The Live-Action Batman Films – From Worst to Best

Batman, like Spider-Man was one of my first favorite superheroes and was the character to get me into the world of comics. Batman is a character with a rich history in film pulling from so many different eras of comics which in turn gives us a lot of unique takes and direction of the character. For this list I’m only covering the live-action takes on Batman, and I’m not including films he might appear briefly in. He has to be a core and main character in the film for it to count. There will also be slight SPOILERS for some of the films mentioned but I will aim to avoid that.

So without further ado, here is the list.:

12th) Justice League (2017)

Directed by Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon

“Justice League” is a film I couldn’t even finish as I walked out of the theater about a third of the way through. This film is a tonal mess with Zack Snyder stepping away after the tragic death of his daughter and Joss Whedon reshooting most of it. A trashfire reshoot as we’ve all learned later given how he treated cast members Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher. As far Affleck’s Batman goes, he’s a tonal mess making glib out of character jokes and revealing his secret identity to random people. He is Batman in name only as there is no base to the character. This version of Batman and story is worse than “Batman & Robin” as I could at least finish that film. This film deserves to be forgotten as it only exists as a studio mandated mess that fails on nearly every level. Just watch “The Snyder Cut” which is actually good.

I Walked Out of “Justice League”

11th) Batman & Robin (1997)

Directed by Joel Schumacher

“Batman & Robin” is a terrible film that doesn’t manage to pull off any of the characters. At the time I originally reviewed it I gave it a 0 / 10 but I think if I rewatched it now I might appreciate how bad it is more and score it slightly higher than that, but it is permanently here on the list as the film isn’t good. Clooney’s Batman has no characterization outside of being protective of Robin and amazing rogues like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Bane are completely wasted. I can’t recommend this film as there is proper Schumacher Batman camp in his enjoyable film “Batman Forever” so just watch that instead of this. This film could have worked but it just ends up being a mess and fails on nearly every level.

Final Score: 0 / 10

Batman & Robin (1997): Bad Puns, Writing, Acting and an all Around Disaster

10th) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Directed by Zack Snyder

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is a mess of a film that had potential to be great. It’s biggest problems are the bad villain in Lex Luthor who has no clear or coherent goals and Batman and Superman are both murders. I get cynical older Batman inspired by The Dark Knight Returns but you need a Superman to contrast that with. The only reason Batman hates Superman is because he is an alien who is a potential threat but even that is barely explored. Affleck does a good job as cynical hardened Bruce whose Robin was killed by Joker but beyond him being vengeance and a loner there is nothing there. We don’t even see how he is as Bruce Wayne that much except for the attack on Metropolis from “Man of Steel.” Because of this his transformation to trusting Superman comes out of nowhere because it wasn’t setup well. Still, this isn’t the worst film in the world as Hans Zimmer’s score is fantastic and I can appreciate how it tried to tackle larger themes.

Final Score: 5 / 10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – A Good Batman Story Trapped in a Terrible Film

9th) Batman (1966)

Directed by Leslie H. Martinson

Adam West’s Batman is a lot of fun and this knows it. This is a film that has the comedic rogues of Penguin, Joker, Catwoman and the Riddler who team up and must be stopped over the course of the film. Joker and Riddler’s role do feel a little redundant at times though and the camp doesn’t always work in this but Adam West’s Batman is endearing in how honest and forthright he is and you can see how much this film is a celebration of the 1960’s show. I enjoyed this film and appreciated how fun the crazy plots were even if the writing isn’t great and the fact that Robin can be annoying at times in this.

Final Score: 7 / 10

Batman (1966): Fun Camp That Doesn’t Quite Work

8th) Batman Forever (1995)

Directed by Joel Schumacher

“Batman Forever” is a film that doesn’t entirely work, but is a lot of fun. Jim Carrey’s Riddler is campy in all the right ways in how theatrical and arrogant he is and Val Kilmer’s Batman works as a man working through his trauma as he tries to make peace with the Bruce Wayne and Batman parts of himself. Batman has an actual character arc! What doesn’t work is Tommy Lee Jones is Two-Face in name only as he doesn’t even follow his own coin toss rule and his relationship to Bruce Wayne is only in backstory not ever seen on screen. This older Robin is also really annoying too and like Two-Face brings the film down. I still enjoy this film though as it mostly does work even if it isn’t good.

