BECAUSE I’VE GOT A LOT OF THOUGHTS AFTER WATCHING BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. (and yes, there are spoilers under the cut because I can’t help myself.)

So here are a couple points I have on this movie.

• ​The introductory scene was incredible. Yes we had to see the death of the Waynes again, but that hasnt stopped Marvel for continually killing Uncle Ben (Just let the man be dead for gods sake) It played a huge part for me in showing the development of Bruce’s character without showing us the entire storyline that led to him becoming the dark knight. His aversion to death, aka not wanting to see his parents be put into their graves, showed that Bruce wasn’t always the way he is. Also I liked the full circle direction the movie went in by starting and ending with Bruce’s thoughts at a cemetery.
• MANY people are super irritated with the fact that Batman killed. Yes, that is different from what previous incarnations of Batman have done, but NO ONE is taking into consideration the fact that he is older. This isn’t Nolan’s Batman where he doesn’t actively kill Ra’s, but he doesn’t save him either. Bruce is older, he’s probably gone through a few Robins and this might be a lull between whichever one comes before Damian (I’m basing this off the fact that Alfred says there’s no future Wayne generations to inherit things) I’m certain that Jason has already happened, which could allude to the fact that he brands particular heinous criminals. He’s more aware that death happens in his line of business and that staying squeaky clean is impossible. This is the Batman we need because he isn’t on either the white and black side of justice, he’s the shade of gray where heroics come from. Which is also why it’s important that he uses guns. Alfred said it, he’s not as young as he used to be and now has to resort to guns because he’s older. But also note in the Superman nightmare, that Bruce never shot to kill. The chase scene had causalities but the thing is, Bruce never sought to actively kill. He is just more accepting of the casualities that come with the war on Gotham.
• THEN WE GET TO CLARK FUCKING KENT. Clark has my heart because he’s just like me for journalism and he wants to tell the stories that matter. He is so visibly torn this during this entire thing. He’s still got that young sense of justice that Bruce has lost. He wants to save as many people as possible, especially when it gets to saving Lois. This shows his inexperience in being a leader, he’s just a guy trying to do the right thing. The fact that he goes to consult so many before he shows up at that trial emphasizes that point that what makes Clark such a good hero is the fact that he doesn’t try to do this alone. He is a hero who is exemplified by his peers.
• I am absolutely in love with the whole fight between Clark and Bruce. Based off the trailers, people thought it was something completely different than what it was. Clark only went to that fight not to prove he was the best, he’s still a momma’s boy and he wanted to save her. He held back, I don’t care what people say. We all know he could have killed Bruce easily if he so chose to go the path Luthor wanted – but he didn’t. He still tried to put up a reasonably fair fight before the Kryptonite fumes were put into play. Even right before Bruce almost finished him, he pleaded like a human, not a god. He wanted his mother safe even if it cost Clark his own life. THE BEST PART IS THAT MY GIRL LOIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT. HELL ALL THE POWERFUL WOMEN IN THIS MOVIE ARE IMPORTANT.
• But before I go onto my actual spirit animal Lois Lane, I just want to acknowledge Bruce’s mentality going into the fight again Clark. He trained like a mad man. He was so precise in every move. He knew he’d take the fight to where the spear was. He knew he needed a few aerosol cans to level the playing field. He had the initial meeting place booby-trapped. Bruce wasn’t insane, he was scared for his world. His world of Gotham wasn’t as safe in his hands no matter his (20?) years of commitment. He couldn’t stop forces temporarily contained in Arkham, but he knew he could piggyback off Luthor’s demented plans to truly stop Superman. He became obsessed with the idea of being able to save the entire world from the red caped menace he believed Superman was. Bruce is incredibly smart but he is alone. There was no Robin by his side, he is tired of losses. He is probably done with the fact that the scum of humanity keeps running rampant on his streets, which is why he brands the worst of them. He is keeping Gotham alive, he isn’t saving it. He’s lost hope and that’s why this movie is important because Bruce and Clark’s dynamic is so important. A hero without hope is not much of a hero, which is emphasized by the fact that Bruce explicitly asks ‘what good guy stays good.’ Clark’s temporary death, is the wake up call Bruce needs to have hope in saving the world.
• Lois saved Clark. She keeps him human. They seamlessly coexist together in that apartment, he’s so in love with her. She actively runs to try to stop Batman from delivering that final blow. She at first tries to get rid of the weapon that could end the love her life. Instead of waiting around for the superpowered heroes to figure out that the spear would be crucial in defeating Doomsday, she went to go to try to fix her mistake and get the spear herself. She almost died and Clark went to save her because hello he’s so fucking in love with her. The fact that he said he loved her before he went off hurt me because I knew that the end game of the movie would be a casket. But before I even go down that road, Lois was always active in this movie. She wasn’t passive, she actually reminded me of Rachel in Batman Begins. Only got into trouble because she was looking for it to make a difference. Lois tried to make up for what went wrong and do the right thing. This part of her personality is exactly why she was able to get a helicopter to the fight and that Perry didn’t really question her decisions in MoS and BvS. She’s strong and that’s why Clark wanted to marry her because she is worth being a superhero’s world.
• BUT THEN THERES WONDER WOMAN. THEY DID NOT BELITTLE HER ONE BIT IN THIS ENTIRE MOVIE. THEY DID HER RIGHT. SHE WAS ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE BOYS THE ENTIRE MOVIE. SHE KNEW TO TAKE BRUCES THINGS, SHE KNEW HIS CAR. SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS DOING. SEEING THAT PICTURE OF HER IN THE PAST WAS FANTASTIC. YOU COULD SEE PINE AND SEE THAT SHE HAS EVOLVED BETWEEN WHATEVER HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND HER REINTRODUCTION TO HUMANITY IN THIS MOVIE. But I do appreciate that Bruce let her see the extra files of the other supers for herself. Diana was clever and reserved. She unleashed hell when it was necessary. Gal had the aggression and the look down to an art. I’m extremely happy to see that my faith in Gal Gadot’s portrayal of Diana is everything I wanted and more. But also that the future of other notable Justice League members has a promising future.
• THE OTHER HEROES CAMEOS WERE FANTASTIC. THEY WERE SHORT AND SWEET AND TO THE POINT. It adds to the beauty of the DC Cinematic Universe because it shows the imperfections and multitude of potential these characters have together. If Bruce’s final speech at the end said anything, there is an acknowledgement of why these folks need to stand together. I liked that we saw the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens between this and the next batch of movies.
• I absolutely hate Lex Luthor in this universe. Not because of the actor who portrays him, just because he’s just so irritable. He’s a powerful controlled insane individual. At least with the Joker we expect some sick insanity, but Luthor is just a messed up millionaire. He also was able to prove my understanding of the evil masterminds of Metropolis. With enough intelligence and patience, figuring out Superman’s identity really isn’t that hard (but yes I agree with that one random thing on the internet that has his villains pointing out that he isn’t less invulnerable when he isn’t suited up) but he’s just a sick young mind who wants to see the destruction of the world. I believe that Luthor of course has an ulterior motive. He probably wants to see the world’s absolute destruction so that he can save the world at his own cost. I hope that the future Man of Steel focused movies allow us to better understand Luthor’s background and what his endgame really is. I’m also intrigued to see if he still has a bit of Kryptonite which would eventually get him sick enough to need the classic suit, but that’s surprisingly a minor detail.
• OKAY BUT ALSO THAT DREAM. WAS THAT REAL? It happened so fast and I was in shock about it but was that a speedster talking to Bruce? It seemed like the actions of those dreams were super influential and a few more rewatches will allow me to properly dissect it. That wasn’t accidental, I feel like it reminded me of Young Justice where Bart(?) I believe went to the past to try to fix the future. This scene is going to be super significant in the DCU, I know that much.
• Lastly, the fact that Clark has died. This is huge. I feel like this is what upset so many critics. They don’t want to see the boy scout dying (They’ve got another thing coming for them when Civil War hits…) They don’t want stories that justice has a cost exists. They don’t want things like this version of DC Heroes to exist. But this says so much more. This is what makes people into heroes. Lois won’t give up, she still has that ring. Diana will stick around as Bruce slowly but surely assembles one of the greatest teams to exist. Bruce has regained his humanity because of Clark. He remembers what it means to do the right thing exists beyond just branding douchebag criminals. He believes in that symbol on Clark’s chest, Clark is hope. I do believe that the reference to seeing his father was similar to the storyline of Superman’s actual death that his dad helps him find his way back to humanity and live again. It wasn’t exactly what the comics showed, but his dad still was able to bring Clark in to save the day. Clark will rise again, we all know this (even though I cried when Doomsday did the thing.) But based off the hope he brings, the leadership Bruce brings and the aggression Diana can bring will give us the justice league we deserve.
• We also need to acknowledge that fight of the trio. I have said over and over that this movie will be the determining factor if DC is ready to bring us the justice league. and they are. The fact is, that entire fight sequence was well done. There was no dominance of one hero against Doomsday, they all worked together to the best of their abilities. When Clark was able to go and save Lois, the other two were still able to hold him off. Clark may have delivered the final blow, but the fact is that Diana used the rope to hold him off, and Bruce used the aerosol kryptonite gas to weaken the body. They are the right foundation because they all look and bring their characters the justice we’ve been searching for. Just that one scene where they were all looking at Doomsday told me that this is the beginning of a beautiful era.

