Suicide Squad Review

Panned by critics, praised by fanboys, and breaking box office records, Suicide Squad is yet another divisive film from DC!

Wow, now this is one difficult review to write. Walking into the theater without a single notion of the abysmal critical response helped to remove the bias of expecting to tear it apart. In fact, walking to the truck after movie, I was thoroughly entertained and had a great time. But that does not mean I necessarily disagree with the consensus. Honestly, if DC just cannot make quality superhero flicks, a small part of me just wants their movies to fail so hard that it kills the franchise, so as stop oversaturating the superhero genre. Of course, by making so much money regardless of what people say, that is not happening anytime soon.

Let's get back to the film itself. If you hate Suicide Squad, that's fine by me; it is completely understandable. In many ways, it does deserve the panning t. DC just cannot get their stuff together no matter how hard they try. However, as you will find in my review, Suicide Squad does the absolute most important aspect so much better than Batman v Superman….

Directed by: David Ayer
Genre: Action, Comic Book, Fantasy
Release Date: August 5, 2016
Running Time: 123 minutes
MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Harley Quinn, Excellent main cast, Will Smith is great, Joker scenes, Great humor, Rocking soundtrack, After credits scenes (finally), Good first 20 minutes, Great chemistry between cast, Jai Courtney isn't bad, El Diablo's backstory, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller kills it, Fanservice and Easter Eggs,

The Bad: Awful antagonist, Generic Third Act, A bit too obvious at times, Missed opportunities, Messy plot composition, Some music doesn't work, Subpar CGI,

Plot: 3.0/10- Ultimately, the plot is where is where Suicide Squad falls flat. Despite having so many potential options for the central plot and antagonist, Suicide Squad takes the most clichéd, generic, and boring route to drive the plot forward. Apparently, it is even essentially the same final act as this year's Ghostbusters! With a premise of villains essentially being forced into covert Black Ops missions for the government, the best central plot should have been obvious, but alas, it's a huge missed opportunity (who signs off on this stuff!?).

Another issue with the plot is that the narrative is messy and jumps around from flashback to flashback to side plot to other side plot. The messy editing did not detract from the entertainment value, but it certainly could have been much better, especially considering that the Harley flashbacks are the most interesting part.

Characterization: 8.6/10- For first time, DC made me care about their characters. Suicide Squad's cast of quirky characters is what keeps it from being a bad film. In fact, for me at least, the characters elevated the film to a thoroughly entertaining experience.

Harley Quinn is easily the standout. Harley Quinn has been one of, if not, my absolute favorite character in all of DC ever since her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series. And this portrayal of the character does not disappoint. She isn't quite the show-stopper she could have been, but as a fan, Harley Quinn finally hits the big screen in brilliantly quirky, humorous, and fiendish fashion. Her flashbacks with the Joker are a highlight of the film, although it should have been an entire film instead of just flashbacks.

Speaking of the Joker, contrary to the marketing, he is neither the main antagonist nor a central aspect of the film. Since I never place any value in trailers or marketing, his lack of screen time wasn't disappointing. He is just not a main part of the film and that's fine, although what he is in is quite good.

Deadshot, along with Harley, are the real stars of the films. His backstory and characterization is quite good. You actually care about the character and his reasons for what he does. His one-liners are funny, and his character motivation with his daughter is well executed.

El Diablo's story might be emotionally manipulative to some, but it works. Captain Boomerang is a surprise as his character is hysterical, albeit seemingly useless in a fight. Killer Croc is barely relevant, except for some humorous moments and action sequences. Katana is underused, with only one relevant scene. Enchantress' motivations are poorly conceived, and Rick Flag is just kind of OK. However, Amanda Waller is a standout among the cast with a strong presence and an overall interesting character.

Direction: 6.0/10- David Ayer's direction is hit and miss. The first 20 minutes are full of style and fun visuals. Unfortunately, that same style does not permeate the rest of the film in the same way. The action sequences are uninspired and generally unimpressive. However, the cast's quirks and fun traits elevate relatively average action sequences into a thoroughly viewing experience for me at least. Nothing about the action is bad. There's no shaky-cam or poor editing. It's just not amazing or impressive.