Final Score: 7.2 / 10

Batman Forever (1995): A Bit Too Campy, A Cluttered Cast and Moments of Good

7th) Batman Returns (1992)

Directed by Tim Burton

“Batman Returns” is a mess but it is a good mess. The film is more about Catwoman and Penguin than it is Batman but it still manages to work in how they are connected that it is a good film. All of them are seeking some level of acceptance from others in who they are whether it Penguin running for mayor or Batman revealing he is Bruce to Selina. All the characters are lost, alone and broken and it makes this film a good tragedy, though it still ends with a hint of hope as one of Selina’s cats is left for Bruce, suggesting they might still be able to make a future someday. Elfman’s score elevates it all and I love Burton’s Gothic Gotham.

Final Score: 8.5 / 10

Batman Returns (1992): Good Film But Full of Double Standards and Inconsistent Characters

6th) Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Directed by Zack Snyder

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is really good and manages to fully develop the Justice League over the long runtime it is given. This film captures the arc of Ben Affleck’s Batman slowly learning to trust others so his building the team makes sense. His regret for almost killing Superman works here too as he is still bitter and hard but there is more as we see him beginning to heal as the meta-humans come trust him. He’s no longer isolated and alone and is growing. Steppenwolf works in this too as he is trying to impress Darkseid versus his one-dimension motives in the Josstice League film. The only things keeping the film from being great are the lack of “Speedforce” setup, Martha and Lois being nothing characters and Superman’s motives. Outside of these this is Zack Snyder in his element and is a good film well worth your time.

Final Score: 8.7 / 10

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021): The Strength is in the Details

5th) Batman (1989)

Directed by Tim Burton

From here on we have my favorite Batman films. This is a film that captures the disconnect of Bruce Wayne and Batman so well as Michael Keaton portrays a man who doesn’t know how to be among people when he’s not in costume. In this Batman’s trauma is explored and we see how it defines him. He’s vulnerable and it adds a nice contrast to Nicholson’s Joker who only lives in his enjoyment of cruelty. This film inspired “Batman: The Animated Series” and gave us Elfman’s iconic score and the Gothic beautiful world of Burton’s Gotham. What keeps it from being perfect and rated higher is the Joker’s plan is obvious and Vicki Vale is only ever a damsel in distress. She deserved better. Still this is a favorite well worth your time.

Final Score: 9.6 / 10

Batman (1989): A Flawed and Amazing Exploration of Revenge and Identity

4th) Batman Begins (2005)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

“Batman Begins” is the best live-action telling thus far of Batman’s origin story. In this we see how revenge defines him until Carmine Falcone shows just how corrupt Gotham is and Ra’s al Ghul gives him the training to change Gotham and fight crime. Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack brings the world to life and though we don’t get enough time with him as a rogue Murphy’s Scarecrow is iconic and defeats Batman early on in his investigation. In the end what keeps it from perfection is Ra’s was already defeated when Bruce saved his life after rejecting the League of Shadows so him being defeated again wasn’t a surprise as Bruce was already the better fighter at that point. The pacing is also slow at times and there are a few one-dimensional baddies. Still a favorite film though and an excellent start to “The Dark Knight Trilogy.”

Final Score: 9.8 / 10

Batman Begins (2005): The Power Behind Overcoming Fear and an Amazing “Batman” Film

3rd) The Batman (2022)

Directed by Matt Reeves

“The Batman” solves some of the problems I have with “Batman Begins” but also has problems all it’s own. This is also still a favorite movie and gives the realest feeling Gotham since the Burton films. This is Batman 2 years in as he must uncover the Riddler’s plot and save Gotham. This is a disconnected and lonely Bruce Wayne who slowly comes to realize just how much he needs people. He also goes through an arc where he questions his role as vengeance as it was vengeance against Gotham’s corruption that the Riddler built his movement on. Speaking of which like Nolan’s iconic villains Reeves has them too. Paul Dano’s broken Riddler makes sense as a villain inspired by Batman’s crusade and his story mirrors Bruce’s in other ways too. We also get another great Catwoman in Kravitz and another great Penguin in Colin Farrell. This is a film that though a dark Noir captures the hope that defines Batman as more than just a dark avenger and I can’t wait to see where Reeves takes his world from here. What keeps it from perfection is pacing and a character they bring in near the end. Still very much a favorite film though.

