Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Spoilers.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a frustrating experience. A reaction to both the criticism Man of Steel received for its collateral damage and the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A hail mary attempt to keep the DC Cinematic in play, and while my boy Ben Affleck kills it (and many others) in his debut as The Batman, BvS proves to be a shining example of how not to do it.

Batman is my favorite superhero. Period. The world's greatest detective (suck it, Sherlock) is able to outsmart anyone and anything. He's a fascinating character for a filmmaker to explore, and as a film fan I feel lucky to have so many great adaptations of him. And again, Affleck does a great job, but why oh why can't they figure out Superman as well as they did 40 years ago?

Overall, I liked what Zack Snyder did with Man of Steel. I think Kevin Costners casting as Jonathon Kent was a stroke of genius, but the way they kill him was one of many misunderstandings about Superman the filmmaker had about the character. In just about every other iteration, Pa Kent dies of a heart attack, something that not even Superman can prevent. "All those powers.." says a young Clark in 1978's Superman: The Movie.  It's the moment that drives Superman to want to save as many lives as he can. To live up to his adoptive fathers wish of becoming the man he knew he could be. But in Man of Steel, Jonathon instills a mistrust in humanity to his son. "My father believed the world wasn't ready", and following his fathers wishes, Clark lets him die in a tornado because he believes humans can't take it.

Points, I suppose, for trying a different take. It certainly lends an extra feeling of isolation for this alien, but it just doesn't work. Kal-El is born a hero. He doesn't learn it.

But that's the take we got. I think Henry Cavill is great in the role, and with the right script I think this guy could absolutely kill it. I still don't know how to feel about Superman killing Zod, but it certainly seemed that in the sequel he would be haunted by the action, and would do everything in his power to never do it again. I thought it was a good springboard for the next film, and a great opportunity to right some wrongs.

Oof.

Aside from Batman killing a ton of people (more on that later), BvS has no idea what to do with Superman. The future leader of the League the studio so desperately wants to set up, and they can't even repeat what they've already gotten right before.

Here, Kal-El is obsessed with his public opinion rating. There are some good ideas at play about how humanity would react to a literal God coming to Earth, and in Man of Steel, Superman deals with the military in a very Superman way. He basically says, "Hey, I'm a good guy. Lets be cool with each other". But in BvS, he becomes overly mopey about how people don't like him. He even goes on sabbatical at one point because he is so sad.

What a puss.

He often becomes angry at the drop of a hat (yes, I get Lex kidnaps his mother, but he has like, super hearing and X-ray vision and the power of flight and stuff) and his obsession with The Batman just doesn't really make sense. As Clark Kent the reporter, I get why he is so interested in a vigilante, but why he, as Superman, would actually interrupt the caped crusader in the middle of apprehending criminals to crash his batmobile to say "Hey stop, stop it" is beyond me.

It's a huge bummer because Superman is just as fascinating a character as Batman. To have someone who is so heroic, so bright in the darkest of times is inspiring, and could and should be a great contrast to Batman. But in BvS, Superman is more downbeat and depressing than anyone. Even with his ultimate sacrifice (which could have been avoided if he just gave the kryptonite spear to Wonder Woman, who clearly was capable of taking a hit or two from Doomsday) it never feels like Superman is the hero I grew up with.

I hear the term "studio interference" far too often from fans and viewers when complaining about blockbusters and superhero movies. I have no doubt that it exists, but I feel that more often than not, things just didn't work out with whatever movie. Maybe they were working against a release date, or maybe they just couldn't figure it out. But with BvS, it feels like Warner Bros. was desperate, which wasn't the case with Man of Steel. Any issue I have with MoS was because of a deliberate storytelling choice, but with BvS, it seems Snyder had to succumb to notes and notes of what to follow. To make sure X and Y were included.

I like Snyder, I feel I should say. I think given the freedom and time he could make a good Superman movie. But this apparently wasn't it. And if the rest of the DCCU is to follow the course that has been set with BvS, then I'm not sure I want this guy involved anymore.

So that's the bad, how about the good?

