With Zack Snyder’s Justice League on the horizon and officially having an R-rating. I wanted to discuss whether or not the rating is truly necessary.
For years, many DC fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and while some were excited about the film’s R rating, some remain skeptical that the movie needs it at all. Looking back at the early 2000’s animated series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Each series showed compelling characters with adult themes, deep stories, and even different love stories. The shows were geared more towards children, but these beloved characters drew a much larger audience of adults. There were witty lines, laughs, even innuendos for the adults to understand without the need for a rating that neglected younger audiences.
Now granted the children who watched the animated series in the 90s have grown up and now crave a more mature viewing. But why do we go back and continue rewatching the series Justice League animated series? It’s because we know what a good show is. The original writers of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, and Dwayne McDuffie wrote some memorable episodes. With heroes and villains alike, we 90s babies watched with intrigue whenever it came on. Albeit not in order (we did not have streaming services as we do now) so it was a tad difficult to keep up.
But that never kept us away, and it didn’t have an R or mature rating. In fact, it was PG-13! So why the need for the upped violence and gore? Or for a certain swear word here or there? Is it truly necessary? Most of the violence the animated series saw was maybe when Superman kills Lex Luther and thus becoming Justice Lords. And when Doomsday lands and fights Superman, the hero lobotomizes the villain and we see it all. In fact, the burn scars are shown on all of the villains residing in Arkham Asylum in the episode. Most violence happens off-screen but that was truly dark to see.
It’s understandable that the movie is supposed to be an adaptation of the series and the comics, there are certain things you have to make changes on. However, the changes have to make sense. And unleashing a tidal wave of violence and dark edge upon the movie shouldn’t be its priority. I think one of the main reasons for the success of the animated series is because it stayed true to the comics as much as possible. Batman v Superman did not happen until the two were friends and personalities clashed and even when they were older.
Martian Manhunter was part of the original Justice League team, and so was Green Lantern, sadly not Cyborg. The comics worked for a reason. The writers have a script, they should follow the comics, and apply the changes they did with the animated series to the movie. These characters are witty, loveable, and more often than most humans. DC Comics has been known for its darker themes, but having a merely dark atmosphere hasn’t worked much in the past for DC movies. The new stand-alone DC movies such as Wonder Woman, Shazam, Aquaman, Man of Steel, were not surrounded by dark themes, and even the filter of the films was bright.
Even Cyborg in the original animation Teen Titans had a witty personality, and he’s a teenager! They had moments of laughter along with dark moments, so maybe there’s a connection here. Bring that back into the team-up movies and have the characters play with each other as they did in the animated series and as they do in the comics.
Zack Snyder has had many successful movies, most notably 300, with its gore, violence, and some scenes of nudity. That film most definitely earned the R rating it was bestowed. But that doesn’t belong in the feature film that is Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Perhaps if he was tasked with directing The Killing Joke with Joaquin Phoenix as The Joker then he can let loose. But with characters as amazing as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc., they have a sense of humor, witty attitudes, all in all, are lively people.
Keeping an open mind while watching Zack Snyder’s Justice League won’t be difficult since the director’s cut has a history of being better than the theatrical version (i.e. The Lord of the Rings) but that R rating still keeps some skeptical. With the trending release date of the movie, which is March 18, 2021, I am looking forward to watching Zack Snyder’s Justice League, keeping an open mind either in theaters or in the safety of my home.
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