Final Score: 9.8 / 10

The Batman (2022): An Amazing Noir Exploring the Path from Vengeance to Hope

2nd) The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

“The Dark Knight Rises” is a flawed, amazing film that is one of my all-time favorites. This is a film where Bruce Wayne has an actual arc and a chance to grow beyond his mission and gives us a dark reflection of who he could have become in Tom Hardy’s iconic Bane. Bane breaks Batman and Gotham which makes the path of both healing all the more powerful as Bruce Wayne finally learns to trust, love and live again and Gotham finally faces the lies that had lead to the false peace in the city. The truth transforms characters as they show they can be more than just defined by the masks they wear. Hathaway gives an amazing performance as Catwoman too and has an arc going from selfishness and survival to fighting with Batman to save Gotham. All this of course elevated by Zimmer’s amazing score. I love this film and it and “The Dark Knight” are the films in “The Dark Knight Trilogy” that I can watch on their own where “Batman Begins” just leads me to rewatching the Trilogy. What keeps it from perfection for me is the Talia reveal and some stilted writing.

Final Score: 9.9 / 10

The Dark Knight Rises (2012): A Fantastic Film Exploring the Power of Ideas, Consequences of Lies and Finding Resolution

1st) The Dark Knight (2008)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

“The Dark Knight” remains the best Batman film for me. This is a film that defined the ideological struggle between Batman and the Joker so well. Hell, Heath Ledger’s performance was so iconic and powerful it has informed every Joker interpretation since both in comics, television and film. The story is a masterfully done tragedy that pushes Batman to his limits as we see Harvey Dent’s fall into Two-Face when he loses all hope in the system and comes to believe in only chaos and chance. We also see the possibility of hope too as the Joker’s experiment fails showing that Gotham isn’t only defined by fear and corruption but also courage, empathy and strength. This ideological fight works in the mob story seamlessly too while never losing site of the characters who drive the story in Batman, Jim Gordon, Two-Face and the Joker. All this is of course elevated by the amazing Hans Zimmer score. I’ll be surprised if any future Batman films can top this one and it is a film I always enjoy returning to rewatch.

Final Score: 10 / 10

The Dark Knight (2008): A Masterpiece That Explores Virtue, Liberty and the Nature of Humanity

This is my list and I’m curious what yours might be. Even in live-action there have been so many Batman stories and I can’t wait to see the stories that are told next.

Army of the Dead (2021): Strong Core Cast That Uses the Premise Well

“Army of the Dead” is a good but flawed film. The beginning and ending stretch on way too long but when the core plot and premise are being explored with the amazing cast of characters the film is fantastic. This is a zombie film that does something new with zombies while also giving us a fun heist thriller. These elements play together beautifully especially with how Snyder shoots action to capture the scenes. Suffice to say if you like zombie films or heist films you will find something to enjoy here.

The film was directed by Zack Snyder who co-wrote the film with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold.

Casino owner Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) approaches Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) to recruit a team to steal $200 million from his vault before the U.S. Military nukes Las Vegas for becoming zombie infested. Scott agrees to the job and recruits his team for the mission.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Premise – The whole idea of robbing a casino during a zombie apocalypse is amazing. Both those types of movies can be fun in the right hands and Snyder manages to capture what makes both of those types of movies fun. We are given a fun cast of characters and some amazing zombie actions and betrayals to keep the stakes high.

The Action – Zack Snyder knows how to do action and this film has so much fun with it. You get the slow action sequences and lots of different tactics at play from both the zombies and the heist team. This film is full of tension and that is largely due to how Snyder executes the action in this film.

Bly Tanaka – Hiroyuki Sanada is the man who puts Scott Ward up to the mission as he is a billionaire who knows about the millions in the safe but is also double-crossing the team as he sends his man Martin whose actions put the team at risk leading to their deaths. He is a fascinating villain and Sanada carries each scene he is in easily. The guy is amazing.

