Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (spoilers)

I avoided all reviews and only watched the trailer once, months ago, and saw the film last night.  I quite enjoyed it.  I shall be giving spoilers in this post so click away now if you don't want to read them.  It's not a review post, it's a conversation between me and anyone else who cares to read it.
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Batman -
I really liked the start where we saw Bruce's experience of the Metropolis MoS fight.  I kind of knew that was coming, but I thought it was done very well.  I even enjoyed Bat's origin story, it was done in a way I hadn't quite seen before and it worked.  I cringed when we had the bit where boy Bruce was lifted aloft by the bats, so was VERY thankful that was a dream sequence.  I'm pretty sure that even when startled bats don't fly into daylight, so I'll put that down to the dream sequence.

Ben Affleck made a good older Bruce and a good Batman.  The numerous different suits made sense in the film.  I didn't quite buy his quick change of heart about Supes, so I'm going to insert some head canon explanation along the lines of he hadn't thought that Superman would have a mother or be just like us humans and also seeing Lois defending Clark gave him something to think about.  The film made it look like eh changed his mind just on the strength of their mother's sharing names.  Which is plausible, I guess, Bruce is still grief stricken even after 30 years, but I think he should need more than that.

I am very interested in the last 20 years of Gotham.  I hope that's explored in Suicide Squad, which we saw the trailer for, and I am also leoking forward to seeing.  I really enjoyed Alfred.  I think that's the best on screen Alfred.

My main problem with Batman, but I can't be bothered to get that worked out about it, is him using guns.  Batman doesn't use guns.  That's a central part of his character.  But then again, Superman doesn't kill people either, apart from in this movie verse.  Once Supes has killed someone I sort of lose any will to get worked up about other character defamations.  It just feel really demoralising.  So I'll just ignore that part of the film.  I'm still pretty angry about Man of Steel though.

Wonder Woman - Gal Godot is wonderful in this (excuse the pun).  She's tall, she's got a generic European accent that I have decided is authentic Greek (please don't tell me otherwise, not just yet), she fights well and she looked like the was relishing the fight.  She was a lovely calm, intelligent, graceful and decorous Diana Prince.  I was so pleased to see her on screen and so pleased to see Wondy being played that way.

Lex Luthor - I thought this guy was brilliant.  I was not expecting such a young, showboating Lex.  I think he was yelling about Darkseid at the end, was I right?  I couldnt quite make out what he was talking about because there was a couple next to me who were talking through most of the film.  They got louder in the last half hour because they'd got through most of a bottle of wine (you don't drink in UK cinemas) and were gabbing away.  Grrrr.  they'd also gone out for a cigarette halfway through and reeked as they came back, and called me love, and darling.  So my judgey pants come out and I judged them good.

Lois Lane - Amy Adams did a great job again.  I'd like to see her in more action plots - journalist action plots not fight plots, but there was no room in the film for this sort of story.  I liked seeing her and Clark's relationship and seeing them as a couple.  She did a lot of reassuring Clark, and some saving him too.  Always good to see.

Superman - As for Superman, he had quite a distant role in this film.  He was distant from the public (and the camera), distant from Lois, yet he was connecting with his deceased Pa and discussing their relationship.  I felt there was a very big difference between his everyday, passionate Clark and his lofty, inhuman, superior (maybe?) Superman.  Superman was mostly cold and angry and determined.  Clark had the warmth.  I usually think Supes should have warmth too, but I guess that in this particular movie America, in that hostile climate Superman was keeping himself separate from ordinary humans in order to do his job.  Anger with Batman showed abit of his humanity though.  Hopefully he will get more human (in demeanour) with future Justice League movies.

Doomsday - Oh boy.  I have never ever ever enjoyed Doomsday.  This Doomsday was good.  I was excited about him.  I felt he was threatening.  It's a pity I figured out that Supes would die, if I'd not known the source material his death would have had more impact.  OTOH the means of death was new, and Lois being involved in recovery of his body pleased me.  Lois is pretty much an honorary Justice Leaguer by this point.

Other Justice Leaguers - Oh boy I was excited to see Aquaman.  Less so about the Flash.  very much so about Cyborg, surprisingly.

Horses - there was a couple of odd horse shots.  At the start when the ashes of the MoS fight spreads through the streets, a riderless horse runs past Bruce Wayne.  When the Senate hearing has been blown up a copper is on horse and the horse rears, dramatically.  These two instances just seemed very out of place.

Dream sequences - there were a lot.  I'm not sure how many were real or not.  There was one witha red dude and some lightning flahses, ish, which I assumed was a Flash, Barry probably, but he had no resemblance to the Flash dude from the metahuman research data.  Then there was a section where Supes took Bat's cowl off, then ripped out his heart.  I have no idea if the cowl removal was a dream sequence or not.  If not where did Supes discover Bruce's identity?

There were, sadly, some quips.  Quips do not belong in this grim dark movieverse.  If you want to lighten things up you bring in Wondy who enjoys what she's doing.  You don't make jokes, it was cringey.  The discussion at the funeral about getting the Justice League together felt a bit forced.

Overall I rather enjoyed it.  It had his faults, but it was enjoyable, and a perfectly pleasant way to spend and evening. I am even inspired to watch MoS again so long as I fast forward through that scene *glowers*).

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