Two titanic superheroes clash in one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, as Batman and Superman appear in a live-action film together for the first time in a movie that also prepares for the Justice League movie.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice stars Ben Affleck (Batman) and Henry Cavill (Superman) in the title roles, and is directed by Zack Snyder. In my opinion the movie is the perfect example of Snyder’s strengths and weaknesses as a director. Snyder is great at visualising what he wants to see in a film but needs more help on writing the screenplay. Batman v Superman is visually spectacular and deserves a lot of credit for being one of the (visually) best superhero movies of this generation. However, it suffers from a script that tries to accomplish too much in one movie. The movie borrows heavily from two DC comic book story arcs (The Dark Knight Returns and the Death of Superman). Both of these are big story arcs and in my opinion could have made great films on their own instead of both having elements utilised for the same movie. On top of this, the film does have connections to other story arcs from the comics and I feel like the crew included too many connections because they really wanted to seed the ground for a much larger cinematic universe.
Batman v Superman also had to set up the events of the upcoming Justice League two-part movie. Ezra Miller (The Flash), Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Ray Fisher (Cyborg) all make cameo appearances in the film. It’s clear that their inclusions were to set up the Justice League (like how we’ve seen the Marvel movies set up their next movie) so it’s no surprise that Bruce Wayne talks about setting up a team towards the end of the film.
On top of Batman v Superman trying to accomplish too much (especially taking into account that it’s only the second movie in the DC Cinematic Universe), the reason that leads to Batman and Superman putting their differences aside and teaming up to stop Lex Luthor was very weak. I appreciated that the writers made re-using Bruce Wayne’s origin story again relevant by having Batman learn that Superman’s mother is also called Martha and Lex has her hostage, but I still think it was a predictable move used to get the characters to put their differences aside. You could argue that the revelation makes Batman realise that their fighting is wrong and has him see Superman in a different way, but I felt like the writers could have had the exact same effect portrayed without using something predictable like their mothers having the same name. Like I said though, at least the writers made Batman’s origin story being shown again relevant.
That said, I think the casting for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was perfect. Affleck puts in a strong debut performance as Batman and is already being considered as one of the best Batman actors to date. Cavill returns as Superman (after his debut in the role in 2013’s Man of Steel) and puts in another excellent performance, nearly rivalling the strong performance of Affleck. Amy Adams (Lios Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent) and Laurence Fishburne (Perry White) also reprise their roles from Man of Steel and put in excellent performances again. Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) and Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth) also make their DC Cinematic Universe debuts in this movie and put in excellent performances. Eisenberg’s and Irons’ new takes on Lex and Alfred respectively were instantly memorable and Gadot was the perfect choice to bring Wonder Woman to the big-screen for the first time. It would have been nice to see more of Wonder Woman in the film but she still managed to play a pivotal role and I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more of her in her solo film next year.
The villains of the movie, Lex Luthor and Doomsday, were brought to life very well in the movie. The way Luthor manages to manipulate Batman and Superman into fighting each other was done excellently and Eisenberg shows a wide range of acting abilities in his role as the main villain of the movie. He doesn’t don Luthor’s iconic bald look until the end of the movie but it was great to see him go bald by the end. The way in which Doomsday was created by the body of General Zod (Michael Shannon) was very interesting and Doomsday’s fight scenes were great to watch. It was disappointing that such an iconic DC Comics villain in Doomsday didn’t last long but he did have a big impact on the movie (more to come on that…)
While I did have complaints about the film, I will say this; Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is still the perfect movie to have Batman and Superman clash on the big-screen for the first time. Zack Snyder perfectly visualised all of the fight scenes and all of the fights made for excellent viewing. I’d argue that the fight scenes in the movie are among the best I’ve ever seen from a superhero movie. It’s clear how much time and effort were put into the fight scenes and it’s a pity that the rest of the movie wasn’t as good as the fight scenes.
The death of Superman by Doomsday was also handled really well in my opinion. It was a sad moment to witness, albeit more so the characters (Bruce, Lois, Martha and Diana) responses to Clark/Superman’s death, and the funerals that were held for Clark and Superman individually. It was the death of Superman that caused Bruce Wayne to decide to set up the Justice League as hinted at earlier in the film with the cameos of The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. Seeing Superman’s coffin start to move slightly was a great way to end the film and get fans excited to see his return in the Justice League movie.