As I mentioned, my boy Affleck kills it as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I love seeing an older, angrier Batman onscreen. Unlike Superman, Batman's motivation in BvS is clear. He is scared by the appearance of super humans, and I completely bought into the fact that he would react with great fear and motivation, and the arc that follows is completely organic, eventually becoming the one urging for the formation of a league to be ready for whatever comes next.

It's a great performance and I think given the right script Affleck could become the ultimate onscreen Batman.

Let's just hope he isn't as willing to kill in the future.

*Throws hands up in the air* Look, maybe it's because BvS gets Superman so wrong that I'm not more bothered that they got Batman just as wrong. I mean, it is upsetting that they have Bruce Wayne repeatedly committing the act of murder that inspired him to become a vigilante to stop all acts of murder, but you know, whatever.

And if you were really reaching, you could argue that you never actually see him kill anyone, all the goons he blows up with his batmobile grenades have some sort of non lethal element to them, or that the guy with the flame thrower was just severely burned never to fully recover. (But he killed them). Oh, and as a friend pointed out, his entire plan hinges on premeditated murder.

Again, maybe it's because I've been so fortunate enough as a fan to have the Nolan Batfilms that I'm not as upset about how wrong they got Batman. Or maybe it's because Affleck is so good. The fact is I'm more upset that they got Superman so wrong.


I forgot I was talking about the good for a second. That includes Wonder Woman. Her appearance is all too brief (WITH ZERO INTERACTION WITH SUPERMAN), but it's extremely memorable and Gal Gadot will surely kill it with her solo film. Even her theme stands out as highlight of the movie.

As a setup film, it's mildly successful. We get glimpses of The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. It's neat, but only time will tell how these characters will actually work together onscreen. I hate to bring up the comparison, but Marvel cast its Avengers expertly, and we had a chance to get to know each character with their own film, allowing us to get at least an idea of how they would react to each other once united. As of now, we are almost completely blind going into Justice League.

It's a risk, and based on BvS, I'm not 100% sure it will pay off.

Top Ten of 2015

Dudes. Hello. Per usual I have my list ready the weekend of the Academy Awards. Even with this extra time I give myself I still didn't have a chance to see all the movies I wanted to. But that's life! Before we get into the good stuff, I will first just randomly list a lot of movies that I really liked in no particular order.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2, The Martian, Cinderella, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, The Revenant, San Andreas, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Trainwreck, Sisters, The Big Short, The Hateful Eight, Sicario, Krampus, Crimson Peak, Steve Jobs, Carol, Anomalisa, The Overnight, Tangerine, Kumiko: The Treasure Hunter. 

Again, those are just a few of the movies I saw and really enjoyed. 2015 was a pretty great year overall, with the one true stinker of the bunch being Jurassic World. What a true piece of shit that movie was. As Tarantino says, "Never hate a movie!", but Jurassic World is fucking awful and is worth hating.

OK. Drum roll, please.


Thank you.

Here they are, the top ten movies of 2015 according to me, Robert Jordan Hunt.

10- What We Do In the Shadows- One of the few comedies where you can discover a new joke every time you watch it. Director/Writer duo Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi (Flight of the Conchords) have fashioned a hilarious and oddly heartfelt comedy focusing on vampires and their daily adventures. Numerous times this year I've had bits and lines from the movie just jump into my consciousness and make me giggle. It's my opinion that 2015 wasn't the greatest year for big screen comedy, but What We Do In the Shadows was easily the funniest.

9- Inside Out- Pixar, you're still great! You're still so very, very great! I know you can't win them all (The Good Dinosaur) but it's nice to know you're still trying. Bing Bong was the second most emotional moment I had at the movies in 2015, and luckily I wasn't the only one in the theater feeling the same way. Such good stuff.

8-Ant-Man- OK, I already feel kind of defensive about this choice. First, I believe that Avengers: Age of Ultron is a lot better than it was received, and second, I think people really glossed over this gem of a flick. It's very enjoyable on first watch. Funny, focused, and filled with a fucking dynamite cast (Michael Pena FOREVER), Ant-Man is just a very enjoyable movie. But on my second viewing I realized just how great it really is and why Marvel is going to stay at the forefront of comic book movies for the foreseeable future. Not only did Marvel follow-up one of the most anticipated sequels of all time with a small heist flick, but they did so with one of the most charismatic actors in the game, Paul Rudd. This movie has heart bursting out of its eyes, and like the best of all the Marvel movies, it never forgets to be funny (MICHAEL PENA). Cannot wait for Ant-Man and The Wasp.