Acting: 8.4/10- Suicide Squad's cast is certainly a highlight. Margot Robbie plays an excellent Harley Quinn! Will Smith plays a very Will Smith type of Deadshot, yet it works quite well, making this his most memorable role in years. Despite minimal screen time, Jared Leto's Joker makes a good impression with a distinctly different take on the character that could be expanded upon in later films. Viola Davis is incredibly menacing and portrays Waller perfectly. Shockingly, Jai Courtney does not suck. Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag is serviceable, and the rest of the cast are fine with no noticeably strong or weak performances.

Special effects: 6.0/10- With a $175 million budget, you'd think the CGI would look a lot better. It's rather mediocre for one character in particular. The rest of the special effects are fine, but unimpressive.

Soundtrack: 8.8/10- Suicide Squad's soundtrack tries to mimic the success of Guardians of the Galaxy with a collection of catchy music from different eras. Most of the music, even songs from genres I dislike, are a lot of fun and got me hyped up in certain scenes. The usage of the songs can feel a bit unnecessary and forced, although it created a more fun tone. However, using "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, a song used in Guardians of the Galaxy, was a huge mistake because it just reminds the audience of the far superior film that Suicide Squad is attempting to copy.

Humor: 8.5/10- Honestly, Suicide Squad is a funny movie! It has a good sense of humor with some good one-liners and humorous interactions between the cast of quirky characters. Sure, it pales in comparison to Marvel's wit, but that's expected.

Entertainment Value: 9.4/10- Honestly, Suicide Squad was a largely entertaining experience. The characters kept me invested in the story, and while the narrative is a mess, it never detracted from my fun with all the quirky characters. Unlike Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad is not a self-important slog with dreadfully boring characters, and honestly, I rather watch a shallow movie with characters I actually care about than one that thinks it's deep with horrendous characters.

Overall: 7.0/10- Featuring DC's best cast of characters to date and some surprisingly amount of heart, Suicide Squad's painfully derivative antagonist and conflict mixed with an otherwise messy narrative makes for a very fun and stylish film with numerous flaws. With that said, if you can connect with the characters and enjoy the style, Suicide Squad is worth at least a rent.

Closing comments: If you hated Suicide Squad, that's perfectly fine. In fact, I do not disagree with you. Suicide Squad is not a great movie. It's just OK, and if you like the characters, then it's a fun movie, nothing more, nothing less.

Recommended for: DC fans, Anti-hero fans, Harley Quinn fans,

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Suicide Squad First Impression

It feels so good to be bad. Yes, I've seen Suicide Squad. Like usual, I did not see a single review, rating, or opinion prior to viewing it. And I am really glad that I did. There is so much to talk about in regards to this movie and everyone else’s opinions. But that will be saved for my review. And boy, this is going to be one difficult movie to review. Regardless of the quality of the movie, it was a fun experience. Half the audience clapped at the end (I didn't), and DC FINALLY HAS AN AFTER CREDITS SCENE. About time DC! Hopefully, that will be out in a few days. In the meantime, you can post links to your reviews in the comments for myself and others to see your thoughts. 

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Wonder Woman Trailer

In addition to Justice League, DC released a trailer for Wonder Woman, or, as I like to call it, "Wonder Woman: The First Justice Leaguer." Like, come on, this is totally Captain America: The First Avenger of the DC movies. 

Gal Gadot wasn't terrible in Batman v Superman earlier this year, and the period setting of World War I thoroughly interests me. The trailer itself is fine. There's nothing awful, aside from those poor attempts at humor (DC just cannot be funny), but there isn't anything great. The action is cool. But just like the Justice League trailer, I expect nothing. My favorite part is probably the music at the end, because it uses the same theme from BvS. Overall, this is not the worst trailer ever. It's fine. So, what do you think? Please comment below and let me know!

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Justice League Trailer

Wow, just wow; I don't hate this trailer. It isn't great or anything, but it is not complete garbage. Jason Momoa as Aquaman is convincing and at least looks cool. Ezra Miller as The Flash works for me from the little we can see. He's funny and quirky. While Grant Gustin over on the CW will be the definitive for me and most others, I will give Miller a chance. But that new Flash costume is garbage, absolutely hysterical, at least at first glance. However, Ray Fisher as Cyborg is barely shown.

