Batman v Superman: Ten Things They Got Right

The verdict is pretty much in on the greatest gladiator battle in the history of the world. While it has its share of defenders, the majority of fans and critics have been disappointed in one way or another with DC’s newest movie, Batman v. Superman. There are many good reasons for this disappointment that have been listed both on this site and many others. While possible plot holes and the disappointment and failures of the film have been the focus, what gets lost in that is what it got right. And Batman v Superman, for all its faults, managed to get quite a few things right that hopefully Warner Bros. and DC can look at, learn from and build upon in future movies, and here’s a list of them:

(Warning: Spoilers Follow For Batman v Superman)

Next: #10:....Public Outlook On Superman

1. Public Outlook on Superman—The idea of having a split view on Superman as opposed to him being revered by all humanity (outside of the villains) was realistic to our world. The media coverage and constant back and forth was accurate of today’s media.  In a movie filled with flying heroes and whole cities and “abandoned” cities being decimated, this brought a refreshing bit of realism to the story. The public’s differing opinion on Superman (most love him, but there’s a very vocal minority that doesn’t trust him or straight up hates him) and the media frenzy around him offered an interesting side story. It’s a shame it  actually wasn’t explored more, which could’ve been done in the scenes with the Senate hearings, but instead Lex Luthor just blew it up, and his assistant Mercy Graves in the process, which seemed like an incredibly pointless sacrifice that doesn’t really accomplish anything in terms of getting Luthor what he wants.

Next: #9:....The Score

1. The Score—While not all fans may appreciate scoring, it is one of my favorite aspects to pay attention to and—in my opinion—one of the best things about this movie. Han Zimmer does a fantastic job contrasting the heroes within the story. The Batman theme is especially well-composed and is a new spin from the theme we heard in The Dark Knight trilogy. Hans Zimmer scored two completely new characters for the first time as well.   Is She With You? – Wonder Woman’s theme is one of the most upbeat tracks in the movie and a great character theme not only for this movie but for future movies as well.  The other main character that Zimmer was able to score for the first time was Lex Luthor.  His theme, The Red Capes Are Coming may arguably be the best aspect of his character within the movie.  Overall Zimmer did a superb job capturing the characters and their themes making the score one of the high points of the film.

Next: #8:....Batman Wins

1. Batman wins—Okay, maybe this is more of a personal preference and less of a strong point within the story itself. Before the film was released almost anyone that was asked picked Superman to win this fight. So maybe that makes me a sucker for an underdog story. And let’s keep in mind, many people from random celebrities to comic book bigwigs were asked the question of could Batman actually beat Superman, and while there were definitely a few Batman fans out there, the overwhelming majority thought Batman didn’t have a chance in hell.  But, Batman is one of the few members within the Justice League without some type of outlandish powers or fantastic strength. For that reason, he is probably one of easiest heroes to relate to (even if he is a billionaire genius) , but also one who is constantly underestimated. With that said, Superman has long been portrayed as not only one of the most powerful members of the League, but often the leader and most powerful within the league itself. Having Batman defeat him was a bit of a change of pace and a good twist I did not expect.

Next: #7:....Acting

1. Acting—Maybe the script had some holes in it here and there, and perhaps there were some cheesy lines snuck in within the story. However, that is no fault of the actors and actresses within the movie. Whether you loved or hated it, the movie was filled with talent and it was fun to see within a comic book movie. Ben Affleck surprisingly, was not the weakness of this film in my opinion. His acting at times was the only thing keeping some scenes from becoming completely laughable. He provided an excellent performance as both a burnt out Bruce Wayne and a Batman nearing the end of his rope. Maybe a younger Batman, not seeing everything this one has seen, would welcome a guy like Superman and they would become fast friends (though they sort of do anyways even though they tried to kill each other). If he had been given a worthwhile script Affleck would have made a much better Batman then most fans think. Jeremy Irons gave a great performance as Alfred. While the character had not nearly enough screen time Irons didn’t miss a beat taking over from Michael Caine. Gal Godot was great as well, which I will expand on later in the list.

Next: #6:....Humor

1. Humor—DC movies often lack any humorous moments that warrant so much as a chuckle. Batman vs. Superman attempted to remedy that offering occasional attempts at comic relief. Lex Luthor’s character offered almost constant comic relief as he tended to be kind of eccentric and over the top not only in his speech but his mannerisms as well. In fairness he was also in my opinion the weakest aspect of the film, but the idea of adding in humor through Luthor was not an entirely bad one. Perry White also had some great lines in the film, often providing some very funny moments. While Batman’s story and character are the last within the DC universe to offer humor, the darkness at times can become a bit repetitive. Adding in a supporting cast that can offer a bit of comic relief was a good idea and one I hope to see them utilize within future Batman and League films.