I know people are upset because this doesn’t follow any story line that they’ve seen in previous shows or comic story lines but I want to remind you that what you see in the cinematic universes are bound to be different than other interpretations due to a little thing known as creative liberties. Not all stories need to be told the same way. DC cannot afford to tell stories in the same manner as Marvel nor can it be completely bound to previous incarnations of these characters’ stories. This was meant to be something different so it can be a story that resounds better with this particular society.

I will go on for days and days about how heroics is more than just being good or bad. I learned that from the Carmilla webseries. This isn’t the story we’re used to because that type of story is so overdone. Snyder’s vision is completely different and I have absolute faith in him because he showed these characters in a way we’ve never imagined, or dared to actually see. People were angry that Superman killed Zod in Man of Steel and people are pissed that Bruce went against many things that he hadn’t before.

My advice? Stop treating all these stories like they must easily exist within all the previous universes. Every story arc and universe has something different to provide to these characters and the most we can do is treat them with the openness they deserve. We cannot compare how this story is to those written before and to those told by Marvel because anyone with a sense of storytelling knows that people get bored of the same story over and over. We seek excitement and difference and that’s exactly what this movie provides.

I give this movie a 9 out of 10. My rating will probably change after a couple more viewings (these children wouldn’t stop talking during crucial points). Was it perfect? No. It was DC’s first go at an ensemble type movie, and just like Avengers there are points that could have been done better. But this is an excellent beginning for DC and Warner Bros. I approve of it highly.