As many on this site know, I was not a fan of Man of Steel. I had issues with the film ranging from the plot holes, inconsistencies, and the over-emphasis on action. It came across as a dumb film that removed the humor, joy, and overall spectacle of Superman. The action dragged on, and eventually the idea of seeing Superman punch people got old, fast. Then of course DC/WB had to justify the film and all this other nonsense by doing a sequel/Justice League prequel/film with characters lumped in because why not.
Keeping my criticisms in mind, I wanted to watch the trailer for Batman V Superman and judge it accordingly. Maybe I could warm up to Cavill’s Superman, maybe Batfleck would be interesting. Maybe I just needed to give it a chance.
Well Snyder, you lost me.
Let’s start with the beginning of the trailer. Why does Clark not recognize Bruce Wayne? He’s a reporter, he should know everyone and everything that could affect his job, since he's, you know...a reporter! He should know Bruce considering he and Zod destroyed a Wayne Enterprise building in the first movie and even disregarding that, I'm pretty sure billionare Bruce Wayne was in the paper a few times. So why do they need to have Clark ask? Because the plot is demanding an introduction and they choose a character who should know this to ask and introduce Bruce.
The verbal sparring match between Bruce and Clark is interesting. Probably the best part of the trailer (and probably the movie). However we’re treated to Deus Ex Superman moments and people praising Superman. I get that in the comics Superman is revered as Metropolis’ protector but considering he’s killed more people than save, people should be more lukewarm then moronically worshipping him. Also, Lex shows up and kills this movie with dialogue that makes Fan4stic look like Citizen Kane.
The visuals and all that are mildly exciting, but the story isn’t gripping me. They’ve already shown Batman and Superman working together which defuses any tension from the first part of the movie. Knowing these two will work together just makes the entire conflict dull and empty.
Finally, we know Doomsday is coming, and he’s as mediocre as humanly possible. People are comparing his design to a Ninja Turtle from the recent reboot, honestly it’s just generic. Looks like someone went with the most uninspired look possible for Doomsday.
There’s two rules that Batman lives by:
1) Never Kill People
2) Never use a Gun
Yet in the trailer he both has a gun, and snaps a dude's neck. Very unlike Batman.
I wanted to give this film a chance but honestly I can’t do it. Based on what I’m seeing from this trailer, a mere three months from release; this doesn’t inspire me with confidence. This isn’t about Marvel vs. DC; this is about good filmmaking and bad filmmaking. Slapping together ideas and characters that you think will be cool is fine but explosive dumb moments and bombastic moments of awe should be connected well. There's no connective tissue here. This was my same problem with Man of Steel, and I hoped that Batman V Superman would fix this issue with a new writer and other creative talent but this just doesn't seem to be the case.
RIP DCEU 2013-2016