In light with
The Dark Knight PH's zero-tolerance against spoilers in its
facebook group, we've conducted a group chat amongst members who've seen
Batman v. Superman. While most of us loved the film, we cannot turn a blind eye on some of the movie's flaws.
Batman v. Superman is so great that it requires something out of the audience--and that's paying attention to the small details. And if that wasn't enough, the movie was made especially for the comicbook buffs who devoted their lives reading DC Comics.
The movie worked for some fans because it is what they've expected it to be. For most of the critics, they lambasted it for being too ambitious. As a group of Batman-enthusiasts, we've never seen a movie that made the audience pick a side. Will you defend the integrity of the movie? Or will you pick it apart with harsh words?
No matter which side you pick, the group believes that the movie is some sort of a double-edged sword. Some elements of the movie are great but such greatness also made it appalling.
AESTHETICALLY THIS MOVIE IS A MASTERPIECE. To date, this is probably the best Snyder film if we're talking about cinematography alone. Snyder pulled all the stops in creating his best visual eye-candy movie. Well, we shouldn't expect anything less from the accolade of the cinematography gods. But despite such beauty, people criticized his sequencing and the lack of camera stabilizers in the movie.
To a certain extent, we believe that Snyder should improve more on this. The lack of camera stabilizers is a major concern because it made some viewers dizzy after a couple of scenes.
However, as regards sequencing, we do believe that Snyder copied the paneling of comicbooks. But the crux lies in believing such criticisms and watching the movie with the expectation that the sequencing will be bad. Moreover, most of those who criticized the sequencing never held a comicbook in their lives. This is probably why we believe that the movie didn't work for some fans. It was already tainted with disdain even before seeing it.
People might not notice this, but
BATMAN V. SUPERMAN IS A 'COMICBOOK' MOVIE, Despite what people say, BvS is the
only comicbook movie in Hollywood. There are superhero movies, but BvS is the only movie of its kind. Most of the comicbook fans appreciated this element of the movie. The movie felt like watching comicbooks come to life.
Making comicbooks into movies is probably one of the reasons why Snyder's
vision is very ambitious. As comicbook fans, we love it, but to a
certain extent we also believe that it didn't work. It didn't work because it seems to exclude the enjoyment of
casual fans and the avid movie goers. More than that, the paneling in
the comicbooks doesn't bode well in movie screens. There is a reason why comicbooks and movies do not share the same medium.
THE SCRIPT WAS BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN, From the first scene alone, Chris Terrio's magic is already felt. The delivery of Bruce's lines about falling was epic! Most of the dialogue are too deep and symbolic that the split second you lose your attention, you lose the entire thought of that scene.
Here's an example. Remember the very first scene of the movie where Bruce was explaining his dream to someone (knowing Batman, he's probably documenting his thoughts in case he dies)? Young Bruce falls down the hole and found comfort in the company of bats. Seconds later, these bats levitate Bruce by circling around him. Before knowing that it was nothing more than just a dream, that scene was a
WTF (more like WTF Snder don't mess this up!) moment. You probably missed or gave less significance to Bruce's line, "It took me to the light."
Why did we choose this as an example? Well, we're still trying to form some theories but the 'light' might refer to some revelations. And it might have some connections to the prophetic Knightmare scene--which is, in the simplest form, a dream.
At first it would seem that the line is irrelevant of it has nothing to do with the overall story of the film. But after puzzling things together, it would appear that every line in the movie is relevant in trying to convey Snyder's vision. This is the hard part. Although the script was brilliant, it requires a lot from the audience.
In connection with the reasons mentioned above,
THE SCENES LAID DOWN THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE. Some critics believe that some scenes were inconsistent with the story of the movie. The movie is titled Batman
versus Superman. So some scenes that didn't make sense were the seeds that Snyder planted.
This topic alone can start a day-long debate, but let us point out some facts why this reason is considered to be great and unpleasant at the same time.
