Critical essays, such as those on Nathan Zoebl's site , describe the 2017 theatrical cut as a "Frankenstein's monster" of two clashing directorial visions—Snyder’s darker realism and Whedon’s more humorous, studio-mandated approach.
The 121-minute length was a strict mandate from Warner Bros. executives, which led to significant cuts in character backstories (especially for Cyborg and The Flash) that were later restored in the 2021 director's cut. Key Comparisons
For a helpful "paper" or analytical deep-dive into this specific version, several articles explore its unique production history and critical reception: Critical & Production Analysis
Articles like the one from UNF Spinnaker provide a "post-mortem" on why the film felt generic and disjointed compared to its predecessors.