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My thoughts on the DCEU films (Man of Steel etc)

Summary: I really, strongly dislike Zach Snyder's depressing take on Superman, but the movies have some very cool moments that make me rewatch them every now and then.

Contents:

Man of Steel

The movie spent WAY too long on Krypton. And he doesn't put on the suit until halfway through. That's also way too long. 

I actually kind of liked that Superman killed Zod. I'm a fan of Superman being a "beacon of hope" and all that, but some villains just can't be contained and have to be stopped. At some point it just gets too unrealistic to never kill.

One problem I have with this movie is that he never really becomes Superman. He wears the suit, but we never learn what his motivations are. It's way too short of a gap from him not knowing who he is and what to do with his life, to the Kryptonians invading. And that's another problem - Superman isn't established as someone who's trusted by the world before the evil Kryptonians attack.

"Clark, Clark!" Everyone always calls him Clark. I guess the secret identity wasn't established yet, but ugh. Just get the Superman name over with earlier. Even if it is cheesy, it works when someone else names him. "The alien, sir. That's what they're calling him. Superman." I like this line, but it doesn't happen until about three quarters into the movie. 

Zod deals with his powers way too quickly and easily. Especially the hearing.

The intense destruction of Metropolis didn't sit right with me, but I've covered that here. 

"I grew up in Kansas, general. I'm about as American as it gets". This is an idea that fascinates me. Should Superman reveal that he's been on earth since he was a child? If everyone knows that he basically sees himself as human, he'd be a lot more easy to trust. That makes his motivations so much more easy to get. But this also makes the Clark Kent disguise a lot weaker, because people would know he most likely has a secret identity. On the other side, if he doesn't reveal this, and pretends he's just an alien who's looking after earth, he'd have to build up a lot of trust. Also would need to lie a lot more.

"Welcome to the Planet." 
"Glad to be here, Lois."
Love this line at the end. Simple, but clever double meaning.

Batman v Superman (Ultimate Edition)

There are some bits and scenes in this film that I really love, but mostly, this movie sucks. So bad.

I really like the casting for both Superman and Batman in the DCEU. They really look and feel the part, both in and out of costume. Ben Affleck looks great as Bruce Wayne. I love that lake house. I love Jeremy Irons as Alfred. I love this version of the Superman suit (though I wish it was less shiny). 

I wish Superman's hair wasn't quite as slicked back though. Henry Cavill has got perfect "Superman hair". Sort of curly, falls over his forehead. He looks great as Superman, but his Clark Kent (the "disguise") just isn't believable. He just looks too much like Superman in glasses.

I really, really, strongly, absolutely do not like the mood in this film. It's so insanely bleak. All Superman does in is brood or grimace. The bit where he rescues Lois at the start is really cool up until that dramatic landing and angry, slow look up. It's too menacing, and it just makes me uncomfortable. He flies a guy through several stone walls as well! A normal human!

I have complained before that this version of Clark/Superman has no personality. They try to give him a bit of a story as Clark, investigating the Bat, but it just bothers me how it feels like we never see into his head. He's just there reacting to things. Moping. I understand he's in a very dramatic, mope inducing situation. But this story focuses way too much on Superman as a force, Superman as a symbol, Superman as a threat. Not his personality, character and motivation. 

There's someone "behind this", and Lois doesn't even have the chance to talk to Clark about it before the hearing. I want my Lois and Clark to be a bit closer than that. I just don't believe their relationship in this. There's no chemistry. It's just Superman on a balcony dealing with a difficult situation, and he's not even hearing her. It doesn't feel like his girlfriend. 

Also, he "sonic booms" away from Lois' balcony. Nice and discreet. 

I'm not sure how I feel about the... vagueness of Superman and how he "gives people hope". But then the "hope" he gives people in this film is a bit too "messianic", as they show in that sequence earlier in the movie. And that makes me uncomfortable. Talked a bit more about that here.

It's just not... how a Superman story is supposed to... feel? It's too mopey and sad. Not my thing at all. On the other hand it does the "epicness" of a Superman story so, so well. And the powers look great. There's so much great stuff to rewatch, but it comes with such an added bad flavour in my mouth.

Also, how does Clark still have a job, lol. He's like missing for several days? After being talked to by his boss for not doing his job properly?