Here's the thing. After Batman v Superman, my expectations for DC are literally nonexistent. I cannot be disappointed by anything DC delivers because being disappointed requires expectations. So, I will just take whatever DC throws at us. The trailer's song, "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes, sets a fun tone, and the humor almost kind of works. Sure, even if DC is trying to copy Marvel, a second rate Marvel knock-off is better than first rate DC any day. The humor somewhat works, although I can see some hating it. Ben Affleck proved to be the only truly great part of BvS earlier this year, and he looks quite good in Justice League as well. The lack of Superman is probably the best thing to happen to this movie. He will probably appear at some point, but if the formation of the Justice League is without Henry Cavill's Superman, this movie might just work. But Zack Sndyer is the director, and that's never a good thing if you enjoy, you know, character development, color, fun, quality performances, and practical effects. Who knows? Maybe Snyder can finally make a great DC movie. Stranger things have happened.

What do you think of the trailer? Please comment below and let me know!

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the film that launches DC's larger film universe and introduces audiences to a new Batman, yet does it succeed?

With a 29% on the Rotten Tomatoes and many mixed reviews, Batman V Superman is a divisive film. The question is whether or not it deserves such a harsh rating, and by the end of the review, the question will be answered. But admittedly, I feel like I need to say, "I told you so" because BvS is exactly the disjointed and pretentious narrative mess than the trailers implied, yet that does not mean it is all bad.

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Genre: Action, Comic Book, Sci-Fi,

Release Date: March 25, 2016

Running Time: 151 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Ben Affleck is great, Batman looks awesome, Jeremy Irons is brilliantly cast, Wonder Woman is cool, Fun teases for Justice League, One incredible Batman action sequence, Stunning visuals at times, Entertaining action set pieces, Batman parts are excellent, Superb Zimmer OST,

The Bad: Batman kills!? WHAT THE HECK, Jesse Eisenberg is painful to watch, Henry Cavill is wooden, Zero character development, Too many plot threads for one movie, Doomsday is terribly shoehorned in, Disjointed and convoluted narrative, Lacking character motivations, Lazy Justice League setup, Lex's plan?, Laughable dialogue at times,

Plot: 5.2/10- BvS's plot is all over the place. The first two Acts are serious and heavy with drama, with the Batman parts being brilliant, and the Superman parts falling flat. There are discussions of Superman as an almost religious figure, and while some may say that adds thematic depth, it boils down to about ten minutes of news reports blatantly discussing the topic with zero subtly. The theme is essentially dropped as a theme towards the end as soon as the action begins, so it feels hollow.

Many plot points and mature tone of the first half are just dropped as soon as the action starts, and the poor execution across the board does not help either. There are so many missed opportunities throughout the film. However, there are hints of greatness, yet nothing comes to fruition with the final Act being a big throwdown with rushed narrative elements. As for the film as a whole, there are far too many narrative aspects, setup for future films, and general lack of cohesion between the various aspects to really feel like a competent narrative. Additionally, certain plot elements are far too convenient, especially with Lex's plan. However, the film address Man of Steel's largest criticism of pointless destruction with a well executed scene of Bruce Wayne running through the carnage.

Characterization: 5.0/10- Batman V Superman's characters are a big mixed bag. Batman, essentially the star of the film, is mostly brilliant. This Batman is old and seasoned, having fought crime for over 20 years at this point. Affleck's Batman is the most comic book accurate one in live-action yet, except for one very important thing: HE KILLS PEOPLE! With no explanation, Batman fires his machine guns on the Batwing and blows vehicles up with people in them. You never see any specific death scenes, but it is obvious that people are dying. The strange part is that there are no mentions the fact that he kills people. I literally threw my hands up in the air in the theater when he did for the first few times. A one-off line by Alfred, who is great in the film, could have explained everything, but nope, nothing, as if he isn't killing people. So the problem isn't that Batman is killing people, but rather there is no acknowledgement of why or even confirmation that he is killing. Regardless of this strange aspect, Batman is easily the best part of the film as he is a bad*ss and does a little detective/espionage work. Even the Bruce Wayne aspect of the character is arguably better than Bale's portrayal, and Batman's motivations are the only character motivations that make sense. If anything, BvS made me wish this Batman had his own solo film with more of this gritty bad*ss detective version of the character.

