Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is hitting theaters this week and I got a chance to see today. I took my wife and kids to an early dinner for burgers and fries at the local steakhouse and then we went to an evening showing of DC Comics’ latest movie.
I’m certain the Fwoosh will have more professional movie review soon, for now I’ll let you in on how my 12- 13-year-old inner self came screaming out for a few hours tonight. While I started cutting my comic book teeth in the late ’70s with issues of Fantastic Four, Avengers, Iron Man, X-Men, Marvel-Two-In-One, etc. there was also Batman, Justice League, Super Friends, and Superman. Hell, in 1978 there was a little Superman movie that had everyone running around in blue tights and red capes. Seeing Christopher Reeves as Clark Kent/Superman was something else.
And I got that feeling again tonight. This is a huge movie with a lot going on, tons of themes being introduced, others being wrapped up, and motivations never being explained. And for all the faults that I could tear this movie apart on, it succeeds in the same way that Avengers did: it nudged and woke up that “13-year-old kid” in me. I got to see Batman and Superman beating the crap out of each other. I got to see them beat the crap out of just about anyone standing in their way. I got to see Wonder Woman on the screen. I haven’t seen a non-animated version of Wonder Woman since Lynda Carter’s version went off the air in the late ’70s. And here they were on the screen together doing what they do best, slugging it out.
It was awesome. I’m sitting in the theater with my family, my two sons, my youngest who is going out of his mind because he’s so excited to see Batman armored up ready to either be beaten to a pulp or beat Superman to a pulp. All week long I’m listening to him tell me that Batman is going kill Superman and how and why, and then he gets to see the fight. And then we talk about it afterwards. And we are still talking about it. It’s so much fun. And my older son is asking all sorts of questions; all them have some answer back in the comics.
I like Henry Cavill’s Superman, and I would love to see a Man of Steel 2. Gal Gadot is going to be a solid Wonder Woman. Any worries, fears, concerns are long gone. She is Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, for this generation. She pulls it off. And Ben Affleck is Batman. While I’m not a huge fan of this costume, Affleck gets big points for being Batman. Even my wife said she did not see Affleck (as she often does in his movies), but Batman.
It’s a big movie, it’s big cinema, it’s explosions and a ton of themes to follow. It is a movie that is going require more than one viewing. For everything that this movie does give, it leaves out just as much. There are a ton of questions, there are stories that still need to be told, and there are stories that will be told. It leaves my “13-year-old” self wanting more.
The movie is hitting theaters. Go in, park your brain, and enjoy it for what it is. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman on the big screen. Go let the 5-year-old, the 13-year-old, the 20-year-old, or whatever age your point of reference is, out for a few hours. And think about it, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. On the big screen. Together.