Thursday, April 7, 2016

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Review: Superman on trial

Three years ago around June 2013, I saw Man of Steel after being hyped for over three years. What I got was a disappointment but it was one I had to accept. I had to accept it because Superman could not be rebooted again, and it made enough money to spawn a shared DC universe in which we wanted.

There was a few thing I couldn't accept about BvS: Dawn of Justice however, as oppose to Man of Steel. To me BVS; Dawn of Justice was not a disappointment. The things that bothered me were not present in this film like they were in Man of Steel. Such things as the action being rushed and thrown at you the minute the film opens with Krypton. Zod killing Jor El before Kal El's before Krypton blew up. That damn codax I thought was Brainiac but wasn't, the Tim Burton/David Lynch look of Kal-El vessel, skipping the Kent's finding him, how the school bus crash scene didn't have any emotional build up, Pete Ross being a bully and above all being fat. My list with Man of Steel problems goes on even further with, Smallville having a Sears and an I- Hop which bothered because its suppose to be a damn farm town, not a corperate town, and not to mention Jonathan Kent being kind of a Dick. Lois Lane already knowing there this abnormal man out there rather then being introduced to Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. They got rid of that concept because they were tired of Lois Lane looking stupid. I can go on, and on about Man of Steels problems, however, it's going to turn this whole blog into the a belated Man of Steel review which I don't need to write.


 If anyone knows me Superman has become a huge part of my life. While most kids throw certain things away when they got older; I chose to instead hang onto to it. With all the anticipation I had put in for Man of Steel you would have thought I would have done a long in depth review. There was so much going on in my own life at the time, and I could not complete with all the other reviews of Man of Steel going around. Shortly after Man of Steel we got quick news like we always do with big blockbuster movies these days. There would be a sequel. These days hype is so huge that sequels are made just as the first installment is being released to theaters. What kind of sequel to Man of Steel were we going to get, we were unsure. They announced the villain would be Lex Luthor, and that was as much as we knew. No Superman film has ever had Brainiac Bizarro or Darkseid in it. Just Luthor, Nuclear Man and Zod are all we have really gotten. That was in until the very end of BvS: Dawn of Justice we finally had a new villain appear in a Superman film which I will discuss.

The film doesn't open up like the Dark Knight films do with the logo on the screen, and the title at the end. The logo which was heavily marketed did not appear on screen at all and it was just the title in very normal unnoticeable text. This was most likely because Nolan was only the executive producer on this film.  The film opens up with Batman's origin in a way in which Nolan's series should have done it. You see his parents being killed outside a screening of the movie Zoro rather than a fucking play. That little reference is a foreshadowing of what's to become given Zoro is one of the first characters like The Phantom to take on the later titled superhero. But despite that little reference, the style was still very Nolan inspired. Then the film opens up with the ending of Man of Steel as seen from Bruce Wayne's perspective as he's in Metropolis. You see how The battle with Zod plays into BvS in which I feel is a direct sequel to Man of Steel despite the name change. You see not only how this battle with Zod leads into the sequel, but how it effects those in Metroplis.
I began to understand why this battle mattered in Man of Steel, and why it wasn't just for big action and explosions scenes like many so  many thought. It was like I keep saying to set up a story element that would flow into another continuing story. Without The Zod battle, BvS would have felt like a separate sequel rather than a direct sequel to Man of Steel.
Once you see The Zod aftermath from not only Bruce Wayne's Prospective, but those who are around him among the chaos you see this world start to develop.You also begin to feel like this is sort of a 9/11 like disaster with the building collapsing  and Bruce Wayne running and trying to save people. When 9/11 happened back in 2001 I always thought it would have been nice if there were superhero's around the save those people. I felt like when The Wayne building collapsed and Bruce lost a friend it sort of explored the idea. This sets the stage toward how Bruce feels about Superman but how it effects him as a crime fighter.

One of the few problems which BVS has is the way they present Superman. You don't really see him flying in or landing into place because its mainly a lot of quick action shots with no build up. When Lois Lane and her Daily planet crew are taken hostage in Africa Superman swoops down and shows these bad guys no mercy. Superman's actions are once again put into question after the hostage take over, and he is put on trial. Superman felt like he was doing nothing wrong and only felt like he was trying to save the woman he loved.

In the scene where Lois is bathing and Clark walks in; I feel like at this scene I was able to look into the characters soul and realize she truly was a strong character. I feel like as I looked into this Lois Lanes eyes I saw that she wasn't a damsel and understand that she was a woman that felt strongly for this man. Lois Lane knows that this powerful man isn't a threat to humanity and she sees the human side to this man, and she wants to nurture and be Clark's strength. I kept debating if Amy Adams was miscast as Lois Lane because she seems more like a Lana Lang type person. I like every little detail to be right, and Lois Lane dose does not have red hair or is she that short. However, Adams can project a strong women when she needs to. I don't why critics are saying she was damsel when she took it upon herself to go to Gotham city to save her boyfriend Clark/Superman and risked her life to get the kryptonite sphere nearly drowning.



