Zack Snyder directed the 2013 film Man of Steel which introduced Henry Cavill as Superman/ Clark Kent and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. The film is a box office hit but received quite a review.
I, too, have my fair share of comments but I have to admit I did enjoy the film. Cavill is indeed Superman and Adams is indeed Lois Lane. The action scenes and explosions were great. But the characters don't talk too much.
Though it's a hero movie which of course, needs to have several fight scenes, it would be nice to know them more and understand them. Not to mention, there were times I got confused and asked myself "what's going?" Did I fall asleep somewhere in between?
But those were just minor details and if you put those aside, I can still say that Man of Steel is good. The less talk, more action somehow worked in the end.
Now, fast forward to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The beginning of the film was the highlight in Man of Steel wherein Superman and General Zod were fighting. We know how intense it was and how it ended. In this film, it showed us what was going on the ground.
We can see that Bruce Wayne a.k.a Batman was on his way to his building in the Metropolis. When he saw the ongoing chaos, he called his colleague who was in the office and told him to get out. So this person told everyone to evacuate but somehow this man did not leave the building immediately.
When Bruce reached his now fallen building, he rescues one of his guards who eventually lost his legs and another girl whose mommy was trapped inside the building. The intensity of Superman and General Zod's fight caused major destruction throughout the Metropolis. People got hurt. People died. These made Bruce Wayne/ Batman really angry.
And this is when I started to see problems.
"Next time they shine your light in the sky, don't go to it. The Bat is dead. Bury it. Consider this mercy."
"Tell me, do you bleed? You will!"
I can see the intense level of hatred in Batman which is good because this is after all Batman v Superman. But then why isn't he doing anything to find out who Superman is? Before attacking your enemy, shouldn't you investigate not only his weakness for "kryptonite" but his identity as well? And if you despise someone, isn't it difficult to forgive and befriend him even though your mothers share the same name?
I wanted to see more of our two biggest heroes fight, as in FIGHT to the point that we don't know which side we should take.
Then... there's Lex Luthor.
"We know better now, don't we? Devils don't come from hell beneath us. No, they come from the sky."
"Boys! Mm, Bruce Wayne meets Clark Kent. Ah, I love it! I love bringing people together! How are we?"
I take it he knows WHO they are which is good because he was able to toy with them. But Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is different. It's good and bad at the same time. I can't really decide but I do know one thing - I hate his files!
Why do each metahuman already have a logo? I'm fine with Easter eggs; however, you have to be subtle to entice the viewers. There's no need to follow Marvel's footsteps.
DC is dark and serious which I love. In fact, there were only three scenes in the film that made me laugh and I'm fine with that. Instead of overwhelming the audience, the fans and new generation of fans, they should use that style and carefully sew the DC Extended Universe.
When I saw those folders and the files, I finally saw how Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is totally cramped. They should have just given us a short glimpse of the metahumans.
If I am Wonder Woman and found out that someone knows who I am, I would be shocked and probably open all the files that Bruce Wayne sent causing the videos to overlap but still can see all playing. With that, the audience wouldn't entirely see the metahumans properly. Isn't it better for us to guess who is who?
Moving on, Diana Prince / Wonder Woman's participation was greatly appreciated. The music and sound effects during her action sequences were great! She somehow saved it because I was able to enjoy every second of it. Oh how I wish the early fight scenes were as good as hers.
Future Films...
I really do hope they will properly deliver the next series of films. Many are looking forward to see their whole universe on screen. I also hope that they don't concentrate that much on the visuals. Well, it is importantly after all but it's clear that they are good at it. Just don't forget the narrative.
If you haven't seen Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, you should. People have different expectations. There's a chance you will like it, hate it, or both.
But still, happy viewing!
P.S I feel sorry for Jimmy Olsen...
All photos from: Facebook.com/batmanvsupermanAnd if you are interested to see the characters up close especially the Batmobile - head over to this post! - Catch Your Favourite DC Heroes at the Hall of Justice in SM North EDSA
