Batman v. Superman was released in theaters on March 25th 2016. Batman v. Superman was viewed in my opinion as a very controversial comic book movie at the time. However I believe Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel film is the most controversial movie in comic book movies and in film history. To this day I really dislike Man of Steel and I will never forget the reaction myself and the sold out crowd who went to see Man of Steel on the first showing on Thursday evening. The amount of shouting “What the Fuck!” and the many who walked out from the crowd when Superman does what he did at the end of his own movie in 2013 made many superman fans and comic book movie fans not want to see his movie. This hurt Man of Steel of having a future sequel or a Man of Steel trilogy which Henry Cavil’s Superman deserved.
Zack Snyder is a good visionary film maker and one of the best in my opinion, but when it comes to putting a story together or having an idea of doing something controversial it hurts movie audiences and critics from enjoying his movies. If you love or like Man of Steel that is awesome you’re allowed to like what you want to like and I hope nobody changes your opinion. When Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice was about to get released not everyone forgot what happen with Man of Steel. Especially hardcore Superman fans. I think Many fans was willing to give Snyder another chance in hoping he would redeem himself with Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice. However I think with the negative reactions to Man of Steel was big from the audiences and critic they were ready to heavily criticizes Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice before it came out.
The hype and the expectations for BvS was Ben Affleck’s Batman, because as a comic book fan we were finally seeing Batman wear his comic book accurate black and grey batsuit, and Wonder Woman making her first time movie debut was huge. Plus for the first time since Batman 89 audiences were about to watch a veteran Batman of twenty years on the screen and not some twenty-five year old coming back to Gotham and learning about using his fear of bats to become a dark knight. That is also a good story too but we as audiences are tired of origin stories. BvS was suppose to be something special the fans and myself was excited to see. I mean we were about to see DC’s trinity together!
What Happen?
What happen in my opinion was audiences and critics who seen Man of Steel could not forget how Zack Snyder treated Henry Cavil’s Superman which in my opinion over shadowed a lot of great things about Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice. Not to mention the theatrical cut of the movie everyone seen was missing some of the key story points in the movie that the extended cut help made the movie much better. In my opinion the biggest problem that causal audiences had with BvS was not Jessie Eisenberge’s Lex Luther, or the bootleg version of Doomsday. It was the Nightmare scene! The nightmare scene show’d a apocalyptic future of Darksied taking over the earth using Superman to accomplish that. While Batman and his own rebels tried to fight back one last time and steal the kryptonite for one final hope to defeat an evil Superman. This scene sounds like a different movie then what audiences spent the first hour just watching. That’s because it was and confused the hell out of the general audiences and the critics, because it took them out of the movie they were just watching.
The Nightmare scene despite how awesome it look was for another movie that was never made. It did not pay off to anything in act three of Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice. In my opinion I think the scene should have been split as a mid credit and after credit scene to build excitement for Justice League. This move would’ve worked and all of the important scenes that was cut out minus the Jimmy Olsen scene would’ve made the movie a lot better for general audiences and critics. Using the Nightmare scene would’ve build the excitement for Snyder’s Justice League. Unfortunately that did not happen, and Snyder was out during post production of his movie version of Justice League, and Ben Affleck was done playing Batman that we now know.
Four Years Later and Why it’s becoming a Cult Classic
Every now and then I will re-watch Batman V. Superman Dawn of Justice and like it a lot more when I did leaving the theaters back in 2016. Why is that? Three things. One it is because there was so many great moments from Batman and Wonder Woman. The second it is something comic book fans and audiences who love comic books are ready for something different after the same formula Marvel Studios uses for their comic book movies. Finally number three the extended cut! I am not disrespecting Marvel Studios because their formula works as it paid off in their conclusion to Avengers End Game. One of the things I enjoyed from BvS is the amount of action we get in act three of Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice yes there still flaws but visuals and action is fantastic. Ben Affleck’s Batman continues to get better for me because this version is older an tired of using the same methods he started using twenty years ago, because it lead to the people he cared about getting killed and crippled and continue to see more good people getting hurt to the point he lost his hope that people are still good, and becomes angry and losses sit for humidity.
