Yes, the hype is still on, but I guess it's already lit off inside of me.
Batman v Superman is not that good.
I said it, and I guess it's pretty common for several people who watch it to said this - or even meaner ones. I'm not hate it. I'm not hating any movie I've watch. I decide what I want to watch, which means I already prepared myself with perception and perceived expectation about the movie based on several information scattered around the places. And I tried so hard to avoid spoiler-lovers netizen who just like to expressed their enthusiasm to every other people, regarding if they already watch it or not.
This post is spoiler-free. So stay calm, haven't-watch-readers, you are save.
The Main Plot
Cross-storied with the Man of Steel (2013), back when Superman defending the Earth from the attack of Alien troops leaded by Zod, Bruce Wayne saw something wrong with what Superman do. When every people saw him as a defender of the Earth (as we do when we saw the movie), some people, including Bruce Wayne had their own perspective towards him. Some people addressed him as God, while some believe they bowed to a false one. Fast forward into the future (well, its only 18 months since the day when Supes defeat Zod), Luthor played basketball and proposed a project, Clark Kent digging up stories about Batman invading Metropolis, Bruce Wayne attending Luthor's ball and flirted with a woman who is Wonder Woman. After few minutes, the main plot was shown (IF that we could call as plot). When Batman tried to make a sense of him, Supes in some other way, face the bigger problem for him, forced him to do what he didn't want to do: knock back Batman and put some senses in him. In some other place, Luthor played with his new toys.
Brief Insight
Actually its just a battle of a matter of perspective. What Superman see is not the same with what Batman see. Superman who wants to save everyone, in the same time ruined several people lives. I guess it was more like something he do is "for the greater goods", no matter the causes he might made. The destroyed buildings, the broken bridges, a crater on a street, not to mention people who died because of it, buried under the pile of falling buildings, crushed and plumed as the crater made up. Casualties are unavoidable and yet he still can't saved every single one who need help. A sacrifice in order to achieve something greater.
But we know Batman didn't share the same opinion.
He just had one purpose only, either as Bruce Wayne and Batman. He focused on one thing that might be a source of every problem that happened. A stem cell of a cancer. Get rid of it, and every thing might be back to normal. Batman saw Superman as this stem cell, while his actions and its causes are cancers. In order to minimized the havoc on Metropolis (and plausibly also to Gotham City) he must rid Superman.
This story might also trying to tell us - the audience, about the story of Utilitarianism vs Individualism where Superman as an image of Utilitarianism (social-based goals, trying to pleased everyone, for greater goods no matter what happened) and Batman as a projector of Individualism (self-judgment, precautions, self-centered person). But still, there's might be someone else that might be able to brought up this theory better than me.
The Review
First of all, the most thing I liked from this movie is.... the Wonder Woman's theme. God, those guitar riff and drum beats. Someway somehow shadowing her background as an Amazonian warrior, agile, fearless, and a quite theme for beating up a monster or an enemy. As if she stole the movie, because the only scene I remembered is when her Gal Gadot's face shown up with a W-crown on her head and the guitar riff started (except the memorable and memeable "do you bleed" one which already imprinted inside head since the dawn of BVS trailer).
Second, despite a lot of people said that the Batman gone "bigger" which is being bulky and such, with and without Supes-armor, its kinda weird to know that inside the suit, there's Ben Affleck, which indicate how big his body posture is. We might be accustomed with the slim suited, 1-sized body Batman, both in real action movies and the animations. Then comes this movie, and boom, Batty with big body. But also remembered, Rocksteady - video games company - also made large posture Batman, and it looks bad ass. Maybe it's just need some more "air time" for Ben Affleck's Batty to get its audience to accustomed with it.
Third, the cool, well-aged, "I wanna old like him" Alfred. Forgot the typical Alfred we've seen on past movies and extremely forgot that balding Alfred from the animation. This Alfred, with his skills on sarcasm and well dressed skill (I dig the suspender!), is the Alfred I want to be.
Fourth, the plot. Well, somehow I agreed with a major opinion about the plot of the movie. "Batty suddenly *spoils* and then Supes *spoils*. The timeline was too abrupt. Some people may understand it, but I guess a lot of other may not. They need a bit of explanation on what happened, though." I also had the same experience as above, when suddenly I asked to myself what happened with Batty, why suddenly he wore something and do something. Just like been time traveled with Doctor Who and suddenly arrived in the future, observing the un-explainable.
The fifth and the last, Batman using gun. Well, I don't know how they included gun as Batman's weapon. I know Batman is one of those heroes who prefer subdue or make his enemy unconscious rather to kill them. But, hey, improvement is everywhere, so it might be acceptable if Batman use guns, Superman use swords and Wonder Woman uses gatling gun.
Verdict
Despite all the hate comments, negative reviews and long hours sitting inside the theater trying to wide open my eyes instead of sleeping, I had an enjoyable moment. Yes, it might be too jumpy and had less explanation, but it may covered up IF you watch it for the second time or the third time, where you need to be more focusing on the plot or something you missed before on the first screening.
I'm not a good movie reviewer, but from the perspective of an ordinary movie watcher who paid about 75.000 for the most anticipated movie of the year, it was a downer. Too sleepy and too long. Despite there will be the Director-cut edition that will launch on this Fall and it will be R-rated, I guess it may only please several target market: those who love DC, those who are a movie enthusiast, and those who collect limited edition things. Common movie goers might just search the "extended parts" on youtube or similiar pages, and that's it.
But again, I'm just a mere watcher of two giant superheroes, fighting each other and mesmerized by the power of CGI and questioning things unexplained inside the movie.
This movie, I believe, was perfect for those who dig many years on DC's comics. Engulfed by its metaknowledge, the trivias and stuff that most people don't know about. A big hunt of easter eggs and point-the-screen-with-excitement ones because they know what happened or a story behind it, while the other were just stunned.
In the end, it was on customer's decision: are they watch it because of the hype, or are they watch it because they really anticipate it? Different reason, different judgment.
I'm not a good movie reviewer, but from the perspective of an ordinary movie watcher who paid about 75.000 for the most anticipated movie of the year, it was a downer. Too sleepy and too long. Despite there will be the Director-cut edition that will launch on this Fall and it will be R-rated, I guess it may only please several target market: those who love DC, those who are a movie enthusiast, and those who collect limited edition things. Common movie goers might just search the "extended parts" on youtube or similiar pages, and that's it.
But again, I'm just a mere watcher of two giant superheroes, fighting each other and mesmerized by the power of CGI and questioning things unexplained inside the movie.
This movie, I believe, was perfect for those who dig many years on DC's comics. Engulfed by its metaknowledge, the trivias and stuff that most people don't know about. A big hunt of easter eggs and point-the-screen-with-excitement ones because they know what happened or a story behind it, while the other were just stunned.
In the end, it was on customer's decision: are they watch it because of the hype, or are they watch it because they really anticipate it? Different reason, different judgment.
