BvS Batman v Superman - Reviews Thread [TAG SPOILERS] - Part 1

[Unbreakable Lex]

Mediocre is the best way I can describe the movie. Others have pretty much said everything I would've said. The way the JL was set up in the movie felt too forced. I hope IM2 stops getting crap about being an Avengers setup when this movie is about as much of a JL set up as it can get. If anything this movie felt like it exists because it's a setup to JL.

Us crime fighters called the title a clue.

 

[JtheDreamer]

Mediocre is the best way I can describe the movie. Others have pretty much said everything I would've said. The way the JL was set up in the movie felt too forced. I hope IM2 stops getting crap about being an Avengers setup when this movie is about as much of a JL set up as it can get. If anything this movie felt like it exists because it's a setup to JL.

The movie is called "Dawn of Justice" - as in Dawn of the Justice League. The real crapper here is that there was supposed to be a BvS movie in there somewhere.

 

[pixen]

I went in wanting to enjoy it but man... It made Iron Man 2 look like a great movie. BvS was just so tedious and boring. It didn't have a story as much as it had "oh how can we set up a DC universe". For a movie named after the two title characters going head-to-head, it lacked just that. It was just all rather boring. Jesse Eisenberg also got on my nerves, playing his Social Network character dialed up 20+ notches.

Thankfully it had Alfred and Wonder Woman, who were the only fresh things about the film. Oh and [BLACKOUT]The Flash making an appearance. Yummy. [/BLACKOUT] 2/10.

 

[Poni_Boy]

Hey Lex where'd you get the pic in your avy? Is that supposed to be Jessie? Can't be from the movie right?

 

[Unbreakable Lex]

Here's my review of the movie: http://www.audienceseverywhere.net/...ustice-peak-comic-book-movie-experimentation/

Good positive review.

 

[Unbreakable Lex]

Hey Lex where'd you get the pic in your avy? Is that supposed to be Jessie? Can't be from the movie right?

It's edited.

 

[Kar]

The movie could have been rearranged and just made better.

[Blackout]Should have started with the MoS flashback then to the nightmare scene then boom, we have Bruce getting back into his Batman role while coming up with a way to stop Superman. Then show him and Lex having a meeting over the Kryptonite, maybe for military purposes. Batman goes to steal it then Superman intervenes. Fight #1, Bruce gets ass kicked but makes off with kryptonite. Wonder Woman should have been there on a mission to help Bruce, Lex and Clark's influence from Darkseid because she's faced something similar years ago. Boom! The Justice League set up could have been better. I like the idea of Wonder Woman recruiting them to face Darkseid. I guess Doomsday could stay, as well as the ending, but it could have gone a little better.[/blackout]

 

[Visualiza]

Oh gee I wonder

We've got a potential answer right here

 

[Spidey220987]

Just come out of Batman v Superman.
Now, people have accused me in the past of being a "Marvel fanboy" despite social media showing I own DC films, animated films, TV shows, animated series and even comics. I have no affiliation with either brand.

That being said, Batman v Superman was a total letdown. How can I put it... Imagine you've gone to a bar, seen a beautiful lady, she smiles at you, you walk over. You chat, flirt, chat some more, then she says "let's go back to my place."

You get there, she takes you to her room, she removed her dress - so far so good. Then she drops her pants and BAM! She has a penis. It's that level of disappointment.

If you're into ladyboy action, you'll have a good time. If not, you're like "thanks, but no thanks." That's the beauty of film, it's subjective. Some people will love it, some won't. I actually ended up preferring Man of Steel, never thought I'd say that.

Batman v Superman? More like Batman featuring Superman. 4/10. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

 

[Poni_Boy]

We've got a potential answer right here

Oh man someone or some group of people are legit faking reviews. This is crazy. Never heard of this before.

Wow that's some pretty far out claims from people. "A new Era of Comic Book Movies, Batman V Superman Surpases All Expectations" "The best superhero movie of all time" "A complete package" "Amazed, Favourite superhero film of this year."

Bloody hell, the year hasn't even finished yet! Taking a look strictly at the 10/10 and 9/10 accounts, you can clearly see they are tons that are only a few days old with only the one movie review under their belts.

