Everyone with a TV knows about the upcoming mega-movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Like many faithful AP2HYC’s visitors, this upcoming movie mash-up has had me sitting on the edge of my seat for the better part of a year. That’s what happens when you put two of the greatest heroes in the history of comics in the same movie (not to mention persistent rumors that the movie’s plot may be influenced by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ Kingdom Come)!
And while it has become extremely clear that this movie is basically a bridge introduction to an Avengers-style DC superhero team movie, I believe most comic book fans would agree with me that the more superheros, and superhero teams, that we get on the big screen, the better.
Frankly, this movie should rock. But the latest trailer has me thinking otherwise.
When the first trailer was released the movie looked pretty darn exciting. There was Batman. There was Superman. There was tension. There was Jeremy Irons speaking with his poetic cadence: “That’s how it starts. The fever. The rage. The helplessness. . . that turns good men . . . cruel.” How could anyone not want more of that?
A large part of me wishes Warner Bros. and DC had decided to just stop there. Really, in today’s world, a good trailer is basically just as important as the movie. In fact, it’s almost like an additional movie, except that it’s online, it’s free, and it can be watched a million times over because of its short duration.
Honestly, I would have been fine had the first trailer been my only Batman v Superman experience.
But of course Warner Bros. and DC didn’t stop at trailer 1. No, they continued on with trailer 2. And that is where this movie goes off the rails.
Trailer 2 starts off well enough. Clark Kent is at a high society party, most likely on assignment for the Daily Planet and, as luck would have it, Bruce Wayne stops in for a visit (who would’ve guessed). Clark and Bruce strike up a conversation in which Clark questions Bruce about the Batman vigilante; Bruce sneers back – deriding the Daily Planet’s Superman “puff pieces” about an alien saving cats from trees. Lex Luthor even gets in on the action with a brief appearance and a pithy joke.
But then . . . it gets ugly.
Real ugly.
Suddenly there is that classic movie question: “What … have … you … done?” And a loud roar. And then . . . Doomsday.
Wait, what?
Doomsday?!
Can you say “jumped the shark”?
Is there anyone out there who can tell me why a movie that already has Superman and Batman in it needs Doomsday thrown in too? Do we have to bloat this movie until it collapses under it’s own weight? We are talking about a movie where the titular characters are pillars of American history. Doomsday is simply an extravagance that is not needed, and will likely drag this movie down faster than a mobster tied to a cement block who has been thrown in the river.
Did I mention that Doomsday now shoots fire from his face (is anyone else having sudden flashbacks of the horrific abomination that was Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine)? Doomsday’s indestructibility, Kryptonian strength, and infinite life apparently are simply not enough powers for him in this movie. No, no, he needs more.
No part of me believes there is any chance that this movie is going to portray Doomsday right. Is there anyone out there who disagrees?
I haven’t even touched on Doomsday’s looks.
Secret love child of Darkseid and Clayface?
Showing a distinct lack of conscience the trailer continues on, as if to dance on the grave that was my shattered hopes for this movie, as suddenly Wonder Woman appears, and Batman and Superman use it as an opportunity to banter with each other.
Banter.
In a movie called Batman VERSUS Superman?! The protagonists are bantering in the trailer? Yes, we all know the movie isn’t going to end with Batman and Superman being enemies, but c’mon, save at least some of the suspense for my $25 ticket. You don’t have to give away the entire movie in just one trailer. Did Mr. and Mrs. Smith have Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie cuddling in its trailer even though we all knew how the movie was gonna end? No. Because that trailer at least respected the idea of suspense (if not actually having any).
This trailer only continues to (negatively) amaze me when Wonder Woman uses a 3 foot shield to block what appears to be an explosion the size of a city block.
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman: Amazonian Princess and Wielder of Magical Shields
And finally, the trailer mercifully ends. With Batman holding a shotgun.
I give up.
When does the trailer for the next Star Wars come out?
What do you think folks? Does this trailer make the movie look as bad to you as it does to me? Sound off in the comments below or send us your thoughts on Twitter!
