The day is finally here. God vs Man. Day vs Night. The Son of Krypton vs Bat of Gotham. After what has felt a lifetime of waiting, this epic clash of titans is finally here. For months, rumors have run rampant online of the quality of Batman V Superman. Some sources claiming Warner Bros. sang song of praises; others quite the opposite. But just days ago, critics and fans alike got the opportunity to see the movie for themselves. And the reactions were quite mixed, to say the least. What only seems to be a handful of people truly praising it for its “groundbreaking” feel and being a “game changer”, most found it to be a “loud, annoying and boring.”
I went in, to say the least, upset and a little disappointed. Growing up, I have wanted nothing more than to see these two icons battle it out on the big screen. With my standards lowered and my frustration high, I was not as excited as I wanted to be. How could something I wanted my entire life be seen so poorly by so many? Was it truly as bad as they made it out to be? And after seeing the movie for myself, I must say; I left feeling confused. Not just because of the movie, but by how I truly felt as well. How could I possibly have such a wide range of mixed emotions in two and a half hours? Sadness, anger, joyful, frustration, annoyance, excitement, happy, mad. I have always had a love and passion for movies, and I must admit, this is the first time a movie has ever left me feeling this way.
In many ways, the beginning is the best parts of the entire movie. As Bruce (Ben Affleck) is racing through the city, seeing the destruction and mayhem that is being caused from the oncoming alien invasion. While building collaspe and people die, Bruce stands among the other civilians watching in horror as everything they’ve known comes crumbling down before them. With no music to direct you, you feel the stricting fear that runs through all of them. You experience, just for a moment, what it would truly feel like if mankind was to be attacked by a greater being. It is a moment I have not felt in a comic book movie before. To truly feel what it would be like as a civilian during a massive crisis.
Jump to 18 months after the event, we see how the world is reacting to the idea that we are not alone in the universe. With Superman (Henry Cavill) spending this time to help those in need, it seems that most want the idea of a savior, while others are skeptical, with every right to be; Bruce Wayne being one of them. After seeing what destruction someone with such force can cause first hand, Bruce sees him as possibly being the end of humanity. While you can understand why Bruce would fear such great strength, it doesn’t truly feel justified. Superman has spent the past year and a half attempting to make a difference; to save those who need him most. He may not be doing so in the best way possible, but, in most cases, there is no doubt he is making an attempt. Bruce's reasoning to want to kill him seems to be a bit too shallow. Though it may not make much sense why he wants him dead, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman was also one of the biggest highlights of the entire movie. While as Batman he would strike fear into the hearts of criminals, (which at some points pushed boundaries) he also had serious anguish when fighting "Gods". You could see the terror striking through him as he, a mere mortal, clashes against those who could break him without giving it a second thought. This is the first time in cinema history that we have seen Batman interact with such dominant, all-powerful characters. And it was enjoyable to know Batman himself felt fear, too.
Clark Kent continues to feel the struggles of being a hero. While attempting to have a relationship with his love, Lois Lane (Amy Adams), he is upset having the world either see him as a God among men or the devil from the skies. And, frankly, he doesn’t care. Clark still doesn’t seem to want to help civilians for the betterment of mankind, but instead because it’s almost an obligation for him to do so. He'd rather live a normal life then become the hero he was destined to be. To him, his alter ego is a burden, and in some ways, a curse. While I respect and understand where he may be coming from, if he would rather live as a reporter and spend his life with Lois Lane, then why not hang the cape up? Martha Kent (Diane Lane) makes the point of telling him that he does not have to be a savior to the world, instead, he owes them nothing. He makes it quite clear that people are an annoyance for him to live a simple life. This goes against everything we have grown up to love about Superman. Truth, Justice and the American Way have been thrown out for selfish ambition.
