Superman vs Batman review

[Westside Steve]

Superman vs Batman

 

Warner Bros

 

PG 13. 153 min

 

 

Hi everybody. Yes I realize this one has been out for a couple weeks but I insisted on doing it for a reason.

 

As you know I am a huge Superman aficionado and recently I have spoken to a few others who said they were waiting for me verdict before they went to the theater as opposed to wait for Pay Per View. Also I have no doubt it will be the box office superstar of the year, maybe even the decade. Plus, because of my disappointment in the last few attempts, I am amazed that I really really liked it.

 

 

 

So take heed. Spoiler alert. It may or may not kill the movie for you but this is a big one so you should probably see it before you read my take.

 

Right off the bat for those of you you take your Superman seriously and believe that every word from the comic books is the absolute gospel, like I do, be forewarned.

 

There is a great deal of bullshit here in the latest DC Comics extravaganza SUPER VS BATMAN.

 

I approached it much like I approached the comics of old in which there were situations we knew could never happen. The writers called those imaginary tales, and absolved themselves of explaining the inconsistencies.

 

First of all some ground rules. If you are not familiar with Superman you probably won't care so I won't get too specific.

 

We know there's only one way bat Batman, a human being, could ever hope to compete with Superman, a Kandor native under a yellow sun, so you know there will be green Kryptonite involved.

 

We know that somewhere during the long duration of the Superman legend Clark Kent and Lois Lane eventually start a relationship and she becomes wise to his secret identity, and that's the case with this film. The many years Lois desperately tried to prove her suspicions are now in the past.

 

In this film, even though we know they have been friends for years, Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are well into their respective crime fighting careers and make each other's acquaintance for the first time. They also have their initial encounter with Lex Luthor who as we know has been a friend an enemy since Clark's formative years in Smallville. Here Jesse Eisenberg's Luthor is more a frenetic psychopath than an evil scientist and sports, to my extreme disgusy, a full head of hair. Luckily that's somewhat mitigated late in the film but it still pisses me off. I still prefer Luthor as a malevolent genius obsessed with revenge.

 

Pa Kent is still dead but Kevin Costner returns for a cameo while Ma Kent is alive and turns out to be the catalyst for the climax. At this point in the hero's careers the publc, fickle as always, have started to look at them as dangerous vigilantes. I'm guessing this turn of events has been chronicled of late in some of the graphic novels but never happened as I was growing up.

 

These things are just incidentals even though there's plenty that I needed to actively overlook to enjoy the film. If you are unable to do that you probably won't like it, but it does provide the basis for the Batman Superman battle. The brawl itself is a product of Luthor is twisted mind, and with the inclusion of some Green Kryptonite (and Clark's mom as a hostage) it's almost believable.

 

 

One more addition to this film which almost fits but not quite, is the fact that they are obviously teeing up for the Justice League of America movie I'm assuming will be next.

 

The JLA included Superman Batman Wonder Woman Green Lantern Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter and is the organization from which Marvel stole the AVENGERS.

 

Wonder Woman makes her debut in SUPERMAN VS BATMAN and we get a glimpse of a very different-looking Aquaman whose unique ability would have been much more suited for the end of the film than was Wonder Woman's, but I'll let you find that out when you see it.

 

Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, who really looks the part, play the roles of the superheroes adequately, and truthfully the costumes and scenery do most of the work. I did enjoy a more sullen Alfred played by Jeremy Irons, even though Batman relied too much on the high powered robotic outfits.

 

 

I have heard different opinions but personally I enjoyed this because I do love Superman films and frankly I was expecting the worst. It's always better to be pleasantly surprised . This one is fun even if you have to ignore so many flaws in the legend.

 

 

B+

 

WSS

[The Gipper]

I was expecting the worst.....and frankly, I think we got it. I was not buying much at all of the motivations for this "rivalry". And, again, I think the story got a secondary position to the CG mess that this film was a bit.

Disappointing.

[Kvoethe]