Superman is even more poorly portrayed than in Man of Steel. Clark Kent and Lois have one good scene together towards the beginning, but everything else about Superman's character is flat and lacking in character development. Nothing about Superman is particularly well done. He is just boring and void of character development. Superman is basically a plot device in that his mere existence creates the conflict, yet not his on-screen actions. Overall, Superman is awfully dull, lacks motivation, and Lois struggles to remain relevant throughout the film.

Lex Luthor is a joke, maybe even more so than Gene Hackman's Lex in the original Superman. His motivations are weak, his character trait of being insane is lazy, and he only serves to drag the film down. As expected, Doomsday is literally just a creature for the heroes to fight for visual spectacle with a shoehorned in creation.

Wonder Woman is the only other character with any significance, and she is definitely an afterthought. However, the hints at her backstory and her scenes towards the end make me more excited for her solo film than even the Justice League. She doesn't do a lot, but what he does do is cool.

Direction: 7.9/10- Visually, Zack Snyder is at his best with a fairly solid balance of artistic style and realism. The dark and washed out colors are not nearly as bad as Man of Steel, and honestly, this is what I have come to expect from Snyder. Some scenes are simply stunning. Unfortunately, the visuals are often undermined by disjointed editing between scenes. The Batman scenes are great, and Affleck's input is clearly seen by the superior performances and camera framing, whereas the Superman scenes are more dull and uninteresting, much like Man of Steel.

However, Snyder does not disappoint in the action, well, at least for the most part. When the action does start, it never really stops as it moves from action set piece to the next, which mostly works. Any scene with Batman is exactly what I have been waiting for since the Batman: Arkham Asylum video games, particularly the scene towards the end. This Batman is brutal, fast, strong, and uses all his gadgets to the fullest. The big throwdown between Batman and Superman is fun, yet felt lacking. It is essentially two guys punching each other and throwing each other through walls, nothing original. Lastly, the big battle at the end is mostly CGI, and it is fine I suppose; nothing special or exciting, but a decent spectacle. As a whole, the action is all fun, entertaining, and well directed. However, in this age of Marvel movies, Mad Max, and Kingsman, many action flicks lack the X-Factor in their action sequences and BvS is no exception. Fellow critic and guest author,  Jordan Rath, makes a brilliant in his review with "Almost every Marvel movie I've ever been to has something where I go 'Hmm! I've never seen that before!' BvS has titans locking horns, yes, but the actual fight isn't all that innovative." And Jordan is right. There is nothing that matches the originality of Marvel's action sequences, except for that one aforementioned Batman scene.

Acting: 5.1/10- BvS is a massive mixed bag of brilliant, decent, and atrocious performances from the cast. Ben Affleck is undoubtedly brilliant. He is one of the best live-action portrayals of Batman. Henry Cavill is wooden, and his laughable dialogue and delivery doesn't help. He is horribly dull with no charm or depth. Cavill says his lines in the most mundane way possible. Come on Snyder, when are you going to learn how to direct actors!? Jesse Eisenberg is awful. You might hear the term "Cringe-worthy" thrown around, but Eisenberg's performance is the embodiment of the term. It was painful and uncomfortable to watch Eisenberg's take on Lex. Later in the film, he improves a bit, but still, he is the worst part of the film and drags it down a few notches. Sure, Eisenberg always plays a spastic, out-of-control character, which sometimes works, but this a whole new level of awfulness, except for a few decent scenes. Jeremy Irons as Alfred and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman give performances that make me excited for their future portrayals. Amy Adams is average at best, and the rest of the cast do their jobs and nothing more.

Special effects: 7.8/10- Until the final big fight, the special effects are consistent, even when certain scenes are obviously CGI. Nothing amazed me, yet nothing looked awful. Doomsday looked decent, but not nearly as well done as other recent CGI characters, like the Hulk, Gollum, or Groot.

Soundtrack: 8.6/10- Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL's score is quite strong. There are points in the film where it was noticeably brilliant, specifically the track "Is She With You?," and the rest is fitting for the film.

Humor: N/A- BvS balances the lack of humor better than Man of Steel, yet is still mostly humorless, so my expectations were essentially matched.