The Alphas and Zombies – This film does an interesting thing with zombies as we have one who escapes after the military convoy transporting it is destroyed. This Alpha zombie can create others like it capable of strategy and is even capable of recreation. They are a huge threat and it is fascinating seeing the society in action as the other “shambler” zombies seem to worship their leaders. They remain a consistent threat through the entire film and in the end we get a hint they may return.

Scott Ward’s Heist Team – The Heist Team is fantastic and mostly works. Standout characters are the sarcastic Tig Notaro playing Marianna Peters the pilot, Ana de la Reguera as the mechanic and second-in-command Maria Cruz, Nora Arnezeder as the “coyote,” Omari Hardwick as Vanderohe as the philosopher and warrior and and Matthias Schweighöfer as Dieter the nerd and safe-cracker for the mission. Bautista is fantastic as Scott Ward too shows just how well he can play emotionally heavy scenes while also leaving room for his amazing co-stars. The team is what carries the film as the start is a bit slow as is the ending when everyone starts dying.

Okay:

The Ending – Vanderohe survives but finds he is bitten when he is leaving Utah on a private jet and Scott Ward’s daughter survives. I wish Vaherohe wasn’t bitten but it plays into if they want to make a sequel as now you have “Zombie World” or “Zombie Country” as the next film if it is taking the “28 Days Later” to “28 Weeks Later” later approach.

The Cons:

Martin – Tanaka’s man is obviously evil and has no subtle or redeeming qualities. He is bad from the get-go and our surprised our competent team didn’t do more to neutralize this guy before he put them all at risk. He does get his comeuppance though when the zombie tiger eats him at the end as he is escaping.

Pacing – The pacing is bad at the beginning and the end. The beginning could have been cut in half and still worked for what it was trying to do and takes way too long to get to the opening. Same goes for the end as it could have ended at a few scenes but Snyder keeps going.

Some of the Dialogue / The Opening – The dialogue is bad in this which doesn’t help the opening. You have a couple who just married in Vegas who cause the accident of the military convoy in a cringey way and the dialogue between the soldiers in that convoy is awful. We really don’t get competent dialogue until we are with Scott Ward and his team.

This was a good film that had the potential to be great if it had just tightened the pacing at the beginning and ending of the film. I also wish more characters had survived but this is a zombie film so I wasn’t really expecting that. If you are looking for a fun escape and want to see some great action as a fun cast of characters kills zombies while trying to rob a casino than chances are you will enjoy this film like I did. I definitely recommend checking it out.

Final Score: 8.4 / 10

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021): The Strength is in the Details

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is a film that I did not expect to like as much as I did. I enjoyed “Man of Steel” and hated “Batman v. Superman” and on top of that the studio’s Frankensteined version that originally came out was the only film I hated enough to walk out on it was so awful. This film solved those issues in regards to the initial walkout though. Basically reshoots and studio interference are death for any vision. I will sit through a flawed awful film if in the end it is still consistent as a story in tone and narrative. This film has that and is really good. It is only in the flaws of prior films where the flaws really come to the surface and if you are willing to sit through a 4 hour film, this is well worth your time.

The film was directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio.

The film follows Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) as he attempts to remake the world in the image of his world Apocalypse as Bruce Wayne / Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince / Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) unite meta-humans in an attempt to stop him.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Soundtrack – Thomas Holkenborg also known as Junkie XL’s rocking soundtrack works well here at elevating action scenes and expressing the stakes. This film is slow and reflective for characters (it is 4 hours long) and his soundtrack embraces this as he adds to the emotion of what the characters are going through.

The Tone – Unlike the trash original “Justice League” that took jokes and cleverness for character development this one has a somber tone and sticks to it. This film feels like the world is at stake and we see that in the characters and their relationships. This made the film work and fixed the tonal clashes of my initial experience of the Snyder/Whedon/Studio Theatrical cut.

The Action – The action is good and unlike the awful CGI scenes of the theatrical cut, this all looks good. When Steppenwolf hits people with his axe, you feel it. The Paredemons feel like a threat as well as you see them successfully defeat people throughout the film. We also have real stakes. No scenes felt staged like Batman and the thief in the original. Every action scene advances character or plot and you learn something you didn’t know before. Each fight with Steppenwolf is interesting and has loss and stakes. It isn’t just a videogame cutscene. You get to see the character relationships and what the loss of people means.

