He was surely controversial. Zack Snyder polarized comic books fans with his movies. But he was a master story-teller and a visionary way ahead of his time. These are some of the greatest contributions by Zack Snyder to the world of superhero cinema.
Visual Translation Of Comic Book Art Styles
Zack Snyder reached the pinnacle of his career after making the epic medieval action movie – 300. Frank Miller‘s comic book was given the live-action adaptation treatment by Zack Snyder. The movie borrowed heavily from the source and that was why it was a hit. When Zack Snyder transitioned to superhero movies, he took with him the learnings from 300 and applied it to his masterpiece – Watchmen. Most of his superhero movies would adopt the artistic impressions from the comic book source. It made his movies look visually appealing and gorgeous.
Recreation Of Famous Scenes From The Comic Books
Snyder does not just stop by translating the comic book art styles. Sometimes he takes an entire scene and puts them into a movie. In comic books, when an entire page is dedicated to one particular panel, its called a splash page. Splash page stills like Superman hovering above a city or Batman punching Superman and knocking him out in a single punch are iconic. They are also infamously found all over Zack Snyder movies.
Gal Gadot As Wonder Woman
Many thought that another actor would have been better suited for the role. Wonder Woman having an accent did not bode well with some hillbillies who wanted an All-American Hero (despite the fact that Wonder Woman technically has Greco-Persian ancestry). Gal Gadot being chosen to play the role of Wonder Woman was a masterstroke. Gadot nailed the role when eh first appeared in BVS. Her portrayal was a show stealer. Even Linda Carter, the 70’s Show actress, was also proud of Gadot’s take. This was all thanks to Zack Snyder.
Dark Realism
Dark Realism was initially a 20th Century art movement. It focused on the dark and macabre subject of things. Death, Pain, and Violence were used in abundance in such themes. Zack Snyder was the first Director to capture the essence of a bleak and dark world ravaged by centuries of crime and corruption. He did so through a dark and realistic lens. He showed us the real world implications of having Godlike beings save us every day. There are consequences. And just because Gods started popping out of the sky does not mean humanity would fall in line. The world was shitty then and the world sure as hell is shitty now. Watchmen and BVS radiate that tone throughout their runtimes.
Ben Affleck’s Grimdark Batman
Say what you must but Ben Affleck was the best portrayal of a badass Batman on set. We would go so far as to say his performance was better than 1989’s Michael Keaton’s take on the role. The Batmen we have seen so far are good at being pompous brats but not good at being fighters. Ben Affleck immortalized his role as a violent, brutal version of Batman when he not only took down the Man of Steel but also made dozens of evil henchmen bite the dust in that epic warehouse fight scene. Sure this version of the Batman uses guns but you cannot blame him. He is getting older and more frustrated. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Kryptonian vs. Kryptonian Battles
Man Of Steel was not necessarily a critical hit. It made a lot of money at the Box Office. But fans were left divided. The feelings were mixed. Superman was not portrayed this darkly ever on screen. He is the pillar of hope and peace. Many would say the take was apt while others would disagree. But the one thing everybody would unanimously nod their heads for in unison is the amazing Krytponian vs. Kryptonian battle sequences. After watching Zod fight Kal-El in the movie’s climax, we realized just why Superman is hailed as a God amongst Gods. The amount of collateral damage was enough to make our heads spin.