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10- Despite the two and a half hour runtime, Dawn of Justice is an entertaining watch. Batman's parts are a lot of fun, and the novelty of the DC's Big Three on screen for the first time is great. Oddly enough, critiquing such a flawed, yet decently entertaining, film is a joy itself as a writer. However, if you did not grow up watching DC cartoons or reading comics and have not been excited for Batman and Superman to finally meet on the big screen, then BvS is likely underwhelming.

Overall: 7.0/10- Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is an enjoyable watch for some viewers, myself included. However, the plot is all over the place, the characters, aside from Batman, are flat, and the action, while entertaining, is nothing mind blowing. In fact, my score is much higher than my individual category scores indicate because this is not a "great" movie, just a decent one with tons of missed potential. But there is something about the novelty and mostly brilliant portrayal of Batman that makes the movie more enjoyable and memorable than it ever should be. More objectively, BvS deserves a 6.2/10, but personal factors push it up to a 7.0/10.

Closing comments: Batman V Superman is basically a guilty pleasure at times. If you adamantly hate the film, by all means do so, because there is plenty aspects of the film that are worthy of the 29% Tomatoe rating. However, if you managed to find certain parts enjoyable, that's great too. But I'm sure most can agree that this is not the type of start that the DC Cinematic Universe needed to convince everyone that DC can make great movies. Well, at least they can make decent ones. And lastly, if you did not already plan to see the film in theaters, just wait for the Blu-Ray/DVD because you aren't missing much.

Recommended for: DC fans, Batman fans,

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice First Impression

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is finally here and I have seen it. Usually, I try to avoid reviews. However, it is difficult to miss headlines like "Critics Tearing Apart BVS!" and "Why BVS Sucks," so yeah, I knew the reviews were bad. But hey, low expectations are not always a bad thing, right? Well, BVS was definitely fun at times, but long story short, if you were excited and already planned to see it, nothing I'll say that will change your mind. If you were not excited, there is no reason to go watch it if you disliked Man of Steel. I'll save the rest for the full review, which will come tomorrow or the next day. After my review is written, I'll go check out everyone else's reviews, and if you want, post a link to your review in the comments for me and others to see it.

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - In Theaters

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters today! Expect a review within the next week, and as usual, I plan to avoid spoilers, reviews, and all but the first two trailers, so it will be interesting going into the film figuratively blind. Not knowing whether or not the film is good will prove to be an interesting watching experience, especially since I have no idea if the movie will be good or completely awful. Unfortunately, a title of an IGN article spoiled the general opinion of the film, yet I still do not know why, so that will be interesting. Are you excited for the film? Do you plan to see it in theaters? Please comment below and let me know! And if you missed it, click on the links below for my Top 10 DC Comics Movies.

Top 10 DC Comics Movies: Part 2
Top 10 DC Comics Movies: Part 1

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New Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer

What was that!? Seriously, what the heck was that ridiculous excuse for a trailer!? The Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer dropped the other day, and after watching it, the trailer destroys the slight hint of intrigue shown in the previous trailer! Sure, I might have somewhat of a negative outlook on DC and Zack Sndyer, but the first trailer was not half bad. On the other hand, this trailer shows WAY TOO MUCH! It shows us a condensed version of the movie, instead of a trailer, which is supposed to tease the movie, or at least that is what it appears to be. Basically, we know that Batman and Superman will fight, and then a creature, presumably Doomsday, will pop up with Wonder Woman for the Final Act. Maybe, the trailer is intended to mislead us, but the plot looks rather obvious.

With the crazy amount of spoilers aside, let’s talk about the rest of this disaster. As expected, Jessie Esssienberg is absolutely horrendous! He plays the goofy character he always acts, and he does not fit in with the rest of the cast, at least in that one scene. He did have one good line, “And that is a three syllable word for any thought too big for little minds,” but the rest was awful. The beginning of the trailer with Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent meeting is strange considering how long it is for a trailer. Visually, that first scene actually reminds me of a car commercial. Lastly, the attempts at humor are abysmal. I want to remain positive, until seeing the movie, but at least everyone can agree that this trailer is about on par with The Amazing Spider-Man’s trailer for being a disaster, mostly due to spoilers. Suicide Squad looks good; unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, that is not to say that there are not positive elements, like Allfeck’s Batman. Other than that, we will have to wait and see. What do you think? Please comment below and let me know, and check back next week for more Star Wars posts!