7-Ex Machina- What must it be like to be Oscar Isaac right now? The guy has had a few insanely good years. And thanks to work in Star Wars and (more importantly) Ex Machina, it seems that he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Shit, I'm even looking forward to him in all that goofy ass make up on X-Men: Apocalypse. Anyway, first time director Alex Garland crafted an intricate scifi drama focusing on gender politics, artificial intelligence, and so, so much more. Alicia Vikander's work as the robot Ava cannot be overstated. Isaac and Domhall Gleeson are great, but this movie doesn't work without Vikander. Yay scifi!

6-It Follows- Everything about this movie hit the sweet spot for me. The synth score, tone, tension. It just all felt right. This is how I like my horror, filled with ambiguity and interpretation. Maika Monroe is also making quite the name for herself in genre, thanks to this and last year's outstanding The Guest. Here's hoping she can make ID4 2 just as compelling (nothing will really make that movie compelling, but it should be pretty silly, and that's OK).

5- Furious 7- This was the single most emotional moment in a theater for me last year. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel have one last goodbye on the meta highway of Hollywood and the tears just kept streaming down my fucking face. Such a wonderful goodbye from a franchise that has focused on family since the beginning. Scoff all you want, but these movies have never tried to be anything else than what they are. Director James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring) proved that he can handle big budget action with the best of them, and I'm legit bummed that he's not coming back for Fast & Furious 8. I'm just so grateful that these movies will never end and Vin will never die.

4-Bridge of Spies- Hey guys, a new Spielberg movie came out this year and it really seemed like no one noticed. That kind of pisses me off! This movie is so, so good. The master makes it all seem so easy, so much information is given to the audience with the simple movement of the camera or a brilliantly paced edit whereas other, lesser directors would rely on exposition to inform their audience. I've heard this film called "lesser Spielberg" and I just don't get it. No, it's not as good as E.T., Jaws, or Saving Private Ryan, but it's really fucking good. This guy is still crafting cinema in a near perfect fashion after 40 years and shows no sign of slowing down. Watch this movie and bow to the fucking master.

3-Magic Mike XXL- This is straight up one of the most positive movies to ever exist. About nothing more than friendship and equal love and attention among the sexes, XXL is easily one of the best films of last year. This is the movie that the first Magic Mike was advertised as (not a knock! I love the first!). Our favorite dances go on one last road trip to a stripper convention. Not to save a friend or the ol' hangout. They go just to go. There are no stakes, there isn't even a grand prize for best stripping. They just want to hang out as a group one last time doing what they love to do, and it is a joyous adventure. In all seriousness, get off you high fucking horse and bask in the positivity that is Magic Mike XXL

2-Creed- Rocky Balboa is my favorite fictional character that is not Batman. Sylvester Stallone created one of the most enduring characters of all time in Rocky, and has somehow made that character just as interesting and heartbreaking after 40 years. But Creed is not his movie. Focusing on Apollo Creed's son, Michael B. Jordan deftly takes the lead and is just as likable and courageous as Balboa. These characters just mean so much to me. This franchise is so imminently watchable, and I can't imagine not watching them close together, just to soak up the actual lifetime journey we've had with them. I only had the chance to see this once before making this list, and I think if I had watched it just one more time it would be in the top spot. The only Oscar that really matters to me this weekend is Best Supporting Actor, for which Stallone 100% deserves. If he doesn't win, the world will end.

1- Mad Max: Fury Road.- Duh. I mean, duh. I've watched this at least 5 times and it is just as exhilarating every time. Furiosa is an all timer, and will easily go down in history as one of the greats, right up there with Ripley and Marion Ravenwood. Look, you've watched it, so you get it, right?


There you have it, dudes. That's all she wrote. Like every year, I mean to get on here more, but then that doesn't happen. At least we have this list. We'll always have that.