Think, Sip, Write: Ep 41-42 Prophecies of doom
Well, the end of the world was supposed to happen this past Saturday (again), so what is it with all these end time prophecies? Roberta and I take a look at some of the more famous ones out there, and hopefully we make it through the full episode before getting wiped out by some cataclysmic meteor.
What’s your favorite prophecy? Feel free to comment below.
Review: Batman v Superman Dawn Of Justice
Let’s start by saying that the reviews from critics sent me into this movie expecting to be upset at something. I was bothered by a couple of things, but before coming to conclusions on someone else’s word, go see the movie yourself. Many of the complaints out there are flat out wrong and made by people who either weren’t paying attention to what was really going on or just like to cause problems by hating on something; or they just need to complain like so many do.
With that out of the way I will say that the movie could have been better, but by no means did it even come close to being bad. What I thought would bother me actually surprised me in good ways, so let’s get down to my breakdown of what went on per character. Yes, there will be spoilers, so if you want my numerical rating without knowing what will happen, then scroll down to the last paragraph. Here we go:
Batman/Bruce Wayne: Ben Affleck is the best Batman and Bruce Wayne combo I’ve ever seen. Yes, I dare say it is even comparable to Kevin Conroy’s animated character. He embodied everything the character should be from extraordinary fight skills, personality, intimidation, detective work, and gadgets. People complained that they didn’t like him using guns and murdering in cold blood. Those people obviously didn’t watch the movie. He did not once murder anyone. Yes, there were a few guns he’d used while grappling with thugs, but it was in their hands, and it didn’t look like he was shooting to kill. Even the guy he stabbed was still alive and you could see that. There was a dream sequence in the dessert where he was using firearms, but it was also a nightmare of a future (similar to that in the Injustice Gods Among Us video game) where drastic measures had to be taken. The bat armor and suit were perfect visually and integral to the story.
Superman/Clark Kent/Kal El: Henry Cavill picked up the character right where we’d seen him last. You saw his struggles internally and that was important to the whole picture. There were similar complaints with him which blows my mind because he chose the path Superman always chose. He wanted to do the right thing. Even when it came to the hero duel, he was trying to convince Batman to help him. I was shocked at his death, but I’m glad it went down as it did. I will post my thoughts on where that will take us towards the end of the article.
Lois Lane: Amy Adams seemed more like Lois Lane in this one than in Man of Steel. It shows how important she is to the mythology, and my issues with the way Man of Steel was handled with her were rectified.
Lex Luthor:I was probably the most skeptical person going into this. I never liked Jesse Eisenberg as the choice to play the villain, and while many people compared him to Heath Ledger’s Joker I’d say they just didn’t get it. He is completely different than the Joker in every way. No, he is not the Lex we’ve gotten used to since the Superman animated series in the 90s. He is more of a cross between the scientist he originally was in the comics, and what Gene Hackman did in the original movies. I am now in a position of wrong because my skepticism was blown away. Eisenberg did an outstanding job and I am sold on this new/old take on Luthor. Can’t wait to see more of what he will do. My complaint would be that his overall plan (although well thought out) didn’t make total sense. Did he have a backup plan if Doomsday beat Superman? How would Doomsday then be stopped from destroying everything else? It wasn’t explained, and there I see a fault.
Alfred Pennyworth: Like Affleck, I feel Jeremy Irons fully brought Alfred to life. I’m eager to see the universe unfold as the older characters have already dealt with Batman’s rogues (as evidenced by references in the movie).
Anatoli Knyazev/KGBeast: although this was more of a glorified cameo, it was worth noting in the review. He wasn’t exactly like his comic counterpart, but what was there was all that was needed. Anything else would have been overkill.
Diana Prince/Wonder Woman: Is anyone still complaining about this casting because Gal Gadot kicked ass! She was written into the plot well, and utilized as necessary. Without her the whole movie wouldn’t have had the same outcome.
Perry White/ The Kents/The Waynes/Senator Finch/Mercy Graves: Small roles, but integral to the world. I like that Perry was a bit grumpier than he’d been in MOS. It seemed more his part. The killing of Mercy was a shocker for me, but it shows Luthor’s determination to meet his goals regardless of the cost.
Doomsday: His origin may have been altered, but it was only done so slightly. In some parts the CGI looked a bit off, but overall he made the perfect villain. Here is my major issue with the film though. The fight was superb, but the emission of those nuclear type blasts were overkill. Doomsday is powerful enough, but Zack Snyder decided to demolish everything in existence. The mass destruction is understandable, but it was too much this time. Doomsday doesn’t need eyebeams and explosive pulses. I did however really enjoy the character’s evolutions. It could have utilized 1 more just to make him appear exactly like his comic book self, but I might be getting too picky there. Despite my complaints I think he was done well for the most part, and by him killing Superman it made the whole struggle throughout the movie make more sense.
Summary: Both sides of the argument for and against Superman’s god like power were presented evenly. The buildup to Justice League was paced out well. The Easter Eggs galore weren’t unnecessary and thrown in there, because they play into the whole picture. People need to realize that there is over 70 years of material to work with. There have to be creative freedoms in making such a movie. Even with that freedom, I don’t think Snyder strayed too far from source material (The Dark Knight Returns, Injustice GAU, Death of Superman, etc etc.) If anything I’m more eager now to see where it goes. Aquaman and Cyborg look awesome, and I can’t wait to see them. Ezra Miller is a terrible choice for the Flash in my current opinion, but that could change.
Theories on where it could lead: I have many thoughts on where everything is going, and I could be wrong, but from a writing perspective I think this would be wise. We know Wonder Woman’s outing will be a WW1 setting. It’ll be good to have that back story. Cyborg was definitely created with a Mother Box, not to mention the Parademons and Omega sybmbol in Bruce’s dream, along with Lex’s dark predictions inevitably lead to Darkseid being the villain for at least 1 part of Justice League. How? Did you notice at the end the soil rising from Clark’s casket as if some antigravity field occurred? I feel that Darkseid may be using Superman’s body as his earthly host. This would make sense as it is strong enough to withstand the evil being. It would stray from the comics, but would work for the movies, and is a way to ultimately bring back the good Superman for part 2. Who would part 2 involve? Brainiac. If you noticed inside the Kryptonian ship there were not only three circles of light in a formation, but the ship said that it contained knowledge throughout the universe. Brainiac is already on Earth. It just is a matter of time. Flash was in Bruce’s dream as well. The breach of time and dimensions has been addressed in DC’s tv universe. It only makes sense that at some point DC’s answer to Marvel’s Infinity War would be to make a Crisis movie. Crossing over ALL DC properties would blow minds and be a huge way to even the Marvel/DC competition.
In the end there are many ways this could go. Dawn Of Justice could have been better in very few ways, but it also could have been much worse. I give it an 8 out of 10 on my rating scale. What were your thoughts? Theories? Complaints? Comment below so we can discuss.
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