Honest BatmanVSuperman Review

Based on some of the things I’ve read recently, various people have called this film “boring” and “confusing” or “disorganized” and “divisive”, and even asserted that it had a boring storyline and a terrible ending. They have had problems with the direction and the characters, but what are they really saying?

I’ll admit, I went into the film with some major – I mean, Major – reservations. I was extremely worried when I heard that, in addition to Batman and Superman, they were going to introduce not only Wonder Woman, but also Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Lex Luthor, and Doomsday. Oh, and let’s establish one thing, if you claim to be a fan, but were surprised by the ending of the movie, you sir or madam, are no fan. From the very first moment I heard that Doomsday was in the film, I knew, just as any real fan did, how the movie would end.

Back to topic, I was nervous about this film. For over a year, anytime I thought about the movie I couldn’t help but think it was going to be terrible, overly crowded with characters that wouldn’t get enough screen time and it was going to take away from this film being about Batman and Superman, the two largest icons of the DC-universe.

However, that being said, I was more than pleasantly surprised. Right from the opening of the film, though I watched it speculatively, I was enthralled. I kept an eye out for what I thought to be the inevitable “deal-breaker” that would surely pop up in any comic book movie I watch. But it didn’t come.

Batman V Superman was gloriously different from all those Marvel films. I’ve always been a DC fan first anyway, and it’s always pained me that DC movies have always been so poorly done. Now I can say with absolute certainty that we have a great representation of DC in the cinematic universe.

Zack Snyder has created a franchise that’s dark, – like DC movies should be – that’s intellectual, deals with political, ethical and moral ideas, like DC Comics does and which doesn’t present everything to the audience on a silver platter. The viewer has to be empathetic to these characters and their positions and their ideas to understand both sides of the argument, and to realize that they both have valid points. That’s what makes this movie awesome. Opposed to the other comic book movies, which I believe most viewers are more familiar with, which allow the audience to sit back and turn their brains off for an hour and a half as they are entertained with fairly simple and straightforward action-movie violence along with what is honestly, fairly simple plots, this movie was deep. Most people don’t like that I guess.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these other comic book movies, but for what they are.

There’s always been a gap between DC and Marvel, though. I’ve always considered DC Comics to be anywhere from slightly to highly more mature than Marvel, dealing with more political, intellectual and much darker themes. Their movies always should have reflected this – just like Zack Snyder has now, brilliantly, done.

Let’s talk about a couple things. Ben Affleck was amazing as Batman. I can think of no other actor working in Hollywood that could have done it as well. Sorry Christian Bale, your Batman was really good too, but just different. I have no problem admitting I preferred Ben Affleck though. He’s an older, darker Batman than what movie going “fans” are familiar with. Although, if they’d ever picked up an issue of Detective Comics, they’d have been more receptive to Affleck and this film. This Batman had his own idea of justice and what was the right and wrong way of doing things. He’s a character who’s always had to work in the shadows, to live in the grey area, and walk that line between criminal and heroic and some people find that off-putting. Good. This isn’t Marvel where the heroes are all black and white and you know absolutely who’s good and who’s bad.

Henry Cavill was of course amazing as Superman, again. The best Superman in film history I think. He’s got that chiseled All-American look that’s indicative of Superman, as well as that other something that’s just charismatic and he plays apart from the rest of the world extremely well. Superman is a character who’s dealt with both the aspects of being loved and then hated by the populace with changes of the wind. He’s a deeply symbolic character and this film dealt with those ideas, heaven forbid. Without giving anything away, the scene at the capitol, when he’s standing in front of the Senators, was amazing. The pure anguish Cavill was able to portray was incredibly moving and indicative of how Superman would respond to the situation. And why would Superman show up to a Senate hearing that he’d been invited to attend? Because he believes in Truth, Justice and the American Way. He’s always doing what he believes to be the right thing, and sometimes the American people don’t respond well to that, or agree with your idea of right. In short, Henry Cavill and Zack Snyder have created my favorite film Superman by far.

Wonder Woman is also worth mentioning. Her character was also extremely well done, I thought. Admittedly, I am less familiar with her and her storylines, but as far as a being a bad-ass Amazonian Warrior goes. Yeah, Gal Gadot nailed the role. I’m looking forward to seeing her own film later when it comes out.

     Batman V Superman. Take these two characters who have their absolute ideas of justice and right versus wrong and they’re both dominant leader types and you have all the makings for a clash of two dominant egos. That’s one major theme of this film, differences in opinion and ideology. If you found the film divisive, then it did exactly what it was supposed to do: present two differing ideas and in such a way to cause you to side with one or the other, or if you’re like me, see the point of both sides, and then the effect is you think about the issues presented. In addition, this film was artistic, containing beautifully done imagery and symbolism throughout that were genius.

To Zack Snyder, don’t let these people, critics and “fans” familiar with the “let’s make a movie that everyone loves because it’s fun and lighthearted and doesn’t challenge anyone to think about tough topics or view something artistically” discourage you. You are an artist, sir. You’ve made a couple of films now in the DCU which are poignant, serious and artistic. They are also fair representations of the comic books on which they’re based. Well done, sir. Well done. Keep it up.

In summation, if you were familiar with the comics that this film was based on, not just the animated series or the previous films or heaven forbid, simply Marvel Comic movies to use as your judge, you would have loved this movie. It was amazing and there were things in the film that were only there for actual comic book fans. Things that delighted me in such a way that it bordered on sexual. I exaggerate, but as a longtime comic book fan, I was tickled pink by the easter eggs and the sub-plots that this movie contained. Everyone’s hatred of this film astounds me, because I saw it for what it was, and I saw the depth and scope of what this movie was trying to setup and accomplish and let me tell you, it is massive and extremely exciting.

SO, if you have complaints with this film, the answer is not to boot Zack Snyder, or shut the franchise down. The answer is to shut your mouth, because you and I both know whether you’re an actual fan, and you sit back and enjoy your Marvel movies until the next DCU Movie comes out, and then you see each installment in what is going to be a glorious Cinematic Universe.