In my opinion, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a solid movie that could have been even better. It had the potential (and hype) to be one of the best superhero movies of all time but fell a little short as far as I’m concerned. The film was visually outstanding and the fight scenes were terrific. The visuals in the fight scenes in particular were very memorable and the special effects throughout the movie were used excellently. The casting was also perfect and all of the cast members put in great performances, especially Ben Affleck in his debut as Batman. However, it suffers from trying to accomplish too much in its script with the connections to numerous story arcs from the comics and setting up the Justice League movie which, while handled well, showed how much the crew felt they needed to accomplish in just the second movie from the DC Cinematic Universe. The way in which Batman and Superman put their differences aside felt rushed and predictable. Hopefully it won’t be too long until we see Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor again and we can expect to see Superman return sooner rather than later.
My rating: 8/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
CBS have released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming Star Trek TV series.
You can watch the teaser trailer below:
The teaser trailer reveals the shows logo and promises new crews, planets and villains.
A statement from CBS to accompany the teaser reads as follows:
“CBS Studios debuted a teaser trailer and revealed the logo for the new Star Trek series today at the CBS upfront presentation for advertisers at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Les Moonves introduced the first elements for the show, which will premiere in January, 2017.
The upcoming Star Trek series, from CBS Studios, has Bryan Fuller on board as executive producer/showrunner, Alex Kurtzman as executive producer and Nicholas Meyer as writer and consulting producer.
In the U.S., a special premiere episode will air on the CBS Television Network and all subsequent first-run episodes will be available exclusively on CBS All Access. The series will also be available on television stations and platforms in other countries around the world.
Production on the new Star Trek series will begin this fall in Toronto, Canada.”
Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) serves as showrunner and executive producer on the series.
The series is scheduled to debut on CBS in January 2017. New episodes will follow on CBS’s digital platform, CBS All Access.
Thoughts on the teaser trailer? Are you looking forward to CBS’ upcoming Star Trek TV series?
By Ruari Williamson
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A new trailer for the Ghostbusters reboot has been released.
You can watch the trailer below:
“30 years after Ghostbusters took the world by storm, the beloved franchise makes its long-awaited return. Director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actors working today.”
The Ghostbusters reboot is scheduled for release on July 15th, 2016.
Thoughts on the new trailer? Do you think it’s better than the first trailer?
By Ruari Williamson
*Be sure to subscribe to our website for updates every time a new article is published and check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube*.
David Harewood (Martian Manhunter) has revealed some details on the second season of Supergirl.
Details had been scarce when it was announced that Supergirl would be moving to The CW, but Harewood has revealed that the second season has a 22-episode order (two more episodes than the first season had) and will be filmed in Vancouver.
While the show had the biggest debut of the 2015/2016 season, it lost half of its viewers over the course of the first season. While it remained as one of the networks biggest shows even after losing half of its viewership, the series was very expensive to make. It’s reported that Supergirl costs about $3 million to make per episode (not taking licensing fees into account).
Thoughts on the new details? Are you excited that Supergirl is moving to The CW?
The fourth series of Sherlock has officially begun filming.
Toby Jones (Harry Potter, Captain America, The Hunger Games, Infamous, Dad’s Army) has joined the cast as the main villain in the fourth series. Jones will make his debut in the second episode of the three-episode season.
On the subject of joining the Sherlock cast, Jones said:
“I’m excited and intrigued by the character I shall be playing in Sherlock.”
Co-creator Steven Moffat welcomed Jones to the cast, saying:
“Delighted to have Toby Jones on board, bringing to life one of [Arthur Conan] Doyle’s finest villains.”
Co-creator Mark Gatiss also welcomed Jones to the cast, adding:
“We’re thrilled to welcome one of our finest actors to the Sherlock family. I know Toby will embrace the part with true relish!”
The fourth series of Sherlock began filming on Monday.
Thoughts on this news? Are you excited for the fourth series of Sherlock and Toby Jones joining the cast?
Screenwriter Zack Stentz (X-Men: First Class, Thor, Power Rangers) has confirmed that he will be writing the script for Warner Bros. upcoming DC Comics movie Booster Gold.
Stentz made the confirmation during an appearance on the latest instalment of Screen Junkies’ “Movie Fights”. He said:
“I am jumping into the DC Universe with both feet, and I am at least, until they fire me, I’m gonna be writing Booster Gold — for the big screen.”
