Right cards on the table, I've never been a big DC comics fan. I enjoyed Teen Titans with Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, some Batman, Super Friends, the entire Vertigo line, some other but not many. As a young child I must have watched every Adam West Batman TV episode, which hasn't helped my impression that DC comic are just childish/camp superhero shenanigans. OK I know there as been some cutting edge story telling/artwork from DC, maybe I've missed out but I could never be bothered to trawl though the massive back catalogue to find it when I already had so much invested in the Marvel Universe with its realistic characters dealing with real problems, in my eyes comic that don't dum down. Yes comic are for kids but what kid wants to be treated as a kid? So when Batman vs Superman came out I wasn't excited like a child on Christmas Eve.
I think by now anyone who really want to see Batman vs Superman must have seen, so whatever I think about it won't matter to them and nor should it. But I think even to those people what I have to say will be of interest. Just like any good film I'm hoping to make you think again, like I did after watching the movie. My history with DC movies hasn't been good, no matter what people say I hate the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, as classic as it maybe the ending of the first has prejudiced my opinion. Spinning the Earth backwards to turn back time suspends my disbelief too far. The Tim Burton Batman movies recovered my faith. Michael Keaton is still my favourite caped crusader, his versions of Bruce Wayne and Batman are perfect in a master class superhero ego and alter ego. Then it all went wrong again when Joel Schumacher took over. Entertaining movies maybe but you can never say classics. Then came a series of inconsistency from DC, V for Vendetta, Batman Begins, The Watchmen all good, Cat woman, Superman returns, Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, not good. Christopher Nolan probably single handedly saved superhero movies with his Dark Knight returns/Dark Knight rises movies. That lulled me into watching Man of Steel, a film of two half's. The first was amazing, a Superman film I really liked, then came the second half, oh dear! I think it's the point were Clark doesn't save his adopted father. Some would say he was following his fathers wishes, keeping his powers secret, it's an important plot point but come on, he's Superman! He could move faster than anyone would see to rescue him and as a plot device why not make him try but fail because he hesitated making his grief worse and his self exile more realistic. The wrong film making choice was taken.
So then came Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice, DC's answer to the extremely successful Avengers movies. Could I watch it without any preconceptions? Well I went in without high expectations, I thought Ben Affleck was great casting, but why give him a comedy voice? Zack Snyder has made some great movies but some could he handle the expectations of fans?
I watch with a mind as opened as I could, but why start with another Batman origin scene? We seen it so many times. Bruce racing through Metropolis was note perfect, showing Ben Affleck off as hero alter ego. I liked Henry Cavill God like Superman, remote from humanity and then Clark Kent, the caring journalist. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luther irritated me. Where they trying to make him into a Joker clone? Does every Superman film have to have him in it? Aren't there any other good villains in Superman comics?I really really loved Gal Gadot, her version of Diana Prince was under played but so engaging. There was far too many unnecessary lengthy dream scenes, that took away from the really important, future film plot hinting scene with the flash. What I really can't grasp with it is why Superman doesn't at least try some good PR to get rid of the idea that he's a threat, surely his Clark Kent alter ego would want to do that. Batman would be driven to think that Superman may not be a threat, but why doesn't Superman investigate Batman motives more. It worked a Lex Luther's party when Superman gets distracted from checking out Bruce Wayne, with an emergency rescue. Some people would say you can't over use it, but they're wrong. Of course Clark Kent would constantly be distracted he's Superman for gods sake! In mine mind Lex Luther would create events to distract Superman from finding out his plot.
So the first half was so so, the second really took off. We got to see what we came for. Action adventure, smart dialogue and a plot that comes together to make sense. I would've liked to have seen more metahumans, maybe some villains and characters from the Suicide Squad in the Luther files who aren't going to be members of the Justice League, but why didn't Bats and Sups get their own files? Flash and Aqua-man video clips were fine but less would have been more in Cyborgs case, making me more hungry to see a character who is less well know when he gets his own film. I did think Aqua-man was going to rescue the Krytonite spear from the deep water but letting Superman do it give him a Herculean task, which he deserved. A bit more Batman and Wonder Woman interaction would have been great too.
The film could so easily have been better, with the script tightened up, less heavy handedness from the producers and movie company. There's always the feeling that they're try to out Marvel Marvel. The cast where great, the acting was great, the effects where great. There's nothing wrong with making a film for fans.
On the whole I enjoyed the movie, more days after I'd seen it, because the more I thought about it the better parts washed away the poorest scenes. It's not going to completely change my mind on the DC universe but I'm looking forward to the Wonder Woman film, a Justice League film and a Ben Affleck Batman film. So yes it was pretty great on a whole. But I still think that Zack Snyder's original Batman vs Superman movie was a million times better. What film I'm I talking about? The Watchmen of course. Read the graphic novel, watch the film and imagine what Alan Moore would have done with Justice league if DC had let him get his hands on them!
Final word, DC isn't so bad, I still think Captain America Civil War will be better.
Make Mine Marvel.