The Minor Characters – The minor characters are one of the strongest parts of this film. Whether it is Commissioner Gordon, Oliver Stone, Alfred or Queen Hippolyta…each of their scenes advance the plot. The only characters who don’t really work are those tied to Superman, which I will mention later.

Queen Hippolyta – Queen Hippolyta is awesome! In this we see just how much she is willing to risk to stop Steppenwolf as well as how connected she is to her people. She holds her own against the Old God on multiple occasions and seeing her in the original battle in the flashback gave power to how much Steppenwolf has to fear in her. Connie Nielsen gives her so much empathy as we see her fight to save as many of her people as she can and send the warning signal to her daughter Diana.

Commissioner Gordon – I hope we get to see more J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon as the scenes he has here he obviosuly shines in. He is one of my favorite actors and he is one of the few people besides Diana Prince and Alfred who can call Bruce Wayne out. I’d say just to see him and some of the other minor character again I’d want to see DC let Snyder finish this Trilogy of “Justice League” films.

Alfred Pennyworth – Jeremy Irons was one of the few things I liked in “Batman v. Superman” and he continues to shine here as we see him be standoffish with the rest of the Justice League but grow to trust them. His heart is looking after a man who has a death wish and because of that you can get how broken he is. In this his mini-arc is finding that reason to some degree as he sees he is no longer Bruce Wayne’s only confidant.

Steppenwolf and the Old Gods – We get DeSaad as the voice of Darkseid and Granny Goodness at the end besides Steppenwolf attempting to get back into Darkseid’s good graces. The motivation is very Ronan from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy” without the betrayal. For this reason I was interested. Why do they follow Darkseid? For me the mystery worked here as we saw that Steppenwolf’s entire motivation was to please. Also, the Old Gods have fascinating lore I’d recommend to any comic readers.

The Justice League – The Justice League finally works in live action with the core team! I mean I didn’t even make it to the united team the writing and filming was so bad in the original cut but here I cared about most of them. The weakest link ends up being Superman, which I will get into later.

Arthur Curry / Aquaman – Aquaman does not feel like a bro in this. You see how he goes out of his way to help isolated communities and how conflicted he is between being an Atlantean and human. Here the conflict works and it strengthens Jason Momoa’s characterization unlike the drinking douchebro cut that didn’t even show that the community he was helping was cut off from the world. The strength is in the details and this film fills those details in. I cared about Aquaman and found him more likable here than in his own film.

Barry Allen / The Flash – Ezra Miller’s Flash still has some cringe in this but he mostly works as this is a somber film so we get more than jokes. His scene with his dad in prison was powerful and I wish we had got his origin story. He goes back in time in this and I feel like him experiencing the Speedforce was needed for that step. In this film we don’t get his relationship to the Speedforce so it doesn’t work the way it did in the CW “Flash” show.

Bruce Wayne / Batman – Ben Affleck is good in this. This is clearly a Batman living with major regret after “Batman v. Superman” so I get why he is risking his life and going martyr complex in the final battle. I also like that the team came to save him and Superman forgave him. All these contributed to his character growth. I also liked the romantic tension between him and Diana Prince as it showed both of them healing but their core trust issues.

Victor Stone / Cyborg – After everything Joss Whedon put Ray Fisher through I’m glad he got to be fully explored as a character here. Here he is a stronger character than Batman and the Flash as we see how his relationship to his parents defines him and his noble nature as he hacks the bank to help a single mom and risks his life to stop Steppenwolf. This is my favorite version of the character besides “Teen Titans” and here he has the depth and nuance you don’t see in the DC animated films. I hope we get to see Ray Fisher play him again. He is awesome.

Diana Prince / Wonder Woman – Gal Gadot is still the best part of the DCEU for me. I thought for her films are flawed but great and here seeing her avenge her people with the killing blow to Steppenwolf as well as her growing relationship with Bruce Wayne worked. She has been around for so long and because of it knows the Old Gods lore but isn’t defined by it. She is what Superman could be if he chose to be human, for whatever reason that isn’t what Snyder hasn’t chosen so Wonder Woman has picked that up, whether it is saving civilians and taking the time to listen to someone she saved or taking on Steppenwolf and the Old Gods…she walks both worlds in a way Superman in the DCEU has never been able to.

