By now I'm sure everyone and their mother has an opinion on Zack Snyder's new movie BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. For the majority of the reviews I've read from major critics this movie has been considered outright trash and I don't understand why but I can guess. For those who havent see the movie I will be referencing SPOILERS so stop here if you haven't seen it yet.
When the reviews started piling in Monday evening trashing the movie I felt my heart drop a little because I am I diehard comic book nerd and I want every comic book movie to be successful because these are the characters I grew up on and I feel that we are in the age that we can finally share these characters with everyone on the big screen so they can see what we've seen in them all these years. As more reviews started coming in it seemed as if it was one after another just piling on and piling on making it seem as if this movie was as bad as last year's Fantastic Four debacle. Sure the "Sad Affleck" viral video going out was comedy and people were getting their shots in even though they hadn't even seen the film I was almost sure I was going to get another Zack Snyder stylistic "Watchmen" or "300" when i sat down to watch the movie. It truly irratated me how he messed Watchmen up and while I liked Man Of Steel there were some signs there that still he hadnt come into his own yet after that movie. As polarizing as Man Of Steel was I always questioned why Warner Bros would put the whole DC Movie Universe in his hands in the first place.
I am happy to say that I was wrong about you, Zack Snyder.
While Batman V. Superman is far from the perfect movie, it is understated in a way that it hard to explain to those that haven't spent their hard earned after school money buying these books and supporting the culture for all these years. Zack made this movie for us, Guys.(and Gals!). Right now this is OUR time for geek culture. All those years of being teased in high school or being called weird or childish for being a grownup reading words with pictures associated with them all that is coming back right now as a justified choice of interest to us so called geeks. We are validated every time by the big box office revenues these movies bring in. For years the so called mainstream critics have been predicting the downfall of comic book movies and after one doesnt do as well another comes out and everyone loves it a shuts those critics down. Zack Snyder, I loved the way you're doing Superman from how he started in Man Of Steel to this movie. This is not your Christopher Reeve Superman. Notice that movie was called "Man Of Steel" and not "Superman." I think the critcs of that movie missed the point that THIS Superman needed time to grow to be the Superman we all know and love. But it takes time. As good as the Reeve version was we've seen that version done 100 times over before. What we've NEVER seen is a doubtful Superman, a Superman unsure of himself, a Superman that wants so bad to do good that he makes mistakes along the way that truly affect peoples lives that are not absolutely black and white. I think the critics want so bad to hate this movie for even being in existence that the first chance they got to tear it down they did! Zack Snyder, I loved how understated your man your opening credit sequence was. It wasn't showy or CGI bombastic, just simple enough where it seemed as if we were watching a small movie even though we knew how large it was. So what that I'm seeing Bruce Wayne parents killed for the 100th time. I've never seen it done this way so artfully and I loved how you associated the two Martha's parents together where after all these years it never dawned on me that both Clark and Bruce's mother's name is the same which affects them so deeply when they are hurt. You tied it beautifully at the end to justify doing the Wayne murder sequence over again. That was a gift that was always there that no one has ever used. Cudos, Zack. I loved that you had the balls to do the death of Superman in the movie and how super subtle you made that end shot with the coffin to show Supes might still be alive. We all know he's going to show up in Justice League but to serve THIS story you did not go over the top to explain that SUPERMAN WILL BE BACK FOR JUSTICE LEAGUE like a Marvel movie might have. I was truly feeling sad for the poor soul of Clark/Superman because at the heart he is just a small farm boy who wants to make his father proud of him. We learned from the Man Of Steel that his powers were a burden to him and he didn't really even WANT to be "super." Critics called Cavill's acting wooden but to me in this universe how do you expect the most powerful man on earth to behave with the world on his shoulders? He just wants to make everyone happy and as we know in life that is just not realistic as he has learned through these two movies. Thank you, Zack, for making THE Batman from the comics that should be on the screen. As great as those Chris Nolan Dark Knight movies were they never were the true Batman that us comic readers have come to know and love. That fight sequence with those thugs was spectacular and it make me look so much forward to the Ben Affleck solo Batman movie. Hope Jared Leto comes through as equally as great with the Joker so we can see them both face off in that movie.
I really liked this movie a lot and I plan on going to see it again next weekend. Maybe my expectations were lowered because of the critics I don't know, but I really liked this movie for what it was despite Wonder Woman sitting down at a laptop in the middle of the movie and watching the first trailer for the Justice League movie!(loved Wonder Woman!) My message for those who are being sceptical of Zack Snyder because of his past movies definitely try this one because he is getting better. I think if he didn't have Warner Bros breathing down his neck to rush build the Justice League from this movie it would have probably made for an even better experience.
-K
Follow me @krayzeman