Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

[johnnygobbs]

While I can't say I've seen the film yet, I really don't see how those snippets of Batman fighting those crooks in that trailer resembled anything like Nolan's incoherent choreography.

Indeed.  I  agree with Cobblepot4Mayor on many things but on this instance I think that whatever other concerns one may have about BvS, based on the feedback so far, the fight scenes, at least judging by the trailers, are not one of them.  The footage I saw was pretty damn fluid and coherent, and thankfully nothing like the overly-rapid, blurry fight scenes we got in TDK trilogy.

If BvS gets anything right, I suspect the fight scenes will be close to the top of the list.

[Paul (ral)]

I think the fighting style (based on the trailers and the choreographer) will be more Russian Sambo and Filipino Boxing.

[Catwoman]

I think the fighting style (based on the trailers and the choreographer) will be more Russian Sambo and Filipino Boxing.

Pac Man! lol

Thats a ref to Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao in case anyone's confuzzled. lol

Speaking of being confuzzled, I am by the disparity of the reviews. I've seen people love it, hate it, and everything in between. I did like Man of Steel though so hopefully I'm set up to enjoy it.

[BatmAngelus]

I just watched the last trailer and Batman still seems to be using that bloody awful fighting style known as the KFM on typical thugs. So yeah, a total Nolan love letter it seems. Give me a Dave Lea choreography any day. Sure it may be "dance-like" Ra's Al Ghul but you know something? It was bloody exciting stuff. Who can forget that absolutely vicious looking Batman Returns headbutt?

While I can't say I've seen the film yet, I really don't see how those snippets of Batman fighting those crooks in that trailer resembled anything like Nolan's incoherent choreography.

Neither. It's night and day, so I don't understand those comments at all.

As someone who's actually seen the movie, 0% of the BvS Batman is a "Nolan love letter."

The fighting's more fluid and impressive than anything from the trilogy. The Batmobile and Batwing are more bat-like than the Tumbler and the Bat. Batman's voice is actually understandable and doesn't make people laugh or make you think he needs to gargle cough syrup.

Do I prefer elements from Burton's approach still? Sure, from Gotham to the vehicles to the music to Keaton's approach to the voice.

Just 'cause it's not how Burton did it doesn't mean it's bad.

If Snyder's Batman is guilty of being a love letter to anything, it's Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns comic, which was obvious before Affleck was even cast.

[Slash Man]

So the premiere had all sorts of raving reviews, which from the past, I've learned to take these initial reactions with a grain of salt. When it comes to any movie with this kind of hype, the natural reaction is the be wowed. But now that we're getting actual reviews... well, it's looking pretty bleak.

The consensus amongst critics is that it's too "gloomy", it's "confusing", and some even said "boring". I'll have to see it for myself to make the call. I really don't want to believe the critics (coming from someone who enjoyed Batman & Robin). Gloominess, while inappropriate when dealing with Superman is the right ingredient for Batman (did they choose to ignore Nolan's acclaimed trilogy?).

Sadly, this looks another nail in the coffin for DC's film universe. Man of Steel wasn't irredeemable, but this movie was supposed to be the one to get things back on track, which it didn't do (aside from the killing it'll make at the box office). We've got Suicide Squad and Justice League to look forward to, but if it doesn't work out, they can't force it.

When it comes to the critics, it's hard to believe that this might be the second "bad" Batman film (after B&R). I'll reserve judgment for when I see it, though.

[Dagenspear]

The consensus amongst critics is that it's too "gloomy", it's "confusing", and some even said "boring". I'll have to see it for myself to make the call. I really don't want to believe the critics (coming from someone who enjoyed Batman & Robin). Gloominess, while inappropriate when dealing with Superman is the right ingredient for Batman (did they choose to ignore Nolan's acclaimed trilogy?).

I can say that I didn't get the feeling the TDKT was gloomy. But BvS is a Superman movie too. Have a very great day!

God bless you! God bless everyone!

[johnnygobbs]

This may be the first Superman or Batman movie I end up skipping on the big-screen since 1997's Batman & Robin (my first big-screen Batman  ).  Even die-hard DC fans are offering only the mildest praise...

[The Dark Knight]

Don't let that get you down, johnny. We've anticipated this for far too long, even if it ends up being mediocre. I hope you complete the journey and see the film. You may like it. Everyone has differing opinions and viewpoints after all.

[riddler]

I'll admit I'm let down by the fact that critics are hating on it; and I'm critical of the critics but they usually like boring films, for instance they were in love with the Dark Knight rises.

The IMDB is tough to go by; it has over 28,000 votes and there's no way that many people have seen it. If you take away the 10's and 1's, the average rating is 7.1 (slightly better than batman returns which did get quite a few 1's from Nolan fans).