The End of the World Epilogue – In the epilogue we get a dream sequence from Batman where he is with Mera, Flash, Cyborg, Deathstroke and the Leto’s Joker as they all work together to stop a Superman who is serving Darkseid after Lois is killed. It is full “Injustice League” universe and I liked it as this potential future would be fun to explore in a mini-series or film. This combo of characters is intriguing and shouldn’t work so I’m curious how they’d “Mad Max” it and win against Superman who shows up at the end to fight them before Bruce Wayne wakes up from the vision.

Martian Manhunter – Martian Manhunter shows up voiced by Harry Lennix who appeared in both prior Superman related films as a military leader. He is a great actor and seeing him in that role as appreciated as Martian Manhunter is one of my favorite DC characters. I wish he’d been in the final battle though.

Heroes and their Dads – This film is all about dads and their relationships to their sons. Victor makes peace with his dad over the course of the film before he dies, Barry is motivated to save his dad in prison and in the aftercredits Joker even calls out Bruce for letting Robin die as he was his surrogate dad. Steppenwolf also treats Darkseid as a dad he wants to be back in the good graces with. Dads define this film film and it adds nuance to a lot of these characters.

The Cons:

Flash and the Speed Force Setup – So Flash just knows the Speed Force and this film never explains it. We get how Darkseid, Mother Boxes and so much other stuff works but Barry Allen’s origin is never explained or shown. This makes his reversing the heroes loss feel hollow, which is basically the Flash tripping at the end. Everything was there and this could easily have been a 3 minute scene to fix.

The Superman Motivation Hole – Superman comes back with no memories and is destroying the Justice League until Lois Lane shows up. Why he remembers her or showing he remembers her is never shown. This is a huge hole given that Cyborg had visions of Superman serving Darkseid ending the world if he is brought back. So this motivation hole is still there. The how he remembered is still a major issue the film never addresses.

Lois Lane and Martha Kent – Zack Snyder films are terrible at writing women. This is me just taking “Man of Steel,” “Batman v. Superman” and “Watchmen” into account, which is my experience with Snyder’s films. Lois and Martha are mourning figures with no agency. The world is burning around them and the only moment of character is Lois saving Bruce from Superman…that is it. It is brief and we don’t get her motivation either. Superman and everyone he is connected to is the weakest part of this film.

This was a really good but flawed film. I respect it being broken up into parts and the fact that Zack Snyder made this in honor of his daughter is powerful. This is the film that the theatrical cut should have been. There is tone, motivation and heart here that didn’t exist in the studio monstrosity of the original. Seriously, if you are a DC fan and are good with watching a 4 hour film this is well worth your time. I look forward to watching this film again if sequels aren’t made and this is the final. This film is flawed, good and a favorite DC film after today.

Final Score: 8.7 / 10 I would watch this again. It is good, flawed but works.

Here was my experience of the original “Justice League” film: https://cameronmoviesandtv.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/i-walked-out-of-justice-league/

Wonder Woman (2017): DC Finally Finds a Hero

     “Wonder Woman,” is a great. I just need to put that out there now before I get into the reasons why because it really is amazing and if you like comic book or super hero films you will enjoy this film. DC has been having a hard time finding heroes, Superman doesn’t really save anyone in the films he’s been in and when he does it is in a somber way, almost like he hates it…and Batman is beating up criminals and leaving them to die in prison so he isn’t exactly what I’d call a hero either as we never have the chance to connect with the people he is supposedly protecting. Wonder Woman changes all of that in her film. DC finally gives us the much needed hero which in turn may save their cinematic universe.

The film was directed by Patty Jenkins, written by Allan Heinberg and produced by Zack Snyder, Richard Suckle, Deborah Snyder and Charles Roven.

The story involves Diana (Gal Gadot) who is pulled into World War 1 when spy Steve Trevor’s (Chris Pine) plane crashes near her home, the Island of Themyscira. Going against the wishes of her mother Queen Hippolyta, she joins him to seek out and destroy Ares, who she believes is responsible for the War and the peace broken on her Island when Steve arrived.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros: The Premise – The premise is wonderful as we get a fish out of water story as Diana and her Island are outside of the world in a magic bubble. This leads to some great moments where Diana has to adapt to a world full of technology where there is patriarchy in all power structures and her very existence upsets them (as she is a princess from a Matriarchal Island). The premise is not only her hunting down of Ares but her own self discovery and finding her purpose and living what it means to be a hero.

