder’s creative choice for the film so we did not try to zoom in or anything to fill the screen. If you attempt to do this, you are just asking for a more noisy, unnatural grain situation and at that point why even both with the 4K disc? It should also be noted that there is no “Justice Is Gray” version included on this disc.
The increased range of the color spectrum is stunning to behold. The HDR enriches the colors from already impressive to out of this world when it comes to vibrancy. Don’t get me started on the intense colorfulness of The Flash’s crimson suit and the bright lightning streaks that show off eye-popping hues. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements in the film taking place in the cover of darkness are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. This 4K UHD presentation really delivers on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color. The streaming version has sufficed until now, but the stability that the new 4K UHD Blu-Ray offers trumps everything. Warner Bros. has delivered another demo-worthy transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a dynamite Dolby Atmos presentation that feels like it just might bring your house down. This is a title that is made to be played loud and provide complete immersion, and the addition of the height channels aids in accomplishing that goal. Various overhead elements provide a special touch that will have you vibrating. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic action scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The momentous score envelopes the room with a ferociousness that you will not soon forget. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The brutal action scenes provide an all-encompassing soundscape that kicks in throughout all the speakers. The low end is pushed to the limits here in a way that will have your neighbors complaining. The mix will be a fun one to put on to demo your sound system.
Special Features
- The Road To Justice League: A 25-minute piece in which Snyder discusses his appreciation that the fans demanded to see his end for this journey, his passion for this world from a young kid, his thoughts on the performers in their roles and more. Additionally, various members of the cast and crew offer thoughts on working with Snyder, building on previous films, returning to this world and more. There are some cool behind-the-scenes moments with Snyder working with the performers that it would have been nice to see more.
Final Thoughts
Zack Snyder’s Justice League provides the only version of this story that matters. While the precedent that was set with this unique situation may not be good for realistic expectations moving forward, in this instance the outcry has resulted in something supremely impressive. It righted a very big wrong by allowing a creative vision to be seen through to the end. While not perfect, this herculean effort provides fans with special moments that they will cherish for a very long time. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has finally given us a 4K UHD Blu-Ray of this one and it really impresses in the A/V presentation. The special features could use some work, but having this film on disc in the best quality possible will suffice. Highly Recommended
Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on September 7, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