 

[ElMariachi]

I went in wanting to enjoy it but man... It made Iron Man 2 look like a great movie. BvS was just so tedious and boring. It didn't have a story as much as it had "oh how can we set up a DC universe". For a movie named after the two title characters going head-to-head, it lacked just that. It was just all rather boring. Jesse Eisenberg also got on my nerves, playing his Social Network character dialed up 20+ notches.

Thankfully it had Alfred and Wonder Woman, who were the only fresh things about the film. Oh and [BLACKOUT]The Flash making an appearance. Yummy. [/BLACKOUT] 2/10.

Iron Man 2 IS a great movie. I realize I'm in the minority but the Iron Man movies age so well, more so than even the Avengers. The look, characters, and dialogue of the movie is so vibrant that it overshadows any plot criticism for me. They are the Beverly Hills Cop of superhero movies in that regard.

Perhaps Batman vs. Superman will be the same down the line, when expectations are forgotten. People hate on Iron Man 2 because everybody saw it when they were expecting Marvel's equivalent to TDK. And now we have sky high expectations for BvS that just weren't met. The plot of the movie wasn't good but there was definitely entertainment value in it. This is what some of you guys don't understand. Not every movie is going to be the Godfather or even Goodfellas. Those are the TDK's and Spider-Man II of the genre. I am perfectly fine watching Untouchables, New Jack City, Boondock Saints, and A Bronx Tale.

 

[pixen]

Iron Man 2 IS a great movie. I realize I'm in the minority but the Iron Man movies age so well, more so than even the Avengers. The look, characters, and dialogue of the movie is so vibrant that it overshadows any plot criticism for me. They are the Beverly Hills Cop of superhero movies in that regard.

Perhaps Batman vs. Superman will be the same down the line, when expectations are forgotten. People hate on Iron Man 2 because everybody saw it when they were expecting Marvel's equivalent to TDK. And now we have sky high expectations for BvS that just weren't met. The plot of the movie wasn't good but there was definitely entertainment value in it. This is what some of you guys don't understand. Not every movie is going to be the Godfather or even Goodfellas. Those are the TDK's and Spider-Man II of the genre. I am perfectly fine watching Untouchables, New Jack City, Boondock Saints, and A Bronx Tale.

Oh I enjoyed Iron Man 2 quite a bit. I just had to compare it to this as they both were trying to do the same thing... Sadly, BvS didn't achieve the same result that IM2 did.

 

[samsnee]

You guys can say whatever you want and aren't necessarily wrong, but there is no denying marvel follows a simple formula. Antman was the most cookie cutter by the book superhero movie of modern times.

a coherent plot? Interesting characters?

 

[Superhero 101]

Just got back from the theaters and I thought it wasn't as bad as some people are saying it's not a perfect movie it has its serious flaws but it is still a good movie with good action.

Pros
Ben affleck as batman
Gal gadot as ww
Jermey. Irons as Alfred
Good action

Cons
Bad pacing/ story and editing
Cgi was spotty especially doomsday
Jesse esienberg as lex


My score 7/10


Go see it

 

[Nvmyprixgt]

a coherent plot? Interesting characters?

Yes, and all the same movie.

 

[Visualiza]

Oh man someone or some group of people are legit faking reviews. This is crazy. Never heard of this before.

It's pretty widespread in the gaming industry, and while I've long suspected that this sort of thing goes on with movies, this is probably the most damning evidence I've seen so far. It still doesn't outright connect the dots to WB, but it doesn't look good either way.

 

[JtheDreamer]

Oh man someone or some group of people are legit faking reviews. This is crazy. Never heard of this before.

It was inevitable.

 

[ElMariachi]

Oh I enjoyed Iron Man 2 quite a bit. I just had to compare it to this as they both were trying to do the same thing... Sadly, BvS didn't achieve the same result that IM2 did.

Iron Man 2 is probably the closest comparison to BvS. I think they are both movies that people need to take a step back from, maybe for a few years, to fully judge. I just rewatched it to compare it to BvS and you are able to pick up on things that would have been initially ignored or criticized. For instance, Tony having a Captain America shield prototype was ripped on as 'a cheap easter egg commercial for Avengers'. But years later it's kind of a cool scene because you later find out that Agent Coulson is a Steve Rogers fanboy.

