The first thing I want to make absolutely clear is that I didn't actually hate the movie. Disappointed? Yes. Hate? No. I wouldn't devote that much energy to this film, or any Zack Snyder flick for that matter.
I will also warn you that this review has spoilers. The movie has been out for over a week already and, based on box office returns, the people who originally wanted to see the movie have done so. But if you haven't and don't want to be spoiled, then stop reading now.
The Plot
For a movie that is over 2 and a half hours long, there really isn't much of a plot. We open on Bruce's parents being murdered. Again. For, like, the 4th or 5th time on film. Then we flash forward to the events of Man of Steel but this time we watch it from Bruce's perspective, watching all the destruction and trying to save lives. And this is where the problems start. We are supposed to get that Bruce develops a seething hatred and distrust of Superman. Why? Since he wasn't totally responsible for ALL the destruction...the movie doesn't really explain it. You are just supposed to accept that he hates Superman and will stop at nothing to stop him. Even if it means killing him. The movie then interweaves the story of a Senate subcommittee hearing on Superman and his obligations to humanity, Lois trying to solve a mystery, and Lex Luthor plotting...something. It's not exactly clear what. The only thing clear is that Lex hates Superman as well. Why? Well, that's not really explained either. In fact, nothing really is. You just have to accept things at face value. And ultimately it really doesn't matter. It's all an excuse to try to get the two heroes to fight each other. And if you've seen the trailer, you know that they eventually team up with Wonder Woman in tow to fight Doomsday.
What Worked:
- The Music - Junkie XL and Hans Zimmer really outdid themselves with the score. The rhythmic portions with electric guitar in particular were a highlight. It added a nice sense of urgency even when parts of the movie dragged.
- Wonder Woman - she stole the entire last 30 minutes of the movie. Though she wasn't given a lot to do in the role, Gal Gadot was a breath of fresh air whenever she was onscreen. That being said, I don't know how she will handle a full film where she is the main character. I don't know if she has the acting chops for that.
- Jeremy Irons as Alfred - he was one of the few parts in the film that provided levity. He had a great world weariness and plenty of sarcasm that is reminiscent of Alfred from the Batman Animated Series
What Didn't Work:
- Zack Snyder's understanding of the characters - It was made obvious to me in Man of Steel that Snyder does not understand Superman or the Kents. He cemented that opinion here. Superman is as dour and humorless as ever. He seems to save people not because it is who he is, but because he is obligated. It is a chore to him. There is nothing in his character that would lead me to believe that he is a figure of hope. The basic problem is that Snyder keeps comparing Superman to a God, and of course that is indeed his powerset. But the best thing about Superman is that despite having the powers of a God, he is basically a farmboy from Kansas. And the Kents aren't any better. Snyder tries to do a rewrite from Man of Steel by having Clark say that he was trying to be Superman to fulfill his Dad's dreams. Uh no. Your dad wanted you to let a bus full of kids die. He didn't want you to be a hero but instead to hide your powers. Stop trying to rewrite history Zack. And then Martha, in a great pep talk about going in front of the Senate subcommittee ends this inspiring speech by saying you don't owe them a damned thing. Great job Martha. Way to ruin a moment. Zack Snyder hates Superman and everything he stands for. He apparently also hates Batman. Instead of choosing to show the Batman that has appeared in the comics for over 70 years, he focuses on an interpretation of an Elseworld's tale in The Dark Knight Returns aka the Batman teenagers like because they don't quite understand the world yet. This Batman is tired of the world and brutal. He's so brutal, in fact, that he straight up murders people. Not just in collateral damage but actually flipping a gun and using it to shoot someone in the face. But even in this interpretation, he didn't understand the character. The Batman in The Dark Knight Returns was definitely brutal but he still had a line he would not cross. It's a big point in the story that he cannot bring himself to kill the Joker. He uses rubber bullets to take down the mutant gang. Even in a point where it seems that he shot a gang member holding a child hostage straight in the face, it is revealed that he hasn't killed anyone by the news reporters. But hey, Snyder isn't one for accuracy so what the hell.
- Lex Luthorberg - As I stated above, Lex hates Superman. But we never establish why. He just does. Jesse Eisenberg just spends the movie doing a bizarre Joker impersonation with a bit of Frank Gorshin's Riddler thrown in for good measure. And then his plan with Doomsday doesn't make sense. He unleashes Doomsday without a back up plan on how to shut him down. What is he supposed to do with an unstoppable monster if Batman and Superman are unable to take him down. Once Doomsday took out Superman, what was his plan going to be? And in the end, Luthor is revealed to be working with/for Darkseid. So it was all a plan to kill Superman to make way for Darksied? It still doesn't explain what he was going to do with Doomsday.
- Batman is a moron - Luthor reveals that he has been manipulating Bruce Wayne to fight Superman. And Batman really has no idea. Not only did Luthor figure out who both Superman and Batman are in their real lives, but Bruce Wayne struggled to find out that the White Portugeuse was a ship. Like running that name up against databases wouldn't have been a thing that Bruce should have tried. And Bruce completely leaves logic behind in pursuit of rage. Again, his rage is really unsupported. I get that he blames Superman for a bunch of destruction but even when faced with the fact that Superman actually does a bunch of heroic acts, he still believes he is a danger and must be stopped. For what? Oh yes, because he stopped thinking and is just angry. ALL. THE. TIME.
- The world is dumb - Superman is being framed for an event that went down in Nairobi. Except that the only trace of Superman doing something messed up is by ramming a dude through multiple walls (he's not dead. technically. not that we see him to confirm). Everyone is dead by gunshots which isn't exactly known to be Superman's MO. So why does everyone suddenly believe he was responsible? It wasn't even made to look like he was. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- Things just don't make sense - None of the characters have motivations that make sense. And if Batman has been operating in Gotham for over 20 years, why is this the first time that Superman has a problem with him? I mean, the damned Bat symbol can be clearly seen from any building in Metropolis.
- Martha! - The climax of the fight is resolved when Superman reveals his mom, Martha, is being held captive by Luthor's goons. And of course, Batman is taken aback because that was his mom's name. And suddenly they're best friends and Bruce makes a Bro-mise that Martha won't die that night. Even though he just tried to RAM A KRYPTONITE SPEAR into Superman's chest. But it's all good, bro. Martha!
Conclusion
It is obvious that Zack Snyder hates superheroes. He doesn't want them to be heroic. In fact, he doesn't want them to show any emotion other than anger. He is also averse to showing affection. Superman saves Lois THREE times and he quickly flies away afterwards. No extended hug. No kiss. It's like Zack Snyder is perpetually stuck in the mindset of a 13 year old boy. Let's have Batman brutally kill people because it looks cool! Explosions! Ew romance! More explosions! And apparently the only powers Superman has are flying and eye beams. And this is the guy that the WB has entrusted with the Justice League. Great. This movie could have been good. Great even. But Snyder doesn't understand the characters he's trying to portray. Instead, he reverse engineered a plot that would lead to the title fight and Doomsday. None of it makes sense. None of the characters are relatable. They are simply cogs in a plot machine. He definitely throws in a lot of Easter eggs for fans but it all feels hollow. He adapts part of the Death of Superman without the context or the buildup so when Superman dies it doesn't resonate as well as it should. We deserve better. I've read many people claim that this was Snyder's love letter to comic fans. If that's the case, I think it's time to break up.
No comments:
Post a Comment