Bats v Supes Ultimate Suplex Hold- nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
Okay so. This movie is like... three other movies frankensteined together. And I think they're all better movies than this one? Actually, start over.
Y'know how making 5-10 minute short films and airing them online, or as DVD extras, or so on is kinda a thing now? I feel like this movie has three or four of those jammed into it. The first two scenes, and some of the scenes with Wonder Woman, stand out there.
The trouble is we're missing a couple of them. Like, some extra scenes to introduce Bruce and Diana are welded into this thing, and they... need to be there to explain what's happening here! But in particular there's a missing scene with Batman. The movie alludes to it, and it's vital to making this version of Batman work, but I think not having it actually... exist is hurting things.
Like you have the opening, it's this really awesome condensed version of Batman's origin. Great. Then [scene missing], and Batman is broken, realizing his 20 year crusade hasn't accomplished anything and just served to get a young partner killed. Maybe he even hangs up the cowl for a few years, but that's just a guess. Then we get a sort of added scene from Man of Steel, showing Bruce Wayne on the ground of the devastation in Metropolis, renewing his desire to make the world safe. But he's so horribly broken by it all that he's stopped caring about being justice, trying to get scum off the streets by any means necessary.
Why yes Batman IS post-9/11 america, why do you ask. Zack Snyder's brilliant mind for "subtle" "depth" strikes again *sigh*
Much as I think DC needs to give us [scene missing], if not in the BvSvMeeple dvd then in another film, they do give you more or less enough to surmise it was there so it's not that bad. And maybe I shouldn't complain too much because it's about the only time the film DOES respect the audience's intelligence. So many lines that any smart viewer could fill in are instead left hanging for several minutes then the actual answer (again, an obvious thing anyone paying attention could put there) is treated as profound wisdom later. The "subtle" "depth" thing is a recurring problem.
All that aside Ben Affleck as Batman is probably the most successful part of the movie. I dunno why he makes a way better Batman than Daredevil but here we are. And... once the movie gets past the title and have hashed out the actual Batman VS Superman Round 2 FIGHT... suddenly the next bits of the movie are some actual super heroing! It took them nearly 5 hours of screen time (that's including the entire run time of Man of Steel plus BvS to this point), but finally, FINALLY some hero shit goes down and it's such a relief and... maybe, just maybe, this franchise will turn out okay over time. I dunno. But it really is pretty good after that.
The main problem really is this takes it's version of Superman from some... questionable sources. I get the sense that one or both of Snyder or Goyer are full on Objectivists, and just can't envision a version of Superman who wants to help people because it's the right thing to do, rather than being some sort of crushing obligation or some self-satisfied desire for adulation. So a lot of times he comes across as a teenager, full of himself and petulant when people try to argue with him. And while they brush up against a story that could work for a more traditional superman, one who wants to do good but has trouble appreciating the full consequences of his actions and the complexity of global politics, it's only partially told and they cut it off at the critical juncture.
Actually that's not quite right. The main problem is the goddamned music. It's way too loud, nothing but percussion, and it gives almost every scene that feeling of being weighed down and lethargic. Like, 20 minutes after thanksgiving dinner, the whole movie.
Lex Luthor... I dunno man. You can't say that much about him because he's pretty clearly putting on an act the whole movie. Dude cracked at some point, some point very recently, but while we might be able to guess why we don't really get a sense of how much or when. At least, that's what the performance felt like to me. And if that's true, due credit to Eisenberg for getting it across. If not, uh I guess that's the movie being a frankenstein again.
Hey DC, there's a reason Marvel puts its teaser trailers after the credits. Just sayin'.
I really, really wanna watch that Wonder Woman movie now though.