I think once the DCU gets up and running, this movie will be seen as an interesting, necessary, flawed cog in the machine. This will require a stronger leader for whoever is going to run the DC Universe, like Feige is with Marvel.

 

[Lily Adler]

Isn't this the same argument for MoS?

 

[Ryudoz]

I'm going to put my entire review in spoiler tags so that way it doesn't take up too much room naturally, there's quite a lot of words here.

Contains light spoilerish material, though I tried to keep it clean.

Spoiler

How can I put into words something that was entirely an emotional response? It’s difficult. Trying to parse out the experience in segments would likely not do the film justice (no pun intended). Instead it might just be better to go through the film as it came to me, and my experiences with it. To preface this, I found I was able to stay away from a vast majority of the spoilers. There were only a couple I knew about (primarily the cameos from the future members of the Justice League), and even then there was no context associated with it so I was free to experience it firsthand.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole of the first act. The opening sequences were great to show the origins of Batman as his perspective of the Black Zero event. I immediately felt the rush from the end of Man of Steel’s climactic battle return. I loved seeing a very human side to Bruce Wayne. Ben Affleck very much had me sold on his Bruce from the jump, and I believed the world he was experiencing and how it was changing right then and there. I felt that Snyder’s direction recreated the previous film’s tone impeccably and immediately tied both films together.

A side note, so I don’t have to mention it repeatedly: I believe that Zack Snyder delivered on this film. In the director’s chair, in the editing room, from the visuals and the story, I think he nailed it. Is he a genius visionary director? Well no I don’t think so but I also don’t think that he should be getting the wave of negative criticism that’s being leveled at him. He did a fine job keeping me engaged the whole way through and there wasn’t anything that felt rushed. He gets an “A” from me.

From Metropolis we continue through a number of scenes that give us a sense of who Clark is when he’s not Superman, a sense that Lois still can’t keep from being in trouble, and the machinations of Lex’s budding plans. Lex Luthor in this movie was a frenetic beast in the slender guise of Jesse Eisenberg. His energy and internal motor gave me the impression that not only does he not sleep much, but that he finds very little stimulation in sitting on his laurels. It became clear very quickly that Lex could see the chessboard and its pieces before the actual players knew they was a game to be had.

Lex’s motivation is explored through his commentary to the public eye, his conversations with Holly Hunter’s Sen. Finch, and his physicality. It was not readily apparent that he had any kind of persona to hide behind and that was the most fascinating aspect of this characterization: he felt genuine the entire time. Much the same as other characters in this world such as Alfred, Lois, even Ma Kent and Perry White, everything and everyone felt like they belonged in the world on the screen.

During the middle part of the film, we are treated to a series of events that lays blame squarely on Superman’s shoulders. This becomes the defining arc for Clark in this movie, how he deals with criticism and perceived failure. In the comics, Superman is perfect. He never fails, always saves everyone, never kills, is supremely confident, etc. In this movie, Clark is unsure of himself. He questions whether or not he actually is doing the right thing, something that felt natural and organic to the character at this point. Towards the end of this act he has a moment on the mountain that had me in tears, a call back to a connection in Man of Steel that I felt absolutely worked.
Bruce by this point is becoming further enraged at Superman for his actions, in wake of a tragedy that comes almost precisely at the middle of the film. He resolves to acquire the means to end Superman and it reflects a vision, a dream sequence he had of a desolate future shortly beforehand. Bruce is convinced that Superman has to be stopped in any way he can. Batman comes off almost as a villain in these segments, plotting his own attacks on The Last Son of Krypton while keeping his body in top condition. Affleck really sells this drive. The stage ultimately gets set for the Main Event, cape vs. cape, in the rainy dank confines of Gotham.