The "must there be a Superman" sequence is really fascinating, and kind of beautiful. I love how he starts out smiling, as he's carrying the woman he saved. This is what he wants to do. Save people. He gets surrounded by people, and he lowers her to the ground, into the arms of what I assume is her mother. He disappears completely into the mass of people. Everyone's trying to reach for him, to touch him. As he comes back up, his expression changes, he looks around, uncomfortable. 

At the same time, we hear a voice that talks about how "every religion believes in a higher power, some messianic figure." It's a news debate where different people are discussing the impact Superman has on the world. This bit does make me a bit uncomfortable, but I do think this debate would definitely happen, and the whole sequence does kind of sum up how I think people would actually react to Superman if he were real. Just - that's not what I watch/read Superman for. 

"Maybe he's not some sort of devil, or Jesus character. Maybe he's just a guy, trying to do the right thing." Yes! Exactly! That's what they should focus on!

This movie explores the "awe" of Superman really well, but it overdoes it. 

Uuuugh, I just hate all the Superman hate in this film.

That moment when Superman catches Lois falling from the building is great. There have been so many versions of this in so many Superman stories, but typically Superman just flies and snatches her right out of the air. This should have killed her instantly. Because how is slamming into him any different than slamming into the ground? Like this bit from Batman: Hush. She's falling down, he's coming up, grabs her at constant speed, and goes right back up where she came from. Basically, he hits her harder than she would have hit the ground! In Batman v Superman however, this is handled perfectly. He comes in underneath her, matches her speed, and slows them both down gradually to land safely on the ground. Yeeees. Physicsss. 

Buut then it goes back to what I dislike about this movie. Superman growling and talking about "breaking you" to Lex and just generally being very... not Superman. Again, how do I describe this most accurately. His presence is Superman, but his behaviour isn't. The menacing red eyes thing bother me to no end. More thoughts on that here. 

I sort of like this version of Lex. Not his more exaggerated, cringy bits, but the way he delivers his lines. It sounds like ramblings, but it made more sense on the second watch. However, what did he think was going to happen with Doomsday after he kills Superman? (See "the problem will be whoever is standing behind me when I fall" in Superman Earth One.)

Lois calls him Clark while standing by a taxi... everyone's so casual with secret identities in this universe.

And then there's the big "Batman vs Superman" fight. Superman looks incredibly cool hovering there in the air in the rain. 

The fight is cool too, but it completely relies on Superman basically having lost the ability to communicate. It makes no sense that he would act so menacing to Batman when, as he said to Lois, "I need to convince him to help me. Or he has to die". So why land so forcefully and menacing in front of Batman? Why attack him and provoke him further? He should be staying back, being unthreatening, shout and explain from a distance. He starts off trying, gets interrupted, but there are plenty of chances to try again. Don't push him back, don't scowl and growl. Seriously.

"If I wanted it, you'd be dead already!" – This is exactly the kind of thing he should avoid saying. To anyone. 

Batman kind of only has an advantage because Superman is completely unfamiliar with Kryptonite. 

Then there's the "infamous Martha scene". This is a great example of why I like fanfiction. Because this scene completely fails at what it's trying to do because you don't get any insight into what Bruce is thinking. The way I understand it, this is the moment he realises Superman is "human". As in, he's not a god, or a force, but a person. Someone who has people he loves, and who love him. It's just... everything about this scene feels so weird. Why the slowmo voice for Superman? Why on earth would he say "you're letting him kill Martha"? The phrasing is so odd. Anyone in this situation would have said "he's going to kill my mother".

"I don't deserve you Alfred". "No, you don't". <3

Bruce rescuing Martha is a great scene.
B: "I'm a friend of your son's".
M: "I figured. The cape." *Smiles*

Wonder Woman's entrance is really cool, and that soundtrack is awesome. "I've killed things from other worlds before" is a really cool line. It's almost easy to forget this is her first appearance. 

I'm obsessed with the crackle-boom lightening sound effect as Superman comes back down through the clouds, and I've rewatched that bit a million times.

I kinda wish Superman didn't die at the end of this film. Or, it would be fine, if only the sequel was any good. I often skip the end if I'm just rewatching my favourite parts of this movie. 

