(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1. Well the reviews for the big blockbuster movie Batman vs. Superman are in, and the critics hate it. Yet it is already slated to break the North American Box Office Record having tallied over 82M on Friday. (Hmmm...you mean it might out do Star Wars: The Force Awakens? That's just sad.)

Okay maybe not outdo The Force Awakens, just all the superhero flicks:

Batman v Superman seems on its way to score a record-breaking $172-million opening weekend despite dreadful reviews.

The movie, starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, brought in $82 million as it premiered on Friday in 4,242 theaters, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

If it continues at this rate, it could score the sixth highest opening of all time in North America - and the fourth highest for a comic book adaptation.

Batman v Superman could also top previous DC Entertainment movies such as The Dark Knight Rises, which brought in $160.9 million during its opening.

And the reviews?

"Thematic carelessness is on constant display, which wouldn't loom as nearly so large a problem if Snyder's film didn't advertise its aspirations to Moral Seriousness in almost every plodding, humorless frame."

"I wouldn't quite call it a "good" movie, nor would I be able to quite recommend it to anyone but the true believers. To be sure, it's a mess, but it's often a fascinating mess. It's also the most nihilistic superhero picture I've ever seen."

"If Christopher Reeve were alive he'd be suing for character libel. " (LOL!!)

"Dour, disappointing and shockingly incoherent. "

Not really all that surprising, to be honest. Considering superhero films are increasingly beginning to resemble video games, with incoherent plots and stories that really only serve the purpose of drawn-out and pointless action sequences. Which often leave me with a pounding headache.

I was pondering seeing it this weekend, but now, I think I'm going to pass and wait until it comes out on video or to HBO, watch it on my tv, where I can fast-forward over the bits I don't like. I think it would just give me a headache.

2) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - got insanely good in its last three-four episodes. After beating the Josh bit too death, it took a nice turn and delved deeper. Was pleasantly surprised. Also, had an uplifting message in the middle of the satire.

Plus, some decent musical parodies...I particularly liked the ones that made fun of "Trouble in River City" (The Music Man) and "One Day More" from Les Mis.

Comments

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Everyone I heard from who saw Batman vs Superman thought it was disappointing and muddled.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

And yet they all saw it, so the studio will consider it an unmitigated success.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yep. The reviewer in the Guardian was hilarious:

Despite the 30% Rotten Tomatoes score, you probably rushed out and gobbled up this picture with the reckless abandon of DJ Khaled confronted with a horse trough full of fried chicken. You – the hypothetical reader whom I am very certain is terribly attractive, very intelligent, and wise beyond your years – probably want someone to explain what it is you just witnessed. I would like to offer up my expertise free of charge so that you might better understand the many layers of this motion picture event.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/25/review-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice

I know co-workers who planned on seeing it this weekend. I planned on it, until I read the reviews...and thought, ugh, I'll wait for it to appear on-demand, netflix streaming, or HBO...this sounds headache inducing.

Let's face it --- superhero flicks are like the 1950s Biblical flicks, they don't require good reviews for people to go see them. The audience who enjoys these things couldn't care less what the critics think.

[ETA: Although...it did just occur to me that they really need to do well opening weekend and the first couple of weeks out, because word of mouth won't bring in more viewers, nor will they get the repeat audience. Which means they may break records opening weekend, but will lose money in the weeks that follow. The film cost them upwards of $250Million. So to break even, they have to make close to $300 M or at the very least above $250M.

They were smart to open on Easter Weekend, where they had no competition from the Marvel Franchises. But,
I don't think the film will have staying power -- it will die a quick death after about two weeks, once word gets out how horrible it is. Whether it gets a sequel depends on how fast it dies, and if it can break even. Hasn't done that yet.]

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's necessarily that the people who went to see it always disagree with critics, or that critics are out of touch. I mean, a lot of recent superhero movies have gotten pretty good reviews. But a movie like this is so much of an event that it simply doesn't matter if it's any good. People go to see it just to have seen it. If they hate it, hey, the studio already has their money.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Also, it's a superhero film --- from what I've seen people don't always agree with the critics. And most don't bother reading the critics reviews.