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Wonder Woman Movie First Look

The first official picture from the upcoming Wonder Woman film is released, as well as a listing of the cast. The picture shows Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in a hood, and it really does not show anything else. 

Patty Jenkins is set to direct and the cast is as follows: Chris Pine as Captain Steve Trevor, Robin Wright (House of Cards), Danny Huston (Clash of the Titans, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), David Thewlis (the Harry Potter films), Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), Saïd Taghmaoui (G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra), Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In, Van Helsing) and Lucy Davis (Shaun of the Dead, UK's The Office).

Source: IGN.com

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Comic Con Trailer Review/Reaction

Finally, a true Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer is here, and now we have a good idea as to what the film is going to be like. First off, Ben Affleck is shaping up to be an excellent Bruce Wayne, probably better than Christian Bale. I am curious as to what he has been doing since retirement, and how did Superman cause the destruction of Wayne Tower? We will have to wait and see. The Batman parts are great, and they will likely be the best part of the movie. On the other hand, Sndyer and company are going to have to do a lot to make us care about Superman. In fact, the trailer knows that people are going to watch this movie for Batman, not Superman.

Wonder Woman in full costume looks cool. However, I feel that she will be an unnecessary add-on to setup for the Justice League like Black Widow was in Iron Man 2. Also, the movie reminds me of a lot Watchman, visually at least. 

As we see towards the end of the trailer, Kryptonite is going to be a thing. After saying that it does not exist in the films, they decided to include it, and considering that there is no other way to level the playing field against Superman, I am okay with it. On the other hand, "The Red Capes are coming, the Red Capes are coming." is officially, the worst line ever.

Regardless of all the potential problems, this is going to be a fun movie to watch. What do you think? Please comment below and let me know, and check back soon for more Comic Con coverage.

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New Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Pictures

New pictures Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice have been released by Entertainment Weekly and they show us clear images of Wonder Woman's costume, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, and more. Below are the pictures and my thoughts about them.

This is our best look at the new Wonder Woman costume, and I am not sure what to think. The skirt thing is a little short, even for Wonder Woman, but I like the color. Of course, if you look at Entertainment Weekly's other covers of recent movies, the pictures used do not exactly represent the final product in the film, so I assume Snyder will add his patented filter that washes away all color in post production. As for Batman's costume, it looks a little ridiculous from this picture, but again, it will look better in the final product, and Superman's costume is still basically the same.

So, this Batman's face off with Superman. I hope they make it believable how Batman can fight Superman.

 The Batman is not changed much from the original, so that's good.

Bruce and Diana at a social gathering of some kind. I wonder how big a part she will play in the film.

Finally, a clear look at Jessie as Lex Luthor, with red hair. I am still not sold on him in the role yet.

Nothing new here.

A picture of Affleck and Snyder talking about something, but we all know who's the better director. I hope Affleck helps him out.

Here is a cool picture put together by someone in the IGN comments.

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Supergirl Trailer

Supergirl, the romantic comedy of superheroes? Supergirl is the latest TV adaptation of a DC posterity, and as the trailer explains, Supergirl is the cousin of Superman. Well, this trailer is certainly divisive. Some people absolutely hate it, while others actually kind of like it. My first thought is that it could be a fun, albeit goofy, superhero romcom, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, Supergirl is airing on CBS, and therefore is not connected to the spectacular CW-verse with Arrow and The Flash. If it was connected, I would be 100% onboard with this series. Despite dropping Gotham due to it being painfully mediocre (and from the reviews, I did not miss anything), I am skeptically optimistic about Supergirl because it looks like it trying to be a classic superhero story with a romcom on the side. The superhero parts look fun, but the other parts look generic. There is potential for an epic fail here, so I am curious if the creators can make it work.

Since DC is apparently incapable of getting their stuff together, Supergirl is not likely to be connected with any other DC series or movie. It uses a lot of Superman references, so I wonder if Superman can ever become a part of the series, but that is also unlikely. Even if he does, it will be an entirely different Superman than the movie version.