I'm going on Sunday. I think at this stage I'll probably go see any live action version of Batman. It's hard to skip out on a Bat film no matter what people say. The only Bat-film I've missed out on in theatres since I saw my first one in 1997 was Batman Begins.

[Silver Nemesis]

It's reached 150 reviews on RT and is currently down to 32%. At this rate, it's going to end up in the twenties along with Superman III and Green Lantern. More dispiriting though is the response from fans. Even the most positive are simply saying it's ok. Many diehard fans – ones you'd expect to love it – are saying it's horrible.

While we've all been trying our hardest to remain optimistic, I think many of us here on this site have been apprehensive about this project since it was first announced. I know I was, and I'm pretty sure johnnygobbs and a few others were too. For my own part, I've had serious misgivings about the direction of the DCEU ever since Warner Bros announced Snyder, Nolan and Goyer were helming the Superman reboot back in 2010. I didn't think Man of Steel was a very good film and my heart sank when they revealed Snyder was returning for Batman v Superman. But I've tried to remain optimistic. I'm still trying, even now. But the bad reviews and increasingly poor word-of-mouth I've been hearing only reaffirm what my instincts have been telling me for the past 6 years – that Warner Bros is every bit as clueless about how to adapt its DC properties in 2016 as it was in 2004, or 1997, or 1987, or 1983, etc.

We're presently living in the Golden Age of superhero adaptations. Marvel Studios has made it look easy. Nolan made it look easy. But the fact is it isn't easy. Not unless you've got the right vision and sufficient talent to make it a reality. Warner Bros and DC lack both. Since the late seventies, WB has released around 25 films based on DC properties (there have been almost twice as many Marvel films in the equivalent time span) and the vast majority ranged from mediocre to terrible. The only major exceptions were when visionaries like Donner, Burton and Nolan came along and found a way of reinterpreting familiar characters in a fresh way that resonated with both critics and fans. But once that visionary moves on, WB are right back where they started, floundering in a sea of mediocrity. Hopefully either Ayer or Jenkins will turn out to be such a visionary, offering us an interesting take on the comics that'll go some way towards redeeming the DCEU. They're both infinitely more talented filmmakers than Snyder, in my opinion. Unfortunately WB has appointed Snyder as the overseer of the entire DCEU; their answer to Kevin Feige, so to speak. We'll just have to pray his influence on SS and WW is minimal.

I'm still going to try and catch Batman v Superman while it's in theatres, though I probably won't see it this weekend on account of it being Easter and my having other commitments. And I'm going to try my hardest to keep an open mind and judge it for myself. But based on what I've been hearing, it sounds like all the flaws I disliked in Man of Steel are present in this film too. And if certain other things I've been hearing are true, then Snyder's taken his bastardisation of the source material to whole new heights. But still, I'm trying to remain unprejudiced. It's hard to do so in the current climate of negativity, but I'm determined to give the film a chance and make up my own mind.

But if it is as bad as the early response indicates, then Snyder has to go. I don't care if they're prepping for Justice League. It wouldn't be the first time WB pulled the plug on a Justice League movie at the last second (and to think, we could have had a George Miller-helmed JLA film 5 or 6 years ago, but they went with Snyder instead ). If BvS does indeed suck, then WB needs to:

•   Sack Zack

•   Suspend production on JL, delaying it to a tentative release window of 2018 or 2019 while they rethink their strategy

•   Focus on getting Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman perfect, particularly if it means making editorial changes in postproduction in response to the BvS criticisms. They apparently ignored the criticisms of Man of Steel, now it's time to start learning from their mistakes

•   I would say fast track the Batman solo film to compensate for delaying JL, since Affleck appears to be the one thing about this movie people actually like. But it appears he may be backing off from the idea, so this might not be an option anymore

•   Wait and see how fans respond to SS and WW before rushing any more films into production. MoS, BvS, SS and WW can be lumped together as DCEU Phase 1. If the last two films fail to improve the franchise's prospects, then scrap the whole thing and focus on standalone reboots for individual characters.

But like I say, I'm trying to keep an open mind. My expectations are low anyway, so I won't be crushed if it is as bad as everyone's saying. But there are other fans, including some regulars on this site, who really believed in this movie and have supported it every step of the way. These guys deserve to have their loyalty rewarded. They deserve better. And if WB kicks them in the nuts, I'm going to be mad on their behalf. But maybe it'll surprise us. Maybe the critics are overreacting. Maybe it'll deliver. I'm going to see it for myself and formulate my own opinion. Must stay positive. Must stay positive. Must stay positive.