'Zack Snyder's Justice League' review: Bigger doesn't mean better

If two hours of Zack Snyder’s "Justice League" didn’t impress you, four hours of "Zack Snyder’s Justice League" probably won’t change your mind.

Fans might see it differently. They’re the ones who lobbied for this wholesale reworking of the 2017 DC Comics blockbuster that Snyder left unfinished following the death of his daughter (to whom the new film is dedicated). Completed by director Joss Whedon, the original "Justice League" mixed the heaving, almost herniating style of Snyder ("300") and the lighter touch of Whedon ("Marvel's The Avengers") into one very unappealing film. Now comes Snyder’s original vision, which contains so much unseen material — plus a newly filmed sequence — that the movie is twice as long and broken into seven chapters, including an epilogue.

The result: hardly an ounce of difference.

Everything that made the original film such a mind-number is still here. The generic storyline, for instance: After the death of Superman (Henry Cavill), a gang of cosmic tyrants begin searching for three alien-made MacGuffins — sorry, "motherboxes" — that will give them unlimited power. To stop them, Bruce Wayne (an appealing Ben Affleck) puts together a league of allies. They’re a mixed bag: Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is radiant, while Jason Momoa’s Aquaman has his grungy charm, but Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen (aka the Flash) overdoes the awkward teen shtick and Victor "Cyborg" Stone (Ray Fisher) remains a dour, lifeless scene-killer.

The new "Justice League" is still mostly a computer-generated onslaught of hellfire, gunfire, lightning, force-fields, balled fists and crunching concrete. (The new score, by Junkie XL, alternates between sobbing strings and "rock guitar.") The one surprise is that Snyder actually understands the value of a quiet moment. We get many blessed breathers, notably the rainy-day wanderings of a grieving Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and a poignant conversation between Barry and his imprisoned father (Billy Crudup). At the same time, these moments feel static and somewhat familiar from other superhero films; don’t expect to get misty-eyed.

If there’s any character who might sum up this movie and its Beowulfian ambitions, it’s the demon Steppenwolf (the voice of Ciarán Hinds). He’s a hulking figure with wide horns, a matching battle-ax and a penchant for faux-medieval dialogue. "I will stride across their bones," he thunders, "and bask in the glory of Anti-Life!"

The final, newly shot sequence, in which two famous DC foes (no spoilers) meet in the midst of a smoggy-orange apocalypse, seems to be Snyder’s ultimate gift to his fans. The average viewer, though, may be unimpressed. After four hours of punishing sensory overload, this talky afterthought ends it all with a soft plop.