Next: #5 Subplots:....

1. Subplots—The subplots within the movie were often better than the plot itself. Whether it was Clark’s struggle to deal with the media coverage of Superman or Bruce dealing with his parent’s death, all were more moving and entertaining. (And no, this does not include the endless dream sequences.) Clark’s struggle with the media as I mentioned in an earlier reason was a good story that should have been explored more. Another subplot that was my personal favorite: Alfred and the philosophical divide he had with Bruce Wayne/Batman over whether or not Superman was a threat and whether that meant he needed to be destroyed or not and how that was affecting this life-long relationship between these two people who are family to each other. Not much was offered on their relationship, and Alfred had very little screen time, but what time he did have were some of the best parts of the film.

Next: #4:....Outside The Suits

1. Outside the suits—Although the movie may have failed in the execution of it, the thought of focusing more on Bruce and Clark outside of their suits was a good one. We meet Bruce Wayne within the story far before we do Batman as we see the destruction that happened in Man of Steel through his eyes. It was a scene that offered you the ability to empathize with the character and give insight for the things to come. While Clark spends most of his screen time in the suit, the rest of time was spent developing Clark and Lois’s relationship as well as exploring some of his day job as a reporter at the Daily Planet (even if he never did get that football story finished). This was a much-needed distraction in between Lex’s rants or the decimation of yet another city. It helped to “humanize” Clark and offered a bit of positive emotion.

Next: #3:....Justice League Beginnings

1. Justice League beginnings—Brief as it may have been, we were finally introduced to three future Justice League members on the big screen. The DC trinity, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman all fighting together against a common foe. It definitely takes way too long to get there, but when it finally happens, it is a pretty triumphant scene that had most fans applauding and is very historic. But we also get an ever so brief peek at several other team members we will get a better sense of in the Justice League movie. Within the file that was taken from Lex we see first Flash, then Aquaman, and then Cyborg—half of him, anyways. The Flash we first see stopping a robbery, though obviously not in the suit. So that leaves the question of whether or not he has yet become the Flash? Aquaman’s scene was the most unclear to me, it offers little insight other than him destroying Luthor’s cameras. Cyborbg’s cameo may have been the most informative of them all giving us a glimpse of his origins along with a big hint of Darkseid & Apokolips being involved in this universe as his father somehow used devices called “Mother Boxes” to save his son and in the process create Cyborg, which is a device from Apokolips .   Not only does this give us a small glimpse of the movies to come, but it also is the biggest group of Justice Leaguers we have seen on the big screen as of yet.

Next: #2:....More Movies

1. More Movies—Obviously this could be a debated point based on the disappointment of the movie that was just released. I remain optimistic that the series can still correct itself and fix some of the problems that plagued Batman v. Superman. DC has set a plan into motion that will bring DC fans 10 movies over the next 5 years ranging from the Suicide Squad to Wonder Woman, as well as two Justice League films. The Justice League has so many stories to cover with an endless combination of characters that may in time vault it in front of Marvel’s Avengers franchise and their venerable army of movies. But most importantly it will bring the Justice League and many other stories such as Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman (and hopefully Batman in the not too distant future) to the big screen for the first time.

Next: #1:....Wonder Woman

1. Wonder Woman—When Gal Gadot was first cast as Diana/Wonder Woman, the majority of fans were skeptical. She was one of the few obscure names within the film. Gadot had played Giselle within the Fast and Furious franchise, but outside of the that had never been involved in a blockbuster and was not well-known. So the skepticism was well founded. Fast forward several months, and the skepticism that surrounded her ability to play one of the founding members of the League has dissipated. Gadot far exceeded the majority of fans’ expectations and has become many fans’ favorite part of a film in which she only has a supporting role. If you are looking for a reason to watch Batman v. Superman, there’s no question: Wonder Woman is the best story within the movie and makes it well worth watching at least once for DC fans. She made the most of her very brief time in the film and I think everyone is very much looking forward to the solo Wonder Woman movie coming our way next year.

No question, Batman v Superman is a problematic film, but there were positives to glean from it, and hopefully Warner Bros. and DC can take those positives that were in the film and build on them in order to help ensure that the DC film universe has a long and healthy future ahead of it.