Now the extended cut really clears up the story plot in the movie. The extended cut flesh out more of the story that becomes very enjoyable. I get Jessie’s Lex Luthor’s is annoying but not as bad in the extended cut because many of the scenes that was cut out especially the Africa scenes in act one. This made the story very clear of what Lex Luthor’s plan was meant to have Superman motivate to fight Batman, and to manipulate Batman in hating Superman to destroy him. We get a better idea of what role Lois Lane was meant to play in. Lois was investigating the conspiracy to tie Lex Luthor to the incident in Africa, after KG Beast leaves a special bullet that was made from Lex Corp. We learn Superman couldn’t see the bomb in the court house because of the amount of lead covering the wheel chair from seeing the bomb. We get some more Bruce and Alfred scenes that fans want to see more of. Superman smiles in the uncut scenes. We see more of Clark Kent investigating about Batman in Gotham City, and his methods that Superman does not approve.
When Superman goes after Batman for the first time it makes sense when he tells him to stop doing what he is doing or he’ll make Batman stop, because he now knows how dangerous Batman is to everyone around him. The extended cut makes you empathized Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Alfred Pennyworth. When Superman shares a final moment with Lois Lane before getting killed by bootleg Doomsday it becomes more powerful moment in the extended cut. Not to mention a few extra scenes of the Batman warehouse scene is still the best Batman fight scene that bat fans will ever see. The warehouse scene reminds me of something straight out of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, and Arkham video games. The plot still has some flaws but can easily be over shadowed with a better story flow for audiences to still enjoy.
What I don’t understand is why the three hour cut was not the theatrical cut. The extended cut clears up a lot of the story plot, and becomes more enjoyable. I hope who ever made the decision to cut some of the plot for the theatrical cut is fired by now. It sucks Snyder did not show his full story for Batman v. Superman which he should’ve, because most 3 hour movies have made a billion dollars and over. Look at The Dark Knight Risis, the Avengers Infinity War and End Game. These comic book movies extended beyond the two hour and thirty minute mark an was a billion dollar success. If anyone was going to do Batman and Superman movie the movie needs to be three hours long because of the amount of characters to handle.
Batman V. Superman and Zack Snyder Legacy.
In my opinion the legacy of Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice will be a cult classic status to many comic book fans and audiences who wanted a comic book accurate movie look. Batman v. Superman presented that and the plot is a lot better in the extended cut thanks to Zack Snyder’s visionary and Chris Terrio’s original script. I think Snyder’s legacy when looking back at his time with the DCEU he created will be what could’ve been, because comic book fans are now accepting Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice as a good movie. The casting choices for Aquaman and Wonder Woman movies are financial success and critical hits thanks to Zack’s casting of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman to headline their movies. Zack Snyder deserves a lot of the credit for those movies becoming success. I am not taking away from James Wan or Patty Jenkins, but Patty did admit in an interview while promoting Wonder Woman she wouldn’t have cast Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman which who knows if the movie would’ve been a success without Zack’s imput. James Wan did not say anything like that but who knows what his casting choice could’ve been if he had the opportunity.
Warner Brothers is still moving forward with The Flash staring Ezra Miller in the lead role after rumors he might not be back. Ezra’s Flash just cameo in Berlanti’s DC’s TV crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earth meeting Grant Gustin’s Flash which was a big pop culture and comic book moment ever. It built excrement for audiences for Ezra Miller’s Flash movie. Plus the more uproar by fans to release the Snyder Cut is bigger and stronger than it was two years ago. Warner Brothers I am sure is listening not to just fans but because their Wonder Woman and Aquaman stars have express their opinion of it. Even Ben Affleck who’s Warner Brother adores who has express the Snyder cut should be release.
Hopefully one day Warner Brothers or now WarnerMedia under the new regime is smart enough to release the Snyder cut of Justice League. Like anyone who is a very creative person. Snyder put a lot of hard work to make the best version of his Justice League can be with his cast he picked. Doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with his take on the DC characters. He brought something different to the table for comic book movies and I believe now is the right time release his version of Justice League which will be a huge hit for WarnerMedia’s HBO’s Max’s streaming services.
Stay Safe everyone!
My Comic Book Opinion 