The Knightmare sequence is phenomenal because it does not only set the groundwork for DCEU, but it also gives you the gateway to the vast collection of DC comics. This only means that the producers can easily choose which storyline to pick. The greatest thing about it is that you wouldn't know what they'll do next. There are many theories or layers to the Knightmare sequence that it needs a separate article for that.
The only thing that didn't make sense is the clear disconnect with the title--Batman
versus Superman. Many people were expecting that Snyder would exploit more on the dynamics between the clash of ideals between the two biggest icons in comics. As people expect what the title presupposes, they were disappointed with the lack of dynamics in the fight. They suggest that there are other aspects, and not just fighting, that can compliment the movie title.
More than the
CHOICE OF ACTORS, most of the critics hated how the characters were portrayed. While some of the fans enjoyed the characterization of the icons, some do not share the same opinion. Lets start of with...
Batman
Ben Affleck is the the greatest Batman ever! The only problem was his characterization. Many people weren't comfortable with the idea that Batman killed a lot of people in this movie. It was his complete disregard for human life that some fans had a hard time accepting.
Contrary to popular belief, Batman was a cold-blooded killer during the early years. We do not want to ponder with this issue because its a bit off topic. We'd like to point out that most of the problem starts from understanding the circumstances surrounding The Dark Knight.
This is a different Batman that we're used to see. After 20 years of operating, he has gone through heaps of desperation. The Batman we saw was jaded and cynical. He lost his place in the world. He lost his purpose. He lost a Robin. The Wayne Manor was burnt. A lot of things happened before BvS that weren't shown in the film. In a way, we believe that these narratives are essential in understanding why Batman takes pleasure in branding criminals.
We think that this was executed poorly. In a recent interview, Snyder explains why Batman is like that in the movie. While his explanation makes sense, you really don't need to explain those stuff in the movie. A movie is a movie for a reason. It was not meant to be read by college students in preparation for recitations where the professor would ask for the interpretation of a specific line.
Superman
The primary concern of Superman fans was that it failed to portray the Superman that they know. They contend that Snyder's Superman is dull in a way that it failed to represent the inspirational Superman.
None from the group was able to explain this extensively because not all were well versed with the Superman lore. But it was also pointed out by the group that the movie showed glimpse of inspiration from Superman. This is more evident in the characterization of Batman.
From the beginning of the movie, Batman has a misguided notion of justice. It was until he met Superman and observed how he battled Doomsday that made him change his ways. Why do we say this? Check the last scene where he and Luthor conversed. He was about to brand him but at the last moment, he decided not to.
It is those little details that makes Superman an inspiration to us Bat-fans. However we also believed that it came in too late. For most part of the movie, we cannot disagree with the critics that Superman is helpless.
Lex Luthor Jr.
Lex is probably the biggest double-edged sword in the film. While most people hated his irritating performance, some people were bewildered by his character. The scene where Superman knelt before him was amazing. Not to mention, he was able to manipulate the greatest detective in the DC universe.
Lex Luthor is the real deal! But people forget that this is not the Lex Luthor we all know. It was emphasized in the movie that Jesse is portraying the son of the man whose responsible for establishing Lex Corp. He is, in fact, Lex Luthor Jr. (emphasis provided).
This didn't work for the movie because even the comicbook readers are not that aware with the character. And to a certain extent, he was really annoying. But to Snyder's credit (but more of Chris Terrio, really), the lines given to Lex are deep and confounding.
While we're overly excited about the movie and that we might sound like robots who know nothing but to defend Snyder and the movie, we also think that there are some aspects of the movie that needs improvement. The things that made the movie great are the same things that made it unpleasant. This is the irony behind Granny's Peach Tea. It might look like something undesirable because of its color, but at the same time, we cant deny how baffled we were when Senator Finch turned the bottle. It was at that moment that we knew that shit was about to go down. And at the same time, Granny's Peach whatthehell is that!?
Granny's Peach Tea, anyone? :)