The big fight between the two doesn’t disappoint. Batman is clearly out to control the pace of the battle. Clark goes to the fight under different pretenses and tries to talk, but Bruce is having none of it. With his hand forced, Superman goes headlong into the battle. It is brutal. Once Clark is weakened, he is outmatched by Bats’ technology and raw combat prowess. One of the best moments comes though when the weakening effect begins to wear off and Clark regains the upper hand temporarily. It’s nearly imperceptible, but Bruce’s swagger gets dented very quickly as he tries to get things back on his side. The fight ends in typical comic book fashion with a physical and moral victor. It’s not extremely hard to figure out who won what and why, nor to have much problem with it. The demands of the plot at that point keep the film rocketing towards the third act and the larger battle at hand.

The action-packed finale is chock full of special effects, high levels of tension and stakes, and a cacophony of comic panel-inspired images. One that particularly was jarring was ripped straight from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and it involves a very large, very damaging explosion for one of our heroes. One of the small confusions I had was during this act however, as Lois becomes somewhat tangential to the story. Her interactions up until that point had been to drive the meta-narrative of the film, the uncovering of Lex’s intentions and her own journalistic endeavors, and for a brief time there is nothing for her to do. So she does something that invariably will need to be undone and saved in the process. It’s setup for the finishing blow, I know, but it’s probably the one creative choice I would have differed on.
The resolution of the film brings the tone back to echo the intro of the film, an examination of the consequences of these battles. Whether or not these will be cheapened in later films, obviously, has yet to be seen. It’s in this quiet moment that I feel that the film, while involving a number of characters to include Batman of all people, really solidly became Superman’s story. He is the heart of this film and Henry Cavill continues to play the character with depth and expression. The subtlety of his reactions, the timbre of his voice, it echoes throughout all two and a half hours of this film even when not onscreen. Though Bats does get to send off Lex with one last fright before the credits roll.

Overall, I felt the acting was superb in this film. Cavill and Affleck are made for their roles and are well on their ways to being the definitive iterations of these characters in this generation. Gal Gadot is incredibly strong as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in what time she has on-screen. Jeremy Iron’s Alfred is just as indelible as Amy Adam’s Lois in terms of superhero sidekick. Eisenberg’s performance I felt was mesmerizing, a truly fresh take that still felt like Lex Luthor. Characterization is a big sticking point for people now, particularly with Batman and Superman and how they deal with the criminal element. For me, it was simply a matter of “Nothing I haven’t seen before.” These things didn’t bother me then and they don’t now. These are not 100% accurate incarnations of their comic book counterparts, and I’m thankful. These adaptations give a very clear window into how well Snyder and company understand what makes Batman and Superman great in their own ways.

I’m ready for Justice League: Part 1, a new solo Superman film and solo Batman film. And I’m ready for Zack Snyder to finish this trilogy on his terms, in his way. I want to see the seven unite and fight the forces of Darkseid, and all with the Trinity leading the way.

9/10

I have no problems discussing how I felt if anyone would like to have a discussion, but I do not share any of the criticisms I have seen here or elsewhere.

Cheers.

 

[Tony Stark]

Oh man someone or some group of people are legit faking reviews. This is crazy. Never heard of this before.

That's why I didn't trust any of the Twitter reaction or social media buzz that everyone kept bringing up about this film. That stuff can be manipulated so easily.

The RT audience score is now down to just 73%. It started out at 98 or something, dropped to 84 a day later, then 78 the day of the previews, and now 73. That's a huge drop.

 

[jmc]

That's why I didn't trust any of the Twitter reaction or social media buzz that everyone kept bringing up about this film. That stuff can be manipulated so easily.

The RT audience score is now down to just 73%. It started out at 98 or something, dropped to 84 a day later, then 78 the day of the previews, and now 73. That's a huge drop.

It was more than likely fanboys propping up the score. The real reviews are starting to hit now.

 

[daddydivine]

It was more than likely fanboys propping up the score. The real reviews are starting to hit now.

I think it settles in the low 70's after the weekend.

 

[The Joker]

It was more than likely fanboys propping up the score. The real reviews are starting to hit now.

Of course it was. There was like a hundred and eighteen thousand votes on it on Wednesday, before the movie was even out.

 

[Marvel Knight]

The RT Audience score will sink like the Titanic after tonight onwards. This movie doesn't have general audience appeal.