What do you think? Please comment below and let me know.

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Batman v Superman Trailer Review/Breakdown

After the ridiculous amount photos and posters, the teaser trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is here, and it is presents some interesting things to discuss. 

Opening with a narration by Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and others that discuss how Superman is a savior, and maybe someone like him is too powerful to be allowed free reign. For one, Eisenberg's voice starts out different than expected, but as he talks more, all I can see is the usual Eisenberg that we have seen so many times. At this point, I need to see him in action before I make my judgment. 

The more interesting aspect of the trailer is the Superman statue. Sure, Superman is virtually an all powerful being, but he is responsible for countless deaths in Metropolis, which Man of Steel completely glossed over. So, are the masses praising Superman out of fear or out of gratitude? Or maybe both. Thematically, the movie raises an interesting idea of Superman essentially being worshiped. The comparison to others with power that people follow, like Hitler or Stalin, presents potentially fascinating ideas. However, considering how poorly Man of Steel implemented its themes, I have a feeling that the movie is going to turn out to be a pretentious mess, thematically at least. Of course, the DC fanboys will praise it for being "dark" and "edgy" but it will just fall flat on its face. On the other hand, you never know, maybe the movie will surprise us. 

Another issue I have is that Superman as a character is painfully bland. He lacks any charm or relatable humanity. Watching this trailer made me realize just how unlikable this version of Superman is. I am not the type of Superman fan that complains about changes to the comic book, but I do like the character in the general. Unless Kal-El is developed quickly, there will be no reason for the audience to care about him or his fight against Batman. Even though I know very little about this version of Batman, I am already on his side. 

Ultimately, do I think this is going to be a amazing movie? Probably not, unless the script is a significant improvement over Man of Steel, but it should at least be a good movie that is fun to watch. If Zack Snyder is good at one thing, it is action sequences (even if they are repetitive).

Ironically, I am more excited about the new episodes of Arrow and The Flash this week than I am for this movie. With that said, I still want to see if BvS crashes and burns or rises up the ashes. Below are screenshots with my commentary.

My guess that this is Mexico, which makes it seem like Superman goes on tour.

Something about the special effects here look off. Hopefully it will be fixed in the film.

Now this is an interest picture. It is difficult to see, but if you look at the shoulder patches on the soldiers, you will see Superman's "S" logo. Now this is an exciting idea, because Superman appears to have a task force specifically for him, and maybe he did not even want it in the first place.

Who is that looking up at Superman? Is he just a random guy that Superman saves or someone important?

Now this is where the trailer gets really interesting. Superman being worshiped is an intriguing idea. While I have my doubts about the execution of the concept, it is very reminiscent of The Dark Knight Returns in certain respects, although Superman is almost portrayed as villainous.

*Broody Ben Batfleck is brooding.* Could Affleck look any more brooding? With that said, I am on board with Affleck as Bruce Wayne. He definitely has the jawline and the actin talent.

Since Superman has his own task force, this gives Batman some lackeys to fight, and that is exactly what this shot looks like.

Our first look at Batfleck in the normal Batman suit. As expected, this is heavily inspired by The Dark Knight Returns' version of Batman. I assume Affleck's costume is majorly bulked up because he is not nearly that big in real life.

The classic Batman looking over the city. However, this is another failed effects shot. It looks too stiff, and the cape is just wrong.

"I am Iron Bat!" Bruce Wayne takes a page out of Tony Stark's book by creating a mechanical suit to battle a superpowered being. Also, his voice changing tech is exactly what Batman needed, which is similar to CW's Arrow.

"Tell me, do you bleed? You will." Now this is the money shot of the trailer. The big confrontation of between Batman and Superman. Somehow, the movie must introduce a reasonable explanation for how Batman is going to fight Superman. Superman can move faster than the speed of sound to the point where he can dismantle Batman's mechanical suit before Batman even realizes it. Without Kryptonite or a similar plot device, Batman stands no reasonable chance. Maybe, they are going to have a brooding contest to see which of these emo guys can be more depressed (just kidding).

My impression of the logo is kind of meh. It looks too fat, but it is fine.

What did you think of the trailer? Please comment below and check back tomorrow for the final part of my Top 10 Villains list.

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