Bruce Wayne feels a sense of guilt, and Superman seems to be the thorn on his side. In this universe Bruce, Wayne/Batman has been a crime fighter for over 30 years. I personally would have wanted them to introduce a much younger Bruce Wayne, and I'm not sure how I feel how Bruce Wayne being middle aged, however despite Action Comics #1 came before Detective Comics #27 there have been stories where Batman was the first.


I liked the look the Batman mobile, it was like they sort combined the realism and the comic style and mashed them together. It had the look of both the car and the Tumblr all in one. I felt like the Bat Cave still looked too much like Nolan's Bat Cave, and should had a more comic book feel. While you did not get to see much of Alfred I like Jeremy Irons take a lot better than Michael Kane. Jeremy Irons Alfred is a much more traditional Alfred, and I like how he helped out with the Bat Tech making him another brain in Bruce's operation.

Batman has lost it considering that there are god-like figures roaming the earth now, and feels he needs to makes hid matters more extreme by torturing and engraving his victims; even going as far as going back his early comic book roots using guns. Batman has now gone full psychopath bloodlust which gives Clark Kent more of a reason to go against his Boss Perry Whites wishes; running story's against him while his alter ego Superman peruses the caped crusader.

One of the things Man of Steel got right and it is one the little details was casting Laurence Fishburne as Perry White. Frank Langella in Superman Returns completely dumbed down the character to a calm and gentle persona, however, Fishburne takes Perry White back to being a shouting no nonsense kind of boss. But still where is Jimmy Olson? Dose Snyder does not care about the side characters of the Superman universe that just fill the plot holes here and there.

There's a reason why Jimmy Olson was not in this film. Ill get around to that.

Between the films two main ingredients (Superman/Batman), there was supposed to be that extra seasoning of spice in the middle; a spice to add extra flavor and challenge the two characters leaving a hot spicy taste. That extra spice was supposed to be villain Lex Luthor who among controversy like Ben Affleck is played Social Network star, Jessie Eisenberg. Casual movie goers still do not know much about the character. Lex Luthor was introduced as red headed mad scientist who was later bald by an artist mistake. In the 1978 Superman film, Luthor was changed to the witty underground criminal who wore a wig to fool people. In 1986, Luthor was revamped by John Byrne as a corporate slime hog who still uses science for evil. This was a huge mistake from the beginning, and fans are not beating a dead horse. This Luthor doesn't have the intimidating nature to go against the two heroes. While he has the intelligence to carry out his evil schemes you just want  Superman to punch his guts out already. When he puts that Jolly Rancher in the guys mouth and gives that awkward speech at the ball he just comes off as a misbehaved nerdy high school kid. Why Jason Statham or The Rock weren't considered for the role I do not know. Eisenberg is already in Suicide Squad so considering how much of a cock tease Snyder is he might still be in further Man of Steel films.

In the comics and in Superman TAS which borrowed a lot from John Bryne Lex Luthor hates Superman because he is the only one of Metropolis more powerful than he is. But in BvS Luthor did not have much of a reason the hate Superman and the destruction from Zod weren't even a decent motive.

Recording to sources the BVS script was originally written for Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) who was highly considered for the role. However Cranston turned down the role, and Jessie Eisenberg who was originally considered for Jimmy Olson was cast by Warner Brothers Studio so they could take a change on a much younger Luthor. Back on the subject of Jimmy Olson as to why is he's absent from the Man of Steel franchise. In 2006 it seemed like the character Jimmy Olson was flying appearing in both Superman Returns, and four months later on the fifth season of Smallville. He was also reinvented in Grant Morrison's All-star Superman. But during Season 8 or 9 of Smallville, the character was killed off and he turned out to not be the Jimmy Olson we would come to know, and his little brother would pen the name.

This really really makes me angry.
I was assuming during the hostage scene that the man with the camera was no other than Jimmy Olson him self-played  by another Smallville alumni Michael Cassidy.
This makes me oh so mad!!
This unknown photographer who was gunned down was, in fact, Jimmy Olson according to Mr. Cock teases himself, Zack Snyder. Oh so he had a sex change in Man of Steel, came back despite his female counterpart if still in the franchise, and we see him for only a few minuets and he's gunned down. What dose Snyder have against this character why dose he hate Jimmy Olson enough to write him out of this franchise, Snyder is more way then I have discussed had lost his bloody mind, and so had Warner Brother who like many studios are fucking up comic book movie with their decisions making. Eisenberg was originally was originally considered for Jimmy Olsen, and Snyder wanted to pull a Hitchcock on fans. He wanted Jimmy Olsen to come in and have fans be excited and think he's was going to be in a franchise. Then when fans least expect it the lovable photographer would be killed. However after seeing Eisenberg weird quirky style he and Warner Brothers decided to cast him as Lex (As I said before). How many dead horses do I need to beat or fan petitions to sign before I shout to havens Snyder has lost his mind. There are furthermore reasons I a going to discuss Snyder has lost it.

