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Alex Vo
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(Photo by WB / Courtesy Everett Collection. BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE)
All Zack Snyder Movies Ranked by Tomatometer
The latest: Zack Snyder celebrates TWO anniversaries today! It’s the 10th anniversary of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the 15th anniversary of Sucker Punch!
Director Zack Snyder was among the frontlines in the battle to bring back the zombie, his 2004 Certified Fresh remake of Dawn of the Dead nestling in snugly with the likes of Shaun of the Dead and Land of the Dead. But it was with his second feature that he developed a signature style: 300, combining a comic-book palette with unflinching machismo and fetishistic style. The adaptation of the Frank Miller comic was a pop-culture phenomenon, and helped establish the gritty Warner Bros. look on comic-book movies that started with V for Vendetta and was furthered by The Dark Knight.
There was no stopping Snyder now, as he next tackled Watchmen, once thought a graphic novel too dense and troubling for film. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and Sucker Punch were stepping stones into the world most know Snyder for: As the creative guide behind Superman movies, and the DC Extended Universe beyond. Man of Steel was a big enough box office hit for the studio, and if audiences had some qualms about the direction of the character, their curiosity was nonetheless piqued for the next movie.
That would, of course, end up being the biggest title bout of comicdom: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ben Affleck put on the suit, the first to do so after Christian Bale in his Dark Knight trilogy run, and went mano-a-mano with Henry Cavill. A single word may have put this quarrel between two mama’s boys to bed, which opened the path to the next movie referred to in BvS‘s subtitle. Justice League arrived, pulling in Gal Gadot, who would go on to make the Certified Fresh Wonder Woman, and introducing the new movie versions of The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Justice League‘s disappointing Tomatometer and box office have made “Release the Snyder cut!” a clarion call for the online hordes, referring to the supposed three-hour version of the movie that existed before studio executives and meddling forced it down to its current 120-minute runtime.
Snyder has since lessened his presence within the DCEU (he’s still a producer on Wonder Woman 1984), and is returning to where it all began with Army of the Dead, an upcoming Netflix movie starring Dave Bautista about mercenaries who pull off a heist in Vegas during a zombie outbreak. And speaking of heists, the director snuck into the Warner Bros. edit bay and lifted the raw footage of Justice League, releasing the legendary Snyder Cut during COVID lockdown on MAX. Now he’s in bed with Netflix with Rebel Moon, which aims to launch an entire media franchise. —Alex Vo
#1
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Critics Consensus: A kinetic, violent and surprisingly worthy remake of George Romero's horror classic that pays homage to the original while working on its own terms.
Synopsis: When her husband is attacked by a zombified neighbor, Ana (Sarah Polley) manages to escape, only to realize her entire Milwaukee neighborhood has been overrun... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#2
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Critics Consensus: Zack Snyder's Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director's vision -- and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence.
Synopsis: 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... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#3
Army Of The Dead (2021)
Critics Consensus: An ambitious, over-the-top zombie heist mashup, Army of the Dead brings Zack Snyder back to his genre roots with a suitably gory splash.
Synopsis: From filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Zack Snyder's Justice League), ARMY OF THE DEAD takes place following a zombie outbreak that has left Las Vegas in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#4
Rebel Moon - Part Two: Director's Cut (2024)
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rebels on a remote moon make an impossible stand in director Zack Snyder's bigger, bloodier cut of his sci-fi saga.
Starring: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Anthony Hopkins
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#5
Watchmen (2009)
Critics Consensus: Gritty and visually striking, Watchmen is a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, but its complex narrative structure may make it difficult for it to appeal to viewers not already familiar with the source material.
Synopsis: In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. When one of his former comrades is murdered, masked vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#6
300 (2007)
Critics Consensus: A simple-minded but visually exciting experience, full of blood, violence, and ready-made movie quotes.
Synopsis: In 480 B.C. a state of war exists between Persia, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Greece. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas (Gerard... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#7
Man of Steel (2013)
Critics Consensus: Man of Steel's exhilarating action and spectacle can't fully overcome its detours into generic blockbuster territory.
Synopsis: With the imminent destruction of Krypton, their home planet, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife seek to preserve their race by sending their infant son... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#8
Rebel Moon - Part One: Director's Cut (2024)
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Zack Snyder's sci-fi saga expands with his hardcore director's cut about a search for warriors to defend a peaceful moon.
Starring: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Charlie Hunnam
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#9
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)
Critics Consensus: Legend of the Guardians' dark tone and dazzling visuals are to be admired, even if they're ultimately let down by a story that never lives up to its full potential.
Synopsis: A father owl's tales of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole enthrall his son Soren, but an older son scoffs at the stories of winged warriors who... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Emily Barclay, Ryan Kwanten, Anthony LaPaglia
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#10
Justice League (2017)
Critics Consensus: Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn't enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.
Synopsis: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#11
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Critics Consensus: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story -- and some of America's most iconic superheroes -- in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action.
Synopsis: It's been nearly two years since Superman's colossal battle with Zod devastated the city of Metropolis. The loss of life and collateral damage left many... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#12
Sucker Punch (2011)
Critics Consensus: It's technically impressive and loaded with eye-catching images, but without characters or a plot to support them, all of Sucker Punch's visual thrills are for naught.
Synopsis: Locked away, a young woman named Babydoll retreats to a fantasy world where she is free to go wherever her mind takes her. Determined to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#13
Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023)
Critics Consensus: Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire proves Zack Snyder hasn't lost his visual flair, but eye candy isn't enough to offset a storyline made up of various sci-fi/fantasy tropes.
Synopsis: From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#14
Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver (2024)
Critics Consensus: Less a course correction than a compounding of everything that tangled up its predecessor, The Scargiver is an uninvolving space opera full of flat notes.
Synopsis: The rebel warriors gear up for battle against the ruthless forces of the Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge — and legends are...
Starring: Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Cleopatra Coleman, Cary Elwes
Directed By: Zack Snyder
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