Batman v Superman – Bad v Good: Good

I’ve used the internet, social media, etc. very sparingly for the week or so leading up to this film’s release. Sure, largely that’s due to me not liking to deal with reality post-drunken rantings. But, for this week in particular, I didn’t want to know a SINGLE thing about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before seeing it for myself.

Now that I’ve entered the depressurized atmosphere of the internet, I’ve been looking around and…

And…

…

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So, for this week, I will be discussing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In two parts. Breaking it down. Without MAJOR spoilers. Or – without spoilers that weren’t already revealed in trailers and the like.

For this part, we discus:

THE GOOD

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of things that shine out more than others in Batman v Superman, it’s got to be the cast, with one major exception. Henry Cavil and Amy Adams prove that they’re great in their role reprisals from Man of Steel.

But also.

After everything was all said and done. After my initial hatred of this casting choice. After all of that drama. I said that I would wait to give a final judgment of Ben Affleck’s turn as Batman after I see the movie.

I have seen it.

I don’t want to be some kind of band-wagoner. But I think he may very well be the best silver screen Batman. Ever. He was able to play both roles of the character and all that that entails. He is able to play both Batman and Bruce Wayne in a way that only Christian Bale was EXTREMELY close to pulling off.

No matter what you may think of Affleck or anything else. He did a great job in this movie. There’s no question about it.

Now. Onto something that’s, more or less, the best aspect of the movie.

I was one of the VERY few that didn’t go insane when Gal Gadot was cast as Wonder Woman for the film. When everyone was microagressing about boob size. And body types. I was like, “I’ll wait until I see her in the movie before I throw stones.”

And man. I’m glad I was on the, I suppose, band-wagon that I was. Had I been one of those people that lost their ever-loving minds about Gadot’s casting, I’d assume that my foot wouldn’t taste too lovely. Because. Litterally.

She is, arguably, THE best aspect in the whole movie. While she’s not given much screen time. Her bits in the fight against Doomsday are absolutely phenomenal. The bits of the movie that features Wonder Woman in action are almost more exciting, if not better than the entirety of the Batman/Superman fight itself.

As much as I may Batmansturbate, that should say a lot. Especially since I don’t, particularly, care for/about the Wonder Woman character. At all.

One last tidbit about the cast.

Much like Affleck, Jeremy Irons, very well could be the very best silver screen adaptation of Alfred Pennyworth. I’d have to see him some more to make that final judgement, however. Thus far, Michael Caine still holds on to that title. For now.

Outside of the cast itself.

As joyless as the movie very well is.

As much as Superman is used as a plot device (if not trope) rather than as a character.

As dark as the film may be. Again, it’s probably the darkest movie I’ve ever seen.

For everything that is TOTALLY bad about this movie.

There really, truly, is a heart and soul to it all. Sure, you probably have to squint to see it. Perhaps you have to be a DIE HARD fan of any of the characters involved. But there is so much to enjoy here. Be it dumb action akin to Transformer films (God does it hurt to say that whilst discussing a movie featuring Batman). Be it witty, random humor spun about akin to the MCU.

Or maybe it simply is the fact that this is the very first time, moviegoers are witnessing Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. share the silver screen for the first time ever. If “what’s good” about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ONLY boils down to that, then surely, it deserves much more credit than critics have thrown its way.

Especially considering that many critics have thrown out the generic, “It’s so bad because there’s too many super hero movies,” tripe. As they did for Green Lantern.

The bottom line:

The movie is FAR from the best. But it’s VERY far from the worst. If you are on the fence about the movie, go watch it. Form an opinion for yourself.