While I looked into the souls of the characters such as Lois Lane, Bruce and above the whole story of what this universe thinks of Superman. I think if I being were to exist such as Superman some would be opposed to them. I think the Man who lost his legs was a good example of that. I think a Superman hero like Supes would come with a lot of politics and they certainly explore that when the man who lost his legs vandalizes the Superman statue.

I feel like the suit while it looks good when its still I think its look terrible in motion. It's way too thick and when Superman was entering the court I realized he could barely move his arms. The kind of wobbles back in forth, and like the original Batman suit from 1989 this suit looks like it limits movement and I good tell that the way his arms are positioned. I know its got to the point where his mom can't make the suit anymore. While I like that idea because that shows Superman embraces humanity; the character wearing Kryptonian battle armor while I like the idea it shows he embraces his Alien side more.

The explosion in the court rooms blamed on Supes and causes Bruce Wayne/Batman to get really fried up and seek revenge on Supes. I kind of wish that would have shown Bruce making the suit because he kind of just showed up in it. While it makes sense he has the intelligence to make the armor suit we did not get to seem him enough in the regular suit. There also wasn't any good reveals and builds toward the entrances of either hero. This particular went with Supes because all we got were the shots him flying into Africa, and the shots him saving the space shuttle and so forth.

While I like how at the same time they kept the corporate tycoon of Lex Luthor, we also got the mad scientist part. But the scene in which Lex Zuckerberg Luthor goes into Zod's crashed ship and creates Doomsday with his wussy human DNA wasn't one of the highlights. Why the ship was filled with murky water, and how it resurrect people I just don't know. And I only grow to hate Eisenberg Lex more and more. He uses Lois Lane as bait to call out for Superman and does the classic throw her off the a building. And without finding out Supey is Clark Kent he finds his Earth mother and kidnaps her. He then uses the kidnapping to get our two heroes to fight each other. When Batman was using the Kryptonite on Superman then started owning him it reminded me a lot of Superman Returns. Again this another example of why I disagree with Lois being a damsel in this movie because she comes to Superman aid in Gotham via helicopter and attempts to stop Baty from going Baty of Supes. This is another example of how the movie opened the souls the characters. While many criticize this I think when he said the name of his mother Martha it showed Batman the Supes had a human side to him. I think once he heard the name he knew he was pure good; not being what other made him out to be. And in sense Batman thought if he could not save his mother maybe he can help Superman save his. Once he heard that name he knew this guy was human or, in other words, one of us.

The Doomsday monster looked like a hulk goblins from a very not well-done video game. While it had to feel, sound, and a presence of a monster the CGI was just as bad as the new Ninja Turtles. When CGI is badly done I don't feel like I am looking a creation I feel like I am looking through it. While I was happy to finally have another Villain other than Zod or Luthor Doomsday was just rushed and thrown to add more action. Then wonder Woman shows up in her full body armor as she was just a mysterious figure roaming throughout the film. Her presence in the film was just a tease, and Justice League being found on the hard drive with their symbols could have used as an online viral campaign rather then being shoehorned in at the last minute. Once Diana shows the film now becomes Superman: Trinity and loses the Batman V Superman aspect to it. Two titles in one was too much. While Batman V Superman helps sell the movie in that respect its sup title Dawn of Justice says something else. The title should have been marvel is beating us that's throw two titles in one. The title should have been Man of Steel: Dawn of Justice. Diana isn't  even called Wonder Woman at this point and honestly the way things are going to don't know if she will ever be given that name or her civilian/superhero outfit. As the three battle, Doomsday Lois almost drowns trying to find the kryptonite sphere.
This also makes me mad!!!!
While Lois had to courage to risk her life for the man she loves Clark/Superman makes a selfish sacrifice to charge Doomsday with the sphere and risk getting killed by the kryptonite. Superman gets a hole in his chest and is more dead than Brandon Routh's career. So we have only just started to get to know this Superman and so has people in his world. We have barely gotten any emotional investment with him, and just like this, they kill him off. This confuses the story more than the Doomsday monster, and just add grief and sorrow that is not necessary. The movie mostly focused of Batman and right when he start getting invested in Superman he dies. This is what Snyder thinks is pulling a Hitchcock, however, its just Snyder being a god damn cock tease. This man is getting out of control and soon once the DC universe expands it going to become like Walking Dead or Game of Thrones where no character is safe. It is uncalled for and came too soon in the series. Dose Snyder really think fans are this stupid. I mean they just ditch there cash cow, and once he comes up in promotion for Justice League they will Snyder will be the stupid one. Snyder is so out of control Superman probably come back as Superman The White like Gandalf hell maybe he will have blonde hair like a Super Saiyan he knows at this point. And who to fuck where those people at his funeral anyways. Was Lana Lang among them? Oh in his coffin the dirt is lifting off the ground which makes me wonder how he will come back.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is a mixed bag of emotions just like Man of Steel. I both like and dislike both films. If you want to enjoy this film you really got to look into the characters souls. If this franchise is going to go any further I think they got to get rid of Zack Snyder because he is so distant from the source material and knows nothing, does not care about the fans. They also need to get rid of Eisenberg as well, however knowing the levels of teasing a there is chance Warner Brothers won't do either.

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