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| A good fan made poster. So good, it looks professional |
Maybe you've seen it, maybe you haven't but this review will include a lot of spoilers. Since I saw it three times to make sure I completely grasp the concept (and generally because it is a fun time at the theaters) I would have to dissect the movie piece by piece to make this review as true to the movie as possible. Let's start with the negatives.
First things first, the trailers. My God they could have really shown less. I mean almost every Wonder Woman scene (in costume) was already in the trailers. Although she was still badass as hell, a little more mystery would have been better. Also revealing Doomsday was a bad idea. The conflict was already there. Superman saved Metropolis but at what cost? Done, just put down the release date and that's a wrap. Imagine if you were watching the film and suddenly Doomsday pops out?! That would be fantastic but you went in expecting him. Another flaw was the showing of a Justice League beta in the trailer. The trailer should have only briefly elaborated on the first phrase "Batman V Superman". That's that, it should not have shown them teaming up. However this is a much more massive issue within the film industry as many movies (ex. Avengers: Age of Ultron showing the Hulk and Hulkbuster fight scene or Terminator: Genesys spoiling John Connor being a Terminator) tend to show "too much" and take away from the perfect movie going experience a movie goer could have. Hence why I avoid second trailers like the plague.
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| Tao Okamoto as Mercy Graves |
Second things second, Mercy Graves. Played by Tao Okamoto, this character is ominously and quietly introduced and then taken away just like that. I mean the potential of a great performance and characterization reveal was humongous here. What if she was just as messed up as Lex Luthor but covered it? Or maybe she served as his handler? Now we will never know cause she never said more than a few words before she was killed in an explosion that, while it served a great purpose in the storytelling, could have easily been avoided. The silver lining here is that there is more added to Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor as he sacrifices those closest to him to achieve his goals.
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| Another fan-made photo, this time of Ray Fisher's Cyborg |
Another problem with the movie was how they introduced Cyborg. It was extremely sudden while it was elaborated in the same way long origin stories are made. In comparison with the other introduction footage of Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and The Flash (Ezra Miller), it played all its cards too early. What they could have done would have been show him in some underground fight club fighting with a hoodie on until his hoodie fell off and he was revealed or something of the like. It should have been more mysterious like the other heroes introduced. The mysterious cube which may have ties to Darkseid should not have been shown as a part of the vignettes but rather in the movie coming up in 2020.
Now onto the good.
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| Jesse Eisenberg explored a new Lex Luthor |
Jesse Eisenberg brought onto screen a terrifying performance as Lex Luthor. Royaly messed up, daddy-issues fueled, he seemed like an amalgamation of Alex and Lex Luthor. Alex Luthor is Lex's son who starts out as a hero but in the events of Infinite Crisis goes insane and attempts to kill his dad (no comic book spoilers here). He seemed like the perfect balance of both. Meticulous, cold, calculating, insane, psychotic, and an observer of the bigger picture. Very early on you can tell he has seen something no one else has. He knows things no one else knows. And in addition with the ending prison scenes and the deleted "Communion" scene, it is all explained further. Jesse Eisenberg showed a dark side that I did not believe he had in him. He was a risk DC took and it has paid off in spades.
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| The Batmobile is one of the many things that illustrate Zack Snyder's genius |
The batmobile was fantastic. It was different yet familiar. It did not step on Christopher Nolan's tumbler and it did not copy the older versions of the batmobiles. It was truly something original that only added to the movie. Henry Cavill's Superman displays more characteristics that truly set Snyder's Superman apart from other Supermans. The anticipated battle is every bit as good as the hype made it sound like with awesome sequences that just left me cheering in my seat. Another factor that puts this movie in the "Smart" category of super hero movies is the amount of references scattered across the movie. The Omega symbol in Batman's dream (or possible flashback). Man-Bat appearing in his nightmare. The Jason Todd Robin costume spray painted courtesy of The Joker. I mean I can just go on and on but those were the most obvious ones. That can also be listed as a flaw as it alienated the general movie goers, however we have too many movies that cater to everyone and almost completely neglect the comics (Deadpool being a prime example). The darkness in this movie is another triumph as it really makes you think about the current world. "20 years in Gotham Alfred, How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?" The sex trafficker, the other line by Anatoli Knyazev (Callan Mulvey) "Now we say goodbye, and every time we say good bye you die a little." I mean the darkness is real. Again that is what sets this movie apart from the other light hearted super hero movies that have flooded the market.
And Finally Ben Affleck's Batman!
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| Here he is as Bruce Wayne |
My God, what can I say? He was perfect. He was definitely a better Bruce Wayne than Christian Bale and he truly captured the character. His Batman was literally lifted off the glorious pages of The Dark Knight Returns. Truly his performance was flawless and so on point I cannot criticize it in any way. Also this is the Batman that has not been explored. The older Batman. The one who has lost hope in society after seeing its ugliest sides. He kills, brands people and has really embraced the messed-up-ness of the world rather than just pretend it does not exist and man is good. It is a more realistic Batman if that case can be made and so true to the character, it is hard for me to imagine anyone playing the character after Ben Affleck is done with it.
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| Frank Miller fans rejoice |
Overall this was a true blast at the theater and I really do not understand the hate surrounding the film. There of course is the obvious stigma against the Zack Snyder name. Almost any work he has done is immediately tarnished by his name being there. It is kind of like Michael Bay's name but not as justified. Zack Snyder has made cinematic masterpieces that will not be realized in his lifetime. Which is pretty sad when you think about it. I enjoyed this film, a great launchpad for the DC extended universe, solid cinematography, fantastic sound, and an all round triumph. I salute all those who worked on this fantastic film.
