The project Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which I have been opposed to and found unnecessary since the first day it was announced, has finally been released. Although it was necessary for the future of the Comic Book and DC Universe, I have to admit that it was a movie I eagerly anticipated. After watching the film in the late-night session yesterday, I have come to a definite decision: I was entirely right to be against it. In fact, everyone in the theater agreed with me with their grumbling. This film creates a shock effect after Christopher Nolan’s Batman because we are faced with a completely different perspective. Tim Burton’s Batman was absurd, Nolan’s Batman was realistic, and Snyder’s Batman is surreal. Now, I will write my review by comparing the film and discussing the director’s contributions. I will try to keep it short, but even if I say “briefly,” it will still be a long article.
After Marvel’s magnificent attacks, DC officially shattered everything by only releasing two trailers in 2015. With the trailers of Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, they became one of the most profitable film companies of 2015 without releasing any films. With the subsequent announcements of Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Justice League, we can say that they have officially challenged Marvel. Don’t take my “challenged” statement as a sign of conflict; we always make comparisons. They also started this series with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As a result, they made a mediocre start, in my opinion.
No one thought a brand-new Batman would come after Christian Bale. And even if there was one, would it be Ben Affleck? That was a big question mark. In the history of cinema, the first models of superheroes were just the costumes, which were the same as in the comics. The appearance or character likeness wasn’t really a big issue. Nowadays, many movies and series prefer to choose actors who look exactly like the real characters. Game of Thrones has set the bar high in this regard. Looking at the comic book, Ben Affleck has the same exact type as Batman. So, from this perspective, the choice was definitely the right one. However, I found Ben Affleck’s Batman a bit confusing. Although many critics agree that Ben Affleck’s Batman was bad, I personally liked it. As much as I love Ben Affleck’s work, we know that he brings the same expression to all of his movies. He’s one of the Ryan Gosling-type actors.
But it must be said that he’s a very talented and quality actor. Of course, after Nolan’s Batman, all the characters are hard to measure up to. The most noticeable was the Alfred character, which was previously played by Michael Caine. I honestly felt a sense of strangeness every time Jeremy Irons appeared on screen. Another criticized character was, of course, Lex Luthor. Looking at the comic book, Jesse Eisenberg was the right choice. He looks very similar in terms of character design, but there’s an undeniable fact: he wasn’t perfect. Since we’ve seen such crazy characters in movies before, and we’ve seen the best of them in The Joker before 2 Batmans, I couldn’t really appreciate the new Lex Luthor. I’ve always argued with my filmmaker friends about this. I haven’t really liked the attempts to make comic books into exact copies on screen. Except for Watchmen, most of them are not good in my eyes. I still miss Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. Nolan’s Batman was also somewhat out of the comic book universe, but Zack Snyder stayed true to the comics. He didn’t break the comic book except for a few minor changes. I think I’ll miss the first Batman just as much as I miss the first Spider-Man now.
I have been familiar with and following Zack Snyder since he remade George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. Dawn of the Dead was already his first feature-length film. Although the film’s original creator, George A. Romero, didn’t like it, I liked it very much. My interest in zombie movies is partly due to Resident Evil and partly due to Zack Snyder. Then, he made a significant leap in his cinematography by taking on 300. The director, who made a splash with the shots in 300, also brought a different perspective to the long-standing slow-motion technique in cinema. Zack Snyder’s slow-motion approach may be 80% of the 300. After 300, and I might not be exaggerating, he made Watchmen, probably the best comic book adaptation in the history of cinema. Watchmen is perhaps still his best film. After Watchmen, he signed another excellent film with Sucker Punch. I still watch action scenes like many of you, enjoying them.
In all three films, he used a dark and misty theme, thriving action scenes, and great intros that are still magnificent. Most likely, DC chose him as the most suitable person for its universe and put him in charge of Man of Steel. This is where Zack Snyder’s change began. Man of Steel is a film I don’t like. Even though the only plus point is signing a superhero with problems, it failed for me due to a weak scenario and inconsistencies. I was astonished when I heard he was in charge of Batman v Superman. Honestly, with this film, Zack Snyder has moved away from the cinematography that made him famous. The slow-motion scenes, great scenarios, and fantastic characters are gone, replaced by more explosions, cracking, and fighting. Only the dark atmosphere that he always created remains. I was already sure there would be a lack of slow-motion, which upset me the most.