The Universe – Themyscira (the Amazon Island) is an amazing place that looks like an ancient Greek isle where women outside of time train and fight and have representatives and well as Queen ruling them…we have World War 1 and see the horrors of trench and chemical warfare and we have Diana in the present, unaged showing that even as he has changed she is still the Amazon who left that Island long ago.

The Characters – The characters are the best part of the film as each of them reveals contradictions about themselves. Diana is confident and driven, but also unsure and can easily despair. Steve is a spy who lies, smuggles and kills but also will risk everything to stop the greater conflict and the other side characters reveal things about themselves too. My favorite character was Queen Hippolyta’s sister Antiope (played by Robin Wright) who is the Amazon General and went against the rules to train Diana and in the end dies preparing Diana for the fight against Ares…and the commandos who go with Steve and Diana are amazing too as each of them is broken and courageous, each in their own way.

The Horrors of War – The horrors of war and despair it can bring are handled really well in this film. One of the characters we follow has PTSD and another lost his dream when the Great War began. Diana also loses her mentor, her Aunt Antiope to a German soldier when Steve’s plane crashes near the Island…and at one point in one of the best parts of the film, Diana breaks the No Man’s Land in the trenches and saves a starving village…only for the Germans to gas the village…There is so much despair and the hope that we see are in the acts of saving others or simply surviving. War is hell, and this film presents it beautifully.

Okay: The Villains – There is Doctor Poison who we never get to know but is a sociopath only wanting to kill and destroy, we have a war obsessed German General who hams it up well enough but is forgettable…and of course Ares who appears first as an ally and reveals that he didn’t have to corrupt humanity much at all, just push their own destructive urges. Ares is the best of the lot but even he could have been explored a lot more. Each of these villains have potential but like Marvel Phase 1 Villains they are disposable and fail to enhance the story.

The Message – The message is one of hope and love (which is alright in presentation, but seems to have been completely forgotten in her exile) and a call for equality (the message that worked) as Diana simply by existing and standing up for herself, changes the circumstances of those around her. In speaking up and taking action she is the hero…whether it is to Ares, her mother or the British and German Generals.

The Cons: Bullet Time – The action overall would be great if not for the bullet time. There are so many scenes were the action is slowed down and it just hurts the film. There is no reason for them to do this and it doesn’t add anything to the story and just distracts from whatever the focus in the scene should be. This is a Snyderism that should be used sparingly, if used at all.

Diana’s Exile – After Diana defeats Ares, she goes into exile. We never find out what she was doing in between World War 1 and “Batman v. Superman” but for a movie that had her say her message is to bring hope and love to the world…we don’t see any of that and her making that her thesis statement should have been shown, rather than her going underground and only becoming Wonder Women at the end of “Batman v. Superman.”

This movie won’t be in my Top 5 of the year, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is still a favorite. This is a movie that remembered what it means to be a hero as the whole point of Diana joining our world was to protect the weak and fight for the innocent. This was something DC forgot when they started their cinematic universe to compete with the MCU. I hope going forward they can remember it. This is a movie I highly recommend and I hope it not only changes the DC universe but gives us more heroes like Diana in future films as we finally see more of the amazing women that populate the world of heroes.

Final Score: 9.4 / 10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – A Good Batman Story Trapped in a Terrible Film

      “Batman v Superman” is a terrible film. There is a good film in here (“The Dark Knight Returns” and what could have more fully come with that) but all that is drowned out in the baggage of Lois and Clark and anything involving some of the worst villains I have seen on screen. Lex Luthor and Doomsday are absolutely terrible characters and I never felt threatened or interested in them due to how they were written and portrayed. This is a film that tried to do so much and ended up completely failing because of it.

     The film was directed by Zack Snyder and wrote by David Goyer with Chris Terrio. The film was produced by Deborah Snyder and Charles Roven.

     The story starts with “Man of Steel” leaves off with Bruce Wayne witnessing the destruction of a Wayne Tower by Superman in the “Battle for Metropolis,” after saving people he is filled with hate towards Superman and thinks he is a threat that must be dealt with. Elsewhere Lex Luthor plots Superman’s destruction as well.

