Thursday, April 7, 2016

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

As one of the most anticipated films of all time, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the film that finally brings Superman and Batman, two of the most iconic fictional characters of the last one hundred years, together. With the main story taking place sometime after the events of 2013s Superman reboot Man of Steel, the film sees Superman finding his place in a world that both adores and fears him after the events of the previous film and sees Batman trying to understand him and figure out whether he's a threat or not. The film's first few minutes recreate the murders of Bruce Wayne's parents, his inspiration to become Batman, and the events of the ending battle of Man of Steel from Bruce's point of view that lead him to become Batman again after a ten year absence. With Zach Snyder returning as director and Henry Cavill once again as Superman with Amy Adams also returning as Lois Lane, the film introduces Ben Affleck as the newest incarnation of Gotham's Dark Knight with Jesse Eisenberg as Luthor and Gal Gadot as the first live action feature length version of Wonder Woman. The movie has some very good positives, however it has just as many if not more negatives towards it. Ben Affleck, who was criticized initially when he was first announced as Batman due to his past role as Daredevil, is one of the best Batman ever put to screen. One of the best things about Affleck's Batman is the intensity he has in and out of costume that was a bit lacking with Bale's version. The fact that his costume looks less like armor like all previous versions and more cloth based adds to how true to the comics, as well as the various animated versions, superhero films have gotten, not to mention that his fighting style is edited better with not too many closeups or fighting in too much shadows thus drawing even more from the comics as well as the Arkham games. Plus the fact that he has a voice modulator built into his suit that hides his real voice already makes him better than Bale. Gadot, who was criticized simply because she has a small frame compared to the heroine's, is beyond perfection as Wonder Woman even if it was added at the last minute. Even in her small role, it got me exited for the Wonder Woman movie that will be released next year that will outline her origins during World War One. As for the negative parts of the film, there are so many in this film that really hurt it, chief among them is how it's way too dark and depressing to really enjoy, which is something Warner Bros apparently mandated just so they could be different from Marvel's more lighthearted franchise, especially with how Superman is portrayed by being depressed all throughout the film. Eisenberg as Lex Luthor I'm a bit mixed on due to how he's portrayed as a bit clownish and too much like Hackman's version. Another problem is how the editing works where one scene just ends and another begins without even a thought of what's going on, especially when it feels like WB was afraid that Batman and Superman wouldn't get equal time together despite the fact it's over two and a half hours long, which says a lot when The Avengers had more characters given equal time without any problems. I never had a problem with Doomsday being introduced in the second trailer, I actually liked it, however the problem is the fact that they killed Superman way too early since we all know he'll come back for Justice League next year. The fact that Batman kills without remorse is something I'm mixed with since he just does it without thinking, like when he goes to rescue Superman's mother. There are many story problems I feel that Snyder didn't even look at such as how is Superman blamed for the deaths of a tribe in Africa or what exactly Luthor's motivation for getting Batman and Superman to kill each other. Though it was fun to watch, the scene that reveals other heroes like Flash and Cyborg, felt a bit forced just to promote their films. One of the things that definitely hurt the film and the rest of this franchise is Snyder's constant attempt to explain each and every thing people complain about that just sound desperate and not say it's his own vision of the DC Universe. In the end, the film is flawed and has too many problems that need to be addressed but is still very fun to watch. Over all: 65%
Top list so far:
1. Zootopia
2. Deadpool
3. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
4. Kung Fu Panda 3
5. Hail, Caesar!
6. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

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