Nolan created a logical story within his own inner world. The events unfolded within an analytical framework and did not push the boundaries too much. In yesterday’s Batman v Superman, however, there is nothing logical about it. Zack Snyder, solely to attract the audience’s attention, and it seems that he succeeded, has removed logic and turned the film into a purely choreographic action movie. This is the case with all Marvel movies. Marvel’s superheroes fight as if a camera were present, jumping and leaping as if posing for the camera. Hulk throws the enemy, Captain America deflects, Thor hits, and we enjoy watching it. A choreographic battle is going on, and Marvel is undoubtedly happy about it. Although the management announces that the films will continue in this style, Civil War seems to be a movie that will deviate from this line.
On the contrary, DC is known for its dark side, serious characters, and villains. However, Zack Snyder has wholly ruined that line. He has turned it into a movie that is ultimately played for the audience, adding weird and bizarre action scenes. They spent 400 million dollars on the film, but half of that is just scenes that are intended to impress visually. So what is the crime in doing this? Nothing. The audience loves these things. They want more explosions, more fights, and more destruction.
In summary, we call these types of films popcorn movies. This is the most appropriate style for the entertainment industry, called the cinema industry. Although it disappointed those like me who expected serious work from DC, I love Hollywood movies with lots of explosions and destruction, and it seems to have made most people happy.
In Civil War, we will probably laugh when we see the superheroes fighting each other. We laughed when Hulk slammed Loki to the ground. We would do it again if it happened. But I never expected something like this from the DC universe, and I still don’t. The fight between Batman and Superman was actually the most mediocre fight I have ever seen. Even a battle between Hulk and Iron Man was more interesting. It looks perfect compared to the Marvel universe, but I was a little weirded out watching Batman and Superman fight similarly. The reason I was against this movie was always the senselessness of pitting Superman against a human being. The best line in the film is actually the manifestation of my thoughts: I felt mercy, for god’s sake. There is really nothing more illogical than Batman and Superman fighting each other. But since this is an adaptation of a comic book, I’ll just shut up and sit down.
When Nolan wrote the last Batman for DC, the screenplay was outstanding. It was consistent and worked great. The cinematography was also exquisite. Zack Snyder, as usual, came with his own cinematography. Pastel colors and a hazy environment. Zack Snyder is really thriving in terms of shooting and cinematography. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is proof of that. Apart from a few places where it sticks out, they did a great job. However, I have to mention that the script fell short. This is because the writing is everything that makes a movie a movie. The film was full of inconsistencies in the first hour. All the viewers, including me, got bored. The director, who always makes an impressive start, created excitement with Superman’s first arrival, but then the tempo suddenly plummeted. We took a break with the grumbling of many viewers. The reason for this was excessive expectation.
Everyone was expecting a great movie. The trailers had created that atmosphere. However, when the first hour was bland, the audience was not satisfied. Although the fight scene in the final part was somewhat satisfying, overall, everyone left the movie dissatisfied. I naturally accepted its mediocrity as I did not have excessive expectations. Apart from the excitement of seeing Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, it looks like an ordinary action movie with a lot of money spent. Everything is emotional. When you watch it without emotional thinking, the film is not really great.
While trying to respond to Marvel’s magnificent release with a brand-new Batman, DC stumbled, in my opinion. Although they have shown promise for the future, they have produced a mediocre screenplay. Even though the visuals were impressive, yet I wanted more from the script. The biggest gain from the movie for me is that I’m now eagerly awaiting Wonder Woman. I never thought Gal Gadot would be so impactful. I fell in love with her character’s charisma, movements, and enjoyment of fighting. She is genuinely a fantastic superhero. I can’t wait for 2017. However, I can’t say the same for Justice League or the planned Batman trilogy. The film was full of inconsistencies and illogical events that I wished made sense in the DC universe. It bothers me to see characters crashing into each other just to satisfy the audience. What I wanted to see was a realistic fight between Bane and Batman. I had already lost hope for the film when I saw Batman walking on the ceiling. I know that Batman is human, and he fights against a god.
Many critics, including me, have slammed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Everyone expected a more serious and realistic production, but unfortunately, they delivered mediocre work. When I left the theater, I wondered, “Did they really spend $400 million on this?” It reminded me of how unnecessarily long the film was, especially since it was already 2 am. The film could have been an hour shorter.
Cast & Crew
director: Zack Snyder
writers: Chris Terrio, David S. Goyer, Bob Kane
starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gador, Jeremy Irons, Jesse Eisenberg
USA | 2016 | 151 MINUTES |