The rest of the characters felt wasted or insignificant. Wonder Woman, though enjoyable, did nothing to move the main story foward. She was there for her own cause, which was quickly resolved. It felt as if it was an excuse for her to help the heroes in the end with the final conflict. Martha Kent had one nice moment with Clark, but then was used as a damsel in distress. Perry White (Laurence Fishburne), Senator Finch (Holly Hunter), even Aquaman (Jason Momoa) all seemed to have a greater purposes but in the end felt insignificant. Of all the side characters, Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons) stood out the most. And in many aspects, was one of the better characters of the entire film. He wasn’t just a lackey to clean up after Bruce’s drunken messes, but he had strong presence that help move the story along. He almost felt like the angel on Bruce’s shoulder, trying to encourage him into the right direction. You could feel the concern he had for him, but was not soft when putting him in his place. Though he may not agree with Bruce, and made that quite clear, he still did everything he could to make sure he was able to protect him and support him through all of Bruce's choices.
After building up the entire movie, we finally get the moment when the two gladiators collide. The moment everyone has been waiting for. The title of the movie itself: Batman V Superman. And after hours of hype for the big moment, it left me feeling hollow.Though Batman was quite prepared and the fight went back and forth over and over again, it felt rushed. The entire point of this movie, what I had been dying to see my entire life, left me feeling disappointed. With both of our heroes clashing together with all of their might, it still felt like a let down.
Not long after, Doomsday makes his presence known; needing both heroes to put aside there differences and team together to bring down one of DC’s most terrifying and powerful enemies. With Superman using brute force, Batman using his gadgets and wit to distract, and Wonder Woman showing up to support, the final battle made me nauseous. I wanted to enjoy it, but the pace was so fast and loud that I still get a bit of a headache thinking about it. Though it was truly amazing in some aspects, it was just too much.
When the movie ended, it ended over and over again. It kept going and going and going; and every time you thought it was the end, another scene came right along. By this point, I just want it to end. I am so annoyed and frustrated; feeling tricked that the movie is finished to then have it keep going with something else thrown in.
When the credits rolled, I was exhausted, emotional, sick, anxious, etc. I could not sleep all night long. I struggled with trying to figure out what was going on within me. Did I love this movie? Did I hate it? Was it really as bad as everyone said or was it the best comic book movie I’ve ever seen? And after thinking about it over and over again, I finally came to the conclusion; there is no real answer.
The movie is not perfect. Far from it. It has many plot holes and inconsistencies that become quite obvious the more the movie moves forward. But it was still a lot of fun with "in your face" action. The actors were giving there all, helping you to understand where their characters were coming from. Yet at the same time, you couldn’t follow their story because the pacing was so rushed. The fight was one ripped right from the comics, yet felt so hollow. You are probably asking yourself “How is it possible? How can you say you like it, yet hate it?” And after much thought, I believe I've figured it out. Though the movie itself was great and had brilliant ideas, the narrative is what let the movie down. The scenes randomly jumped around way too often and way too fast. It didn’t give you any time to breath or to take a moment to enjoy a character or their prospective. It just kept hitting you in the head harder and harder hoping to crame as much in your brain as possible, but instead felt like it was breaking it open. It never gave you time to truly take in the brilliant acting, the wonderful artwork, the fantastic story and ideas. It's like if you decide to take a road trip. Instead of enjoying the ride and stopping to view the landmarks, you want to try getting to as many destinations as possible in a short amount of time. So you put to put your foot right to the floor and drive as fast as you can. Though you see the beautiful scenery, you pass by it too fast without stopping to take in the moment.
Does this movie deserve all the backlash and negative reviews it is receiving? No. Is it a game changer? No. But it is still an enjoyable movie that was just let down by such poor narrative. Even with everything that it does wrong, there is so much that is also does right. You can respect and love what director Zack Snyder and DC were trying to do and can see the direction they were headed in, but is let down but such a fast, rushed pace and a sloppy narrative. Though I cannot say whether you will like it or not, I can say it will be something you have never experienced before. Whether that is a good or bad thing will all come down to what you hope to get out of the experience of seeing the two biggest icons in comic book history together, on the big screen, for the first time.
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