This will mark Stentz’s second involvement with DC Comics. He recently wrote the script for the Kevin Smith-directed episode of The Flash titled “The Runaway Dinosaur”.
A description of the character from the comics can be read below:
“In the comics, Booster Gold is a disgraced athlete who steals a time machine and some superhero equipment to travel back in time and become a celebrity. Ultimately his journey from laughingstock to hero includes, among other things, fathering a child — Rip Hunter, the inventor of time travel in the DC Universe.”
The movie is being developed by Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow).
Thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to seeing the Booster Gold movie?
The box artwork for the Batman: The Killing Joke animated movie has been revealed. The artwork can be seen above.
The movie features the returns of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Bruce Wayne/Batman and The Joker respectively.
The special Deluxe Edition of the Blu-Ray combo pack will be priced at $29.96 and include a limited edition figurine of The Joker. The regular Blu-ray pack is priced at $24.98 and the DVD will cost $19.98.
The press release says:
“Based on the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name, Batman: The Killing Joketakes a journey into the dark psyche of the Clown Prince of Crime – from his humble beginnings as a struggling comedian to his fateful encounter with Batman that changes both of their lives forever. Years later, and now escaped from Arkham Asylum, The Joker devises a plan to prove that one bad day can make anyone as insane as he is – setting his sights on Commissioner Gordon. It’s up to the Dark Knight to put a stop to The Joker’s latest scheme and save one of Gotham City’s finest. Following a gripping prologue introducing Barbara Gordon’s heroic adventures alongside Batman as Batgirl, Batman: The Killing Jokestays true to the authentic tale that has held fans’ imaginations for nearly three decades – spotlighting the birth of a Super-Villain, the fortitude of a Super Hero and the punchline that will leave you speechless.”
The DVD will include a sneak peek at the next DC Universe Original Animated Movie. Both editions of the Blu-ray will have a featurette focusing on the music of the film, in addition to a featurette about the artistic process behind The Killing Joke and two 22 minute episodes of Batman: The Animated Series: “Old Wounds” and “Christmas with the Joker.”
The Batman: The Killing Joke animated movie was given an R-rating. It’s scheduled for a Digital HD release on July 26th, 2016. This will be followed by its Blu-ray/DVD release on August 2nd, 2016.
Thoughts on the box artwork? Are you looking forward to the release of the Batman: The Killing Joke animated movie?
Patrick Stewart’s long rumoured involvement in Hugh Jackman’s final Wolverine movie has finally been confirmed. Stewart will be reprising the role of Charles Xavier for the film.
Stewart’s involvement was made official by producer Hutch Parker at the red carpet premiere of X-Men: Apocalypse. Rumours had been swirling around since autumn of last year but Parker was the one to make it official. Jackman himself has hinted that the movie may explore the father/son dynamic with Charles/Professor X and Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman’s final Wolverine movie is scheduled for release on March 3rd, 2017. The movie began filming two weeks ago.
Thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to Charles Xavier’s appearance in Hugh Jackman’s final Wolverine movie?
Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, Platoon, Antichrist, The Grand Budapest Hotel)’s role in the Justice League movie is rumoured to be the role of an Atlantean.
There is no word on the exact Atlantean that he’s rumoured to be portraying. The original announcement of Dafoe’s casting in the movie mentioned that he would be playing a “good guy”. There are very famous Atlantean heroes so we’ll have to wait to find out who he’s playing.
It’s also rumoured that the underwater sequences for Justice League and Aquaman will be altered with green screens and elaborate rigs instead of a water tank (which will mean that Aquaman actor Jason Momoa won’t have to hold in his breath as he would if he was actually underwater).
The Justice League: Part One is scheduled for release on November 17th, 2017. Part Two will follow on June 14th, 2019.
Thoughts on this rumour? Are you looking forward to seeing Willem Dafoe’s character in the Justice League movie?
Funko has officially revealed the first Captain America: Civil War Spider-Man figure in their Pop! Vinyl range. The figure comes with Captain America’s shield which he wore briefly during the airport battle sequence.
The figure is part of a set that also includes a Hawkeye Pop! figure and Iron Man & Captain America key chains in miniature Pop! form.
The set will be released sometime in June. No exact release date or price have been announced.
Captain America: Civil War is in cinemas now.
Thoughts on the figure? Are you planning on buying the set to get the Spider-Man figure?
