It’s Monday. By now you have either seen the film yourself, have talked to people who have seen it or have read enough online reactions to know the general feelings of a certain superhero movie.
Indeed, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice is a very debated film. In my circle of friends it seems like most of them have an intense hatred for the film or it’s met with a very “ehh, it’s not THAT bad.”
There are people out there who love it unconditionally and that…of course…is fine.
Seeing the reaction to the film this weekend it somehow felt both very similar (yet very different) from the reaction of director Zack Snyder’s previous film, Man of Steel.
In all my years of being a film fan, and seeing how the internet has shaped and changed the way we talk about movies, I have never seen a film so drastically split in the middle in terms of how people felt about Man of Steel. The people who loved it, loved it passionately, and the people who hated it, were almost angry at the people who loved it.
This time out, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice reaction is almost a 180 of Man of Steel’s.
The people who hated it, hated it passionately, and the people who loved it are pretty much angry at the people who hated it.
Truth be told, it’s getting downright scary in terms of how the people who loved it are almost trying to shake the people who don’t like BvS:DoJ into believing them the film is good.
As I sit here on the sidelines, looking around at this online reaction I have to wonder…..
“What does Zack Snyder and Warner Brothers REALLY think about the films public opinion?”
Yes, we can be cynical all day and say “they don’t give a shit” but let’s turn that part of the brain off for a second. You don’t MAKE a movie that’s supposed to be a huge commercial film and NOT pause a bit concerning this movies reaction.
I can’t imagine that this morning, the folks at Warner Brothers are all looking at each other and saying…
“Well boys! It’s a clear hit all around! It’s just going to be smooth sailing from here!”
Oh sure, moneywise yeah, they got nothing to worry about, the film has already broken many Box Office records.
But knowing that the film already has a bad stink to a VERY loud and very vocal audience, I can’t imagine they aren’t taking a breather and not examining how this is going to affect the rest of their plans for the DC characters.
What WB honestly wanted is the crowd to tell everyone else to watch the film. They want them to tell their friends that it’s great. They want GOOD reaction to feed more money to them. They want that Avengers money.
After this weekend I can’t imagine the film will get that Avengers money. I mean, it could be possible, anything can happen but my gut is telling me no.
Right now, I’m more worried about the folks who are fighting each other concerning this film’s reaction. It’s actually getting downright ugly.
So, if you are here, and you read this far, can I ask you a favor?
Remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and the best thing you can ask for each other is to respect one another’s opinion. I’m not saying to not debate over the film, that’s not the problem. Debates can be fun…but they don’t have to get nasty.
No one is WRONG for loving/hating a movie their own way.
That’s including the critics believe it or not. Remember that most film critics are film fans FIRST, and that most of them want to LOVE the movies they are seeing.
If your saying things like “I don’t get why no one liked this movie!” Or “Your STUPID for liking this movie” take a pause and rethink those thoughts. Try another angle. LISTEN to the person about WHY they liked something or not. Their experiences differs from yours.
That’s also why it’s such a great feeling to find out someone agrees with you! If their life experiences differ from you, yet you both love a film the same way, it’s a true personal connection.
No one is out to hurt you if you loved/hated a film. It may feel like a personal attack, but it’s not.
Always remember that in the end….it’s just a movie.
Now I know what you’re thinking, what did I think of Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice?
Well it isn’t that different from what you mostly heard. Nope, I didn’t like it. It’s a mess of a narrative, confused characterization, incoherent plot, and sloppy editing.
As a guy who loves the DC Characters, I feel it’s a disgrace to Superman, it’s a half baked understanding of Batman, and a real lack of effort to make Wonder Woman a realized character.
The fights were cool (if hollow) and I really liked Ben Affleck and Jeremy Irons as Batman and Alfred respectably.
Like I said, not that different. You probably already read many reviews that read just like that.
But if you feel differently….I’m not gonna fight you. I want to listen to you. The talk will be heated for sure, but in the end, I would rather you and me get a better understanding of each other then hate each other.
So instead of creating a new enemy over a movie…try this out, maybe you can actually make a friend out of this.
You already got one thing in common, you both are passionate about these characters. That’s at least a start.
And in my opinion…that’s how a Superman and Batman fight should have been.
Two very different people who have different views, get into a heated and passionate fight for their own ideals…but once they TRULY understand each other, they can at least respect the other person’s viewpoint so much that they actually becomes friends. Best friends.
