2016-04-03

Review: Batman Vs. Superman

DC really doesn't know how to do superhero movies, do they. I mean, they did a good job of addressing the elephant in the room of most superhero movies -- what about all the collateral damage caused by these superpower-infused romps of violence -- and turn that into a gritty, ugly churn of nastiness. Because really, could it turn into a garden of unicorns? Of course not. But it turns out that an ugly churn of nastiness doesn't, in fact, make a good movie.

And then there's the unsatisfying portrayal, motivations, and actions of Lex Luthor, the implausible monster which is produced for the final climax, and Superman's yo-yo-ing between yes-I'm-dead-no-I'm-not-oh-oops-I-guess-I-am. The whole end was just... stupid. Not to mention Batman's whole I'm-so-done-with-this-helo-bullshit.

I did like Wonder Woman, though. Even if she did have a shield made of unobtanium or fictionite or some other bullshitium.

The whole tone of the movie is so different from the DC TV multiverse, which ranges from The Flash's "the grownup world is just like highschool" (which is taken to extremes in Supergirl, where it is highschool in all but name) to Legends Of Tomorrow (which wants to be campy but forgot to bring a backpack) to full scale comic-book insanity in Gotham.

But put it all together and the only DC movies I'll really make an effort to see again are the latest Batman trilogy, because even though it has its problems it tells a cohesive story.

So: it (BvS) was pretty good for what it is, but man I don't think I'll want to see it again.