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Review: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
I’m not really sure what I think about Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. I can’t bring myself to say it’s a bad movie, because it’s competently made and sometimes enjoyable. But I can’t bring myself to say it’s a good movie, because it’s utterly joyless and, at times, terribly made. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is the Transformers of superhero movies. It’s a big, CGI mess of darkness and explosions, but sometimes it’s fun seeing these characters on screen, and it’s going to make all the money.
Movie Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
At the very least, it’s kind of cool to see these superheroes on the big screen together. Part of me did get excited to see Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman standing together against adversity (even if we’d already seen it in the trailers). But another part of me wished the movie was more fun. BvS is a dark, drab, gritty production that puts even the Christopher Nolan Batman movies to shame. This film is the exact opposite of the successful and wonderful Marvel movies. There’s no charm, no joy, no heroics and, most important, no fun.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is the grimdark superhero trend taken to its ultimate conclusion. If you like your superheroes as grimdark and serious as possible, this might be the movie for you. But I would have liked something more enjoyable.
Join me after the jump for the full review and lots of SPOILERS.
I May Have to Take Back My Support of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
Screen Junkies have hit the nail on the head for why Eisenberg might not be the best choice for Lex Luthor.
I’m still going to keep an open mind and hope for the best though.
Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred; The World is What It Is
Breaking news in the world of superhero movie casting: Warner Bros. announced today that Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as Lex Luthor, and Jeremy Irons will be Alfred in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman movie. This is the kind of news that’s going to send fanboys foaming at the mouth. And after casting Ben Affleck as Batman, the fanboys are already up in arms about this flick.
Personally? I’m cool with it.
Eisenberg, of course, famously playing Mark Zuckerberg in that Facebook movie, whose name escapes me. But he was awesome in that film, and how much you want to bet that performance is what landed him the role of Lex Luthor? He’s going to be a young, smarmy, too-smart-for-his-own-good sort of Luthor. I’ll grant you, he doesn’t really give Luthor any gravitas, and Eisenberg probably isn’t very imposing, but so what? I think it’s easy to see what the studio is going for here, and I think they can make it work.
Though he’ll probably look like a twerp bald.
Speaking of bald.
Of course, Jeremy Irons is Jeremy Irons. No explanation necessary. He’ll probably do as good a job as anybody.
Here’s what Director Zack Snyder said today, officially:
“Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940. What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.” The director added, “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure. He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”
I’m down with both of these casting decisions. Bring’em on.
Now hurry up and cast Dick Grayson already!