I know the whole world is on fire with Marvel’s latest killer Civil War trailer, and while there’s plenty to talk about there, we should all remind ourselves that May is still a long way away. We’ve got plenty of time to hype ourselves up into a state of rabid anticipation. Let’s try to pace ourselves, people.
Meanwhile, that OTHER comic book movie franchise is preparing to kick-off in earnest in only a few more days. I don’t claim to have a finger on the pulse of fanboys everywhere, but my impression is that there’s a bit of a pessimistic funk surrounding Batman v Superman. And believe me: I get it. From the uneven trailers and visuals to the bad after-taste from Man of Steel to the rampant rumors, there are plenty of reasons to have legitimate concerns. I’ve certainly harbored them.
But yesterday something interesting happened: my girlfriend asked me if I wanted to go see BvS in a special 4D theater. And despite all of my perfectly reasonable and well-founded fears, I realized I kind of did.
So after a bit of thought, here are some reasons why my nerd heart is overruling my nerd brain:
- It’s Something New. It’s unfair to compare any new film to Christopher Nolan’s the Dark Knight. We’re talking about one of the best action movies of all time. This new movie isn’t going to be that, but that’s ok. I’m actually interested and ready to see a different take on Batman. More than that, I think I’m ready to see a new take on Superheroes in general. As much as I love what Marvel’s doing and what Deadpool did, there’s still room for other perspectives. A serious drama is a welcome change of pace from the endless quips a consequence-free violence.
- I’m OK with OK. Let’s assume that BvS doesn’t reach the heights of the genre–it’s not Dark Knight, Iron-Man, Superman I (or II), it’s not even Batman Returns. I think I’m OK with that. We live in an exceptionable age for comic book movies and it’s, frankly, a little unfair to expect every new film to be the best ever. Deep down, the 7-year old me is stupidly excited to see Superman fight Batman. And I think I’d be ok if it looked cool, had some awesome action sequences and didn’t force me to reexamine all my preconceptions of the responsibilities surrounding power in a cold, judgemental world.
- I’d Rather Be Optimistic. I have my own baggage concerning Zack Snyder’s career. I’m not a fan. I intensely disliked Man of Steel’s plot, story, and perspective on the character. However…it’s really easy to be negative, particularly if you’re not building something yourself. All this is to say: I really hope it’s an awesome movie. No, the odds don’t seem to be pointing that way, but what the hell. I’m open to the possibility that this film will surprise us all.
At the end of the day, I think it was the last point that really tipped the scales. And so, contrary to all my previous statements and my better judgment, I may actually go see Batman v Superman. And even more shockingly, do so with genuine enthusiasm. After all, you know what this stands for, right? It stands for hope.
I’m taking a wait and see attitude about this movie. I don’t have the same hate for Ben that is causing so many people to doubt the movie. I wasn’t a big fan of Man of Steel but it was tolerable. So I guess I have a low bar for this movie. If it surpasses that then I’m ok with it. That said I’m concerned by the Wonder Woman casting. Maybe I would never be satisfied since I had a huge crush on Lynda Carter as a young buck. I just feel that she has big shoes to fill. So again I’m taking a wait and see attitude.
Oh, no doubt Eddy. I’m with you in Affleck. I actually am an Ben Affleck-apologist of sorts. Besides Good Will Hunting, his early career work was mediocre but he stepped it up (especially behind the camera) with Argo and Gone Girl. But fair or not, he’s definitely a polarizing figure, and why some folks are hesitant about this film. But I believe their hesitancy goes FAR beyond Ben: 1) some folks (myself included) are always cautious in accepting a new adaptation of a film/movie that they all-too-recently adored (in the Dark Knight trilogy); some folks (including me) are not that bullish on Zack Snyder as a director (I did love Dawn of the Dead though); some folks (me again) don’t know what to make of the new Wonder Woman (especially since almost every young boy of the 80’s crushed on the aforementioned Carter :); other folks (me too) feel that this “rushed” Superman sequel is an attempt by DC to fast-track its shared universe and that they’re introducing way too many characters without the proper development in stand-alone films, and lastly, the trailers leading up to the film have been so-so, to say the least. ALL OF THAT STATED, I pre-ordered my tickets and am hopeful, like the ‘S’ on Supe’s chest, that this film will be a pleasant surprise. Get ya popcorn ready my friend!
All fair points and observations. I am disturbed that they aren’t doing enough character development via individual movies. I mean why would wonder women be introduced without doing her movie first. So this does give me pause. They may be rushing all this. But time will tell.
Absolutely. But as we have seen with so many things in life, when you try to take a shortcut to make a cash grab, RARELY does it work out well. But I will reserve judgment until AFTER I see it. : )
Super hero movie bring drawings and stories to life. The first directors to grasp that the texture of the fabric of the uniform and the dialogue had to be different while keeping the underlying vision pushed the genre forward. I’m still waiting for the super hero who battles politicians and terrorists. We had it in Iron Man but as usual there was an equal opponent that created a showdown at the end of the film – because how do you climax a realistic story of a crime fighter. A policeman captures the bad guy today and goes out and gets the next one tomorrow. This is why Netflix is a more likely destination for super hero art because you can actually create story arcs that draw you in that don’t need to end in fireworks for you to feel like you got your bang for the buck.
I tend to agree with you. DC should go a similar route and take some of their properties to streaming and perhaps broker a deal with Amazon Prime. Gotta give Marvel props, ever since Iron Man dropped and they created the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve been on a roll. And when it appeared that things were going to get a little stale, they broker the Netflix/Defenders collaboration. #BuyDisneyNow : )