Justice League 2017

I remember watching the opening scene in the cinema, where Superman is talking to some kids. Right away I thought "is he CGI??" Something looked properly funky about Henry Cavills face, and I later learnt that this was because of a really poor editing job to remove his moustache in reshoots. How on earth did they decide to release the movie like this? Almost all of Superman's scenes were reshoots, so I was cringing every time he appeared. Which kind of ruined the experience. I don't like his dialogue and personality here either.

I like what they were trying to do with the reshoots. It's very cute to see Superman take the time to talk to some kids. But the odd lip ruins anything this scene was trying to do. Plus the "it's meant to wind like a river" bit. Ugh. So cheesy. I like the question at the end though. "What's the best thing about planet earth?" And he smiles, thinks, but then it cuts before he has the chance to answer. Very nice moment. 

I like the opening montage of the world mourning Superman, while we get to see what happens when he's not around. Howeverrr - doesn't this happen right after BvS, where everyone was like "alien, go home"? The moods don't match.

The added scenes are so obvious at times. Aquaman in the water for example. Obvious green screen background.

"Superman was a beacon to the world". I'm sorry – when?? I feel like we never saw any of that in the past movies. "Superman was hated by the world" would be more correct for these films.

"He was more human than I am". A great line for Bruce. Just not this version of him. If only we got to see their relationship develop to this point, to follow his journey from hating him, to this. I feel like we skipped several steps.

A bit from the John Williams Superman theme plays during the fight with Superman after he's resurrected. Which I really don't like. Most importantly, that piece of music doesn't belong to this version of Superman. But if you have to include it, at the very least it should play during a heroic moment!

What – he lifts a whole building by the middle. Where did that lovely attention to physics from that falling scene in BvS go?

It feels like the quality from the past two films just dropped several notches in this one. I appreciate what Joss Whedon was trying to do – make the film more lighthearted. It just didn't work. That opening speech was way too cheesy. 

Zach Snyder's Justice League

Awkward CGI lip gone, but instead we got evil Superman... 

The release of this film was what got me back into Superman again, but ugh. I am so conflicted about this universe now. I'd love to see more of this Superman, and this Justice League, but I really don't want more of this storyline. See "Mind control" or "Evil Superman" in my pet peeves list.

I never understood why this is in 4:9 format when the past movies weren't. I've tried googling it several times, but I still don't understand.

The "Super yell" right at the start is a bit weird. I would have preferred that "his death echoing throughout the universe" wasn't quite so literal. But the visuals are great. 

It's nuts how this feels like a completely different movie. And it's so long! When I watched it the first time I was a bit bored during some parts.

Once again, everyone's so casual with secret identities in these films. Aquaman just casually calls Bruce Batman in front of all the village people. Kind of annoying.

The "I'm rich" line from Bruce to Barry feels a lot cooler in this version. It's something about the cut to music I think. In the first version the music is a lot plainer, which doesn't give this line the same amount of coolness, and feels a bit awkward instead.

The soundtrack that plays when Diana's doing something heroic is so overdone. It gets distracting after a while. Particularly with subtitles on. [Ancient lamentation music plays]

The discussion about reviving Superman is done way better here. That hologram bit is just... 👌👌 (so rewatchable)

The fight with Superman after he's resurrected also falls under the "mind control" trope, but it looks so cool. That bit where his eyes move to look at The Flash while in full speed is really awesome. I also love how he doesn't speak in this version, while he's "confused". He spoke in the 2017 version, but that made him seem more actually evil rather than confused. Looove that bit where he gets hit in the head by some heavy artillery – BLAMM – head moves a tiny bit.

Wonder Woman calling him Kal-El is sort of odd. Why? It's not really his name. Everyone else calls him Clark or Superman, and he has has never shown that he identifies with this name at all.

Aww, the moment where Martha sees it's Clark! 

Didn't care for the black suit. It served no purpose, and why he suddenly wants to wear a black suit was never explained. In the comics it had a purpose.

And, at the end of this, Superman is barely a character. He's just a powerful presence. What little personality he had before is even more lost here. It's nuts. 

Omg, again, that ending. Do not want! Jesus christ. And now he's wearing the red and blue suit again! Arrrgh. Begone! Spits over shoulder, makes crosses, "this is not my Superman" etc. Piss offfff. I'm kinda glad there's most likely not going to be a sequel to this. I'd love some kind of timey-wimey Flash timeline reset thanks, so that I can keep Cavill Superman and Affleck Batman. 

Last updated: 10. july 2023

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