Previously,
I mentioned the bizarre and the bad aspects of the new Batman/Superman
film. Today, I want to conclude my
thoughts with the good elements.
The first good aspect I want to bring up is Ben Affleck’s performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Many questioned that he would do a good job
in this role, but he proved them all wrong.
He knocked the ball out of the park.
He is absolutely riveting in this role.
He is arguably the biggest highlight of the movie. Moreover, this is the most intimidating
Batman that I have ever seen on the big screen (or small for that matter). That’s not to disrespect or minimize the
other actors who have played this role.
But this is truly a Batman that you don’t want to cross or take lightly. You don’t want to meet this Batman in a dark
alley.
Good
element number two: the entire movie seems to be building towards the fight
between Batman and Superman (hence the title of the film). When it finally does happen, their fight does
not disappoint. It perfectly captures
the strengths of both superheroes. It’s
the ultimate heavyweight fight between two all-time greats. I also believe that this battle is exactly
how a fight between the two would go.
I’m not going to reveal the details, but I also love what happens to
show the two men that they are on the same side. I think it is pure brilliance on the part of
the movie’s writers.
The
next thing I love about this film is the character of Superman in the end. To clarify, I still stand by what I said
about Superman’s attitude in the last blog.
But, ultimately, he shows himself to be the hero we all know that he is. That’s my Superman. That’s the Superman that inspires us to be
better.
-Spoiler alert;
I’m serious this is a major spoiler; don’t read the next paragraph if
you haven’t seen the movie and you want to be surprised. You have been warned.
I’ve
decided that I want to spell out exactly why I speak so highly of Superman in
the final battle. A major threat
emerges: the formidable villain known as Doomsday. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman all battle
Doomsday; ultimately, Superman himself defeats the beast. But in doing so, he dies. The Man of Steel chooses to give his life
basically to save all of humanity who would have been killed by Doomsday. Superman displays his heroism, selflessness,
and valor to everyone. Furthermore, he
shows the watching world that he is a type, and a picture of Jesus Christ. This is further evidenced by the fact that
this film was released on Good Friday.
Is this fact a coincidence?
Perhaps. But this notion is
strongly implied throughout the film, too.
In fact, Lex Luthor actually calls Superman “God” more than he calls him
“Superman”.
– Conclusion of the
spoiler alert –
There’s
more that I could say about the good aspects of this movie. For example, I could describe how I liked the
character of Wonder Woman; and how I thought Gal Gadot did an admirable job in
the role. I could mention the impressive
fight scene where Batman singlehandedly takes on a group of villains to save a
hostage. Or I could detail how I like
that the film sets up an upcoming Justice League movie (to the uninformed, the
Justice League is team of superheroes consisting primarily of Batman, Superman,
Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg).
But rather than keep on going, let me just sum up my thoughts.
Is
“Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” the best superhero movie I’ve ever
seen? No, not by a mile. But neither is it the worst one, either. As I said in the last blog, this film is
really a mixed bag. There are great
moments, and there are moments that, to put it delicately, aren’t so great. However, in the end this film is
entertaining. What more can someone ask
for than that?
Kevin
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