No, he knows Batman is attacking him and does not appear to be listening to reason. He doesn't need to know Batman is "unhinged" to realize Batman isn't interested in talking.
You said that Superman knows what the audience knows. The audience is aware that Batman is mentally and/or emotionally unstable and is past the point of listening to reason.
So if Superman isn't aware of that, there's no reason why he didn't try harder to make Batman listen to him. And if he
was aware of it, why didn't he immediately kill or incapacitate Batman?
He doesn't bother to explain anything. After Batman attacks him, Superman immediately seeks to establish dominance and put a stop to the fight.
Why are you defending either character if that's what you think?
Your'e disagreeing that Batman, in ignoring Superman's attempts to reason and choosing to attack is not in fact probably not going to listen to reason and attack instead?
You just said Superman didn't bother to explain anything.
What I'm disagreeing with is the idea that the various traps Bruce set up were in any way indicative of how unstable he was. He was attacking Superman. Of course he was prepared to fight. But I don't believe his actions, purely within the context of Superman's perspective, indicate that he is so consumed by rage that he's beyond the point of caring about the life of an innocent person.
1. That would have been kind of boring compared to a fight.
Not my problem. I didn't write the script.
2. Batman has Kryptonite.
Which he didn't use until after Superman disabled most of his toys and almost threw him off a building. Superman had plenty of time to try and explain what Lex had done.
That has nothing to do with my point that you quoted. We're talking about why he didn't talk to him, not saying he couldn't have.
Yes it does. You said that one person's refusal to listen can generate conflict in the real world. While that's obviously true, your comparison doesn't work, because you're putting the two of them on an equal playing field that they don't occupy even in
their world.
In his world, Superman is 100% capable of ripping off Batman's armor and throwing his utility belt into the ocean before the latter even realizes what's happening. Right? So if you pluck those characters from their world and put them in ours, they aren't suddenly going to be equals.
I'm sorry that the movie did not have characters do the easy thing and avoid the drama, conflict and visuals of a fight.
I'm sorry that the movie was so eager to deliver on spectacle that it crafted a situation that - as you say - could've been easily avoided or resolved without that conflict even happening.
