Here are a few random thoughts on BvS which we saw Sunday night. Some spoilerish discussion below, although nothing that you haven't seen in trailers.
I enjoyed parts of it, hated parts of it and thought a lot of the film was a complete mess. To start with, angsty Superman is a huge bummer. Director Zach Snyder doesn't seem to understand the appeal of the big blue boy scout and so in both this and Man of Steel runs Superman through the emotional wringer. It doesn't work and Henry Cavill isn't charismatic enough to make you care about a character that Christopher Reeve and to a lesser extent Brandon Routh just nailed. Then add in the always agnsty, and now inexplicably murdery, Batman, and you've got a grim, joyless film.
I mean, the only way that Batman would actually want to fight Superman is if he's a complete idiot. The movie tries REALLY HARD to make the fight inevitable and Batman's motivations understandable. The movie fails. Batman is a complete idiot.
There are at least three long, surreal dream sequences in the movie which you know are a dream when they start, so you're just waiting for them to end so you can get back to the story. And, holy crap, I DO NOT EVER WANT TO SEE ANOTHER SCENE OF BRUCE WAYNE'S PARENTS BEING MURDERED. Geez, every fricking movie.
The key to the success of Marvel Studios superhero films is that even the ones that aren't that great (Thor 2, Iron Man 2, Age of Ultron) are still loads of FUN. The characters are alive, have interesting relations and ideas and exude charm and FUN. But DC's cinematic universe is dour and dark.
The one exception in this movie is a big one. One character was fantastic and despite only a few minutes of screen time, should serve as an example to DC what they need to in future films.
Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman absolutely rocked. She seemed to be having a great time, wasn't riddled with self-doubt and self-loathing, and almost seemed like she flew in from another, better, movie. When she appears a few minutes before the image above, it's a great moment. I am really looking forward to her solo movie next year.
DC continues to not have their act together while Marvel knocks it out of the park on a regular basis. However, I am really looking forward to DC's Suicide Squad later this year because it looks like, oh what's the word? It's what every superhero movie should be. Oh yeah, FUN.
And it has one of the greatest superhero movie trailers of all time. Really.
1 comment:
I think what people missis that this was DC comic book movie. The people who have read the various DC offerings over the years, know exactly what the "dream sequences" were all about, and DC is a way darker company than Marvel.(I was always DC kid/man) I think the tone was dark and serious, the same way the comics were. Batman is an angry and fearful of Superman, yet is brave enough to go after him. Aflick was really good as Batman, and I look forward to more of him. Superman is still finding his way, is is the actor playing him. I think Wonder Woman was great. I would have liked Lex a bit less manic and more evil genius. I think this film will get better with more viewings and will be a classic, warts and all.
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