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where the Japanese had their kaiju eiga, films about "strange beasts" or "monsters" that are sometimes heroes, sometimes not (and always destroying cities either way), we developed superhero movies about "strange beasts" who are sometimes heroes, sometimes not, and always destroying cities. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (hereafter BVS), there's a moment where Superman is referred to as a "monster." Batman is called that throughout--often by the very people he's helping. I don't think director Zack Snyder did this on purpose, though I do think it doesn't matter what Snyder intended. What he's done with this film is create the perfect monster for us in 2016. BVS is the most unpleasant, unsettling big-budget action/adventure movie to hit the friendly neighbourhood cineplex since Spielberg and Lucas's film maudit classic Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom....
...It's interesting to me that this film and the upcoming Captain America: Civil War will be dealing with the consequences of levelling cities, packed to the brim as these franchises have been with city-levelling 9/11 iconography. It's interesting, too, that this iteration of Superman continues to have no problem with killing people. He demonstrates this early on when someone holds a gun to the head of lady love/professional hostage Lois Lane (Amy Adams). My response to that was a "well, of course he could kill anyone he wanted to at any time" horror. This is symptomatic of a movie that doesn't seek to explain the ways of God to men, but imposes upon gods the petty weaknesses and tunnel vision of their creations. It's an attractive teleology vs. theology argument. Except that for this avowed atheist, pop-cultural Superman was the only divinity I ever truly believed in. What I'm really trying to say is that BVS will make its $1.6 billion, because as a culture it's not only the Superman film we deserve, but also the one we most ardently desire...
...Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) declares that the American conscience died with "Martin, Bobby, and John." He's admonishing one of his idealistic reporters, but he may as well be addressing anyone left in the audience hoping to see the hero who protects us. The biggest lie, Luthor says, is the idea that power is ever innocent. How terrible that he's right. How terrible that this truth is the truth in a Superman film. How fascinating that Snyder's better Watchmen adaptation is BVS.
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