All 5 Zack Snyder Superhero Movies, Ranked From Worst To Best

Zack Snyder's movies could only ever come from this filmmaker's mind. Since he began directing features with 2004's "Dawn of the Dead," Snyder has demonstrated a love for gritty realism, slow-motion sequences, and gnarly takes on mainstream American cinema templates. Even his PG-rated talking animal CG movie aimed at kids, "Legend of the Guardians," was full of violence, hypnotized children, and intensity that one wouldn't find in a normal "Minions" installment. It shouldn't be a surprise that Snyder has clung to those tendencies in his repeated forays into the superhero movie domain.

Starting with 2009's "Watchmen," Zack Snyder has routinely returned to the world of costumed crime-fighters. That includes his exploits in the DC Extended Universe that encompassed unique visions of Batman and Superman, among other superheroes, that may not have been loved by everyone, but always inspired reactions from audiences. Ranking all five Zack Snyder superhero movies from worst to best (based on this author's subjective opinions) certainly reinforces the creative downsides that come innately to his filmmaking forays. 

While he yearns for persistent subversiveness, Snyder unfortunately often falls into predictable impulses. On the other hand, this ranking makes it apparent why Snyder's superhero films are so singular. Nobody else could've made them quite like he did, for better and for worse.

DC fans will ponder for ages what on Earth went wrong with "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." The ways this film changed superhero movies forever reflect how much this genre has gone out of its way to avoid repeating its mistakes and for good reason. What should've been a fun mash-up between two iconic heroes instead was an often incoherent and poorly lit misfire way too enamored with setting up future DC movies than making a good feature in the here and now. A pair of back-to-back indecipherable dream sequences involving Ben Affleck's Batman navigating a dystopia and then encountering an indiscernible version of Ezra Miller's The Flash encapsulate "Dawn of Justice" getting sidetracked to disastrous results.

Perhaps these segments would've made sense in the context of Zack Snyder's larger DC Extended Universe plans. Within this standalone film, they're utterly inert segments devoid of anything audiences can attach to. The rest of the motion picture is weighed down by groan-worthy stabs at being "adult" (like Batman branding people or Lex Luthor hinting at child abuse informing his hatred for superheroes) and an excessively crowded cast.

Even Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL's score largely goes through the motions and is unable to liven up the proceedings. Persistently wooden acting from Henry Cavill only exacerbates these flaws. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is a failure and a torturous one at that.

If "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" was the cinematic equivalent of a moody Korn fan at a party forcing you into a corner so you can hear his ramblings, "Justice League" is the cinematic manifestation of a guy at a party trying way too hard to please and intruding on every conversation you have. This 2017 "Dawn of Justice" follow-up has the four words "directed by Zack Snyder" in its end credits, but it's not really a full-on Snyder film. Since it was taken over in reshoots by filmmaker Joss Whedon and Warner Bros. executives, how much of "Justice League" was really directed by Zack Snyder remains hotly contested.

What's apparent, though, is that "Justice League" is a mess only reminding viewers of vastly superior superhero movies. This saga of Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) uniting the Justice League to stop Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) keeps delivering derivative gags obviously channeling similar punchlines from the more cohesively crafted Marvel Cinematic Universe. This incarnation of "Justice League" is also appalling visually, whether it's in the unpleasantly realized bright lighting or that CG mustache removal on Henry Cavill that (justifiably) became a punchline.

There's never any tension, excitement, or personality in "Justice League." It's a mechanical enterprise only registering as better than "Dawn of Justice" because it runs under two hours. At least it delivered one of Gal Gadot's most hysterically bad line deliveries.

Well, at least it's better than the two Zack Snyder DC movies that directly preceded it. The best and worst scenes in "Zack Snyder's Justice League" reflect the messiness of this filmmaker's DC Comics adaptations. Still, at least this one goes all in on Snyder's kooky vision, which does produce some evocative segments. Scenes focusing on the bond between Barry Allen (Miller) and his incarcerated father (Billy Crudup) are particularly moving, while the Cyborg material lets Ray Fisher flex his discernible acting chops significantly more than the theatrical version. The finale also has some teeth and stakes, two vital components for a superhero team-up.

Unfortunately, "Zack Snyder's Justice League" still suffers from some of the glaring flaws that plagued the initial "Justice League" film. For starters, Steppenwolf was always a bad villain. Both in personality and his drably colored design, he's not remotely compelling. Emphasizing a bigger baddie (Darkseid) lying in wait only exacerbates how Steppenwolf feels like a tedious placeholder. Meanwhile, Henry Cavill's Superman remains a bore, the pacing is off, and certain sequences (like Jason Momoa's Aquaman talking to other underwater people via gigantic air bubbles) are incredibly inept in execution.

Sequel teases and distracting digressions also continue plaguing this "Justice League" cut. When experiencing Zack Snyder's true vision of this particular title, moviegoers will truly endure the best and worst of times.

"Man of Steel" scored considerably better reviews than either of Zack Snyder's other two 2010s superhero movies and it's not hard to see why. The plot is way more confined (focusing just on a Superman origin story) while Hans Zimmer's soaring score is full of propulsive energy. Michael Shannon also delivers perhaps the best performance in any Snyder film with his aching portrayal of General Zod. The best things in "Man of Steel" make it clear why this kick-off to the DC Extended Universe is better than the Snyder superhero titles involving Mother Boxes or "MARTHA!"

Unfortunately, "Man of Steel" is hampered by some pretty big problems, chief among them being its title character. Henry Cavill is gratingly inert portraying either Superman or his Clark Kent persona. Dude's got a chiseled body like a Greek God statue, but he's unfortunately got no real personality to speak of. Meanwhile, the Earthbound human characters are all played so rigidly that no personality or humanity comes through. Usually reliable performers like Amy Adams look completely lost throughout. Plus, the ham-fisted images intertwining Superman with Jesus are weirdly executed, not to mention undercut the character's long-running readings as being a stand-in for Jewish experiences.

Conceptually, Snyder and company tried something new with Superman in "Man of Steel." That noble intent, unfortunately, produces only fitfully successful results. This movie needed more of a heart or at least a compelling Superman.

The history of Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" movie includes blowback to the director's stylized depiction of violence being incongruous with the source material's decidedly un-sensationalized handling of such grisliness. It's true that Snyder's storytelling impulses are often at odds with the heart of "Watchmen." However, on its own merits, "Watchmen" does work at least as distinctive and audacious big-budget cinema. Whereas his other superhero movies had to sell Funko Pops and (save for 2021's "Zack Snyder's Justice League," which barely earned its MPAA rating) adhere within a PG-13 rating, "Watchmen" saw Snyder going wild with a hard-R story full of gore, nudity, and madness. All of that serviced a story about superheroes getting murdered and the convoluted plot behind those slayings.

The result was something bereft with glaring shortcomings (including any depth for its women characters, a common Snyder movie problem), but also some of the best filmmaking in Snyder's entire filmography. This man has always excelled with montages, so it's no surprise that the opening credits chronicling the alternate history of America is absolutely stunning. The cinematic translation of Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) recounting his origins is similarly terrifically realized. Meanwhile, the casting is generally exceptional, particularly having Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Rorschach and The Comedian, respectively.

"Watchmen" still struggles as both an adaptation of the original comic and a standalone movie in key respects, but Snyder's commitment to his grand creative vision proves hard to resist.