There's some good points made in the threads below...that unlike Fantastic Four, where the critics and the viewers agreed it was crap. They aren't necessarily in agreement here. Apparently it's not that bad -- sort of similar to MoS, except really depressing.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Yeah I think some films have enough hype behind them that the reviews don't make a great deal of difference, audiences are going to see a film called Batman Vs Superman regardless

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yep. Big event films are sort of critic proof. Of course if it gets good reviews - it will do even better. But bad reviews won't necessarily sink it. That said, it's unlikely to get the repeat audience that Force Awakens or Dark Knight got. So it will have to do really well on opening weekend...because word of mouth won't get it any more viewers.

[ann1962]

I saw it last night. I feel that some of the same criticisms people had with MOS hold true here. It is Snyder after all. I don't think it's as bad as the critics are saying, but there are issues. And the ending is so depressing, that I'm still bummed out by it.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my reason for skipping it in the theaters was the depressing ending. So don't need that right now.
Also, I admittedly did not care for MoS, which gave me a head-ache.

Thought about seeing it today after church, but didn't make it to either --- not feeling well for some reason.

[liliaeth]

I haven't seen Batman vs Superman yet myself, but... there seems to be a dissonance between the critics' opinions of the movie, and the regular public's.

Where the critics score the movie increasingly low, while the public seems to really like it. Including several people who's opinions I normally view highly.

This isn't like that Fantastic Four disaster, where both critics and public agreed that it was crap.

My main hesitation is that it's going to be like the last Superman movie, where they took Superman way too dark. I don't mind Batman movies being dark, but I don't get why if you got a movie focused on the contrast between the two, why you then don't just have Superman be the light and hope, while Batman can be the shadows. Let them play off one another, instead of just trying to bring in the angst.

[ann1962]

"why you then don't just have Superman be the light and hope, while Batman can be the shadows. Let them play off one another, instead of just trying to bring in the angst."

Absolutely, and that makes for good storytelling.

[liliaeth]

It's one of the things I like about the crossovers between Arrow and the Flash on the CW. They don't try and make the Flash all dark and Grimm. And as a result, because Barry, despite not having an easy life, is all light and smiles and adorableness, which makes him an interesting contrast to Oliver who's usually all dark and dour.

Apparently the reason they didn't just make the tv shows a part of the DC movieverse is because they didn't think they fit tonally. Which annoys me, because I would like the Superman movies a hell of a lot more, if they were lighter. That doesn't have to mean cheesy, as Marvel has proven, just that it doesn't have to be without humor. Superman is interesting, exactly because he inspires, just like Captain America. Marvel was willing to let Cap be like that, and still gave him a complicated movie. DC seems to be scared that if they let their heroes be good people worth looking up to, that it would take away their depth, and that just isn't the case.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I think they are trying too hard to replicate what Christopher Nolan did with the Dark Knight films, which oddly are less depressing/nilhilistic...and that's saying something. Noticed that with MoS - which I didn't enjoy and found headache inducing. From the reviews...it appears this is similar to MoS, plus a depressing ending.

Synder does swing towards high operatic tones and grim/depressing nihilism - as seen in 300, MoS, and The Watchmen, which is why I decided to wait and see the film on tv instead of forking over 15-20 bucks on the movie.
It's expensive in NY and not comfortable - no reclining chairs in my area.

I'd agree that the DC TV shows are lighter in tone and a bit more fun. They don't take themselves quite so seriously, neither does the Marvel film franchise, or for that matter the X-Men film franchise. The problem is some of these directors are trying to do what Chris Nolan did with the Batman franchise -- taking it up a level, which...is really hard to do well with a superhero film. Plus the audience doesn't necessarily want the art-film take anyhow.

That's what the Fantastic Four reboot attempted to do -- that director was trying to be "experimental" and "artistic", which...fell apart.

The best superhero films that I've seen to date are The Dark Knight (which still plays with my head and I could only watch once), and X-Men: Days of Future Past. But both were character driven films, not plot driven, with an emphasis on the characters more so than the action. One was pure noire in tone -- and borrowed heavily from the Alan Moore/Frank Miller take on the Batman series, the other was lighter, political satire, that borrowed heavily from Chris Claremount's take on the X-Men.

I like the Iron Man films for Downy Jr., but the Captain America films are far better written and directed - and possibly the best of the Marvel franchise, along with the recent film Ant-Man.

[liliaeth]

What people like Snyder forget is why people watch superhero movies in the first place. To have fun and to have someone to look up to. Even in a dark movie like the Dark Knight, you could find both of those elements.
Real life is depressing enough is, that most people want to get away from that, in their entertainment.