The Pros: The Cinematography – Visually, this film like “Man of Steel” is beautiful. The dark color pallet creates a visually stunning film that Larry Fong truly did a masterful job portraying. It looks like comics turned film, which is one of the few things this film has going in it’s favor.

The Soundtrack – Hans Zimmer once again creates a beautiful score and with Junkie XL we actually get some pretty rocking pieces…for example Wonder Woman has a fantastic theme that really captures the power of her character.

Perry White – Fishburne is finally allowed to do something! I really enjoyed the small role he played in this as the cynical editor of “The Daily Planet” who knows he is in a dying industry so is making the most out of what is profitable.

Alfred – Jeremy Irons is a great Alfred. His wit is dry and sharp and you can tell that he’s given up on helping Bruce Wayne move on so simply does what he can to protect him and help him realize the bigger picture. He really is an awesome character and I wish we’d gotten more time with him.

Bruce Wayne / Batman – Ben Affleck is a fantastic Batman and I can’t wait to see his solo outing. He potrays Batman who has lost all sense of grounding and has gone full Punisher so well…this is the Batman of “The Dark Returns.” He’s lost everything and is ready to do anything to protect his city and people, even if it means killing an unknown quantity like Superman. From his branding of criminals, to his shooting of minions…this Batman has lost all hope and really doesn’t reclaim any sense of self until the very end.

Against Authority and the Corruption of Power – A running theme is one of anti-authority and a critique of power, especially that which is absolute. We see the government hearings, Batman and Lex attempt to hold Superman’s power in check, while in the case of Lex and Batman they were already a corrupt power already out for themselves…in this way there really aren’t any heroes. No one is there to protect the innocent and reel unchecked power in, and that is the true tragedy of the film as this should have been what the film was about with a moral Superman and vigilante Batman.

Okay: Wonder Woman / Diane Prince – We don’t get to know Wonder Woman all that well except to learn she was around in World War 1 and is a Meta-human. She has an awesome theme song though and the scenes we have with her are alright. I’m interested in her solo film at least.

The Cons: Lois Lane – Lois continues to be a cipher and plot device and I couldn’t stand her character. She never brings up Jimmy Olsen or his death or asks Superman why he isn’t looking at the bigger picture beyond her, she’s part of the problem with Superman and that never gets called out. She is a core reason why he’s so selfish.

Martha Wayne – Martha is just kind of there and also enabling Superman’s lack of growth as she tells him that he owes humanity nothing (um, Earth is his adopted world so he owes it by being a part of it) and she like Lois just needs to be saved and focuses as a cliched plot device.

Superman / Clark Kent – This guy is a cipher who can only see Lois and random people on television tops. I thought he’d seek to write the wrongs of the battle of Metropolis but instead he spends all his time being selfish and not taking those who may die in his fights into account. He has no moral high ground over Batman and is just as bad. If Lex had actually been a well written character I would have been rooting for him to kill this guy.

Doomsday – Boring villain who looks like a giant Cave Troll and gets more powerful when he is hit with energy. Seriously, he only exists to kill Superman. He wasn’t even needed in this as Batman could have killed Superman and realized his mistake…instead we get a villain that is poorly rendered CGI and has zero character.

Let Luthor – Where Doomsday has zero character Lex lacks a consistent character. I didn’t know why he wanted to kill Superman as him being anti-alien and super hero made no sense when he created Doomsday, his plots were also pointless too as Batman was already trying to kill Superman. Jessie Eisenberg is just awful. Seriously, this guy annoyed me more than Sandman and Venom in “Spider-Man 3” and Doctor Doom in the “Fantastic Four” films. One theory is he is Lex Jr. and the real Lex Luthor is still in the wings, I hope so because this guy is an inconsistent joke who comes off as a really poor rendition of the Joker.

Lack of Focus – There are three films in this. The Batman film, which is good. The Justice League film which goes from okay to bad, and the Superman film which is just terrible. Either one of these films on their own could have been a favorite, or at least enjoyable yet flawed like “Man of Steel.” Instead it all feels rushed and I found myself face palming and sighing multiple times during this film. I didn’t care about the characters because we were never given time to, or in the case of Superman and his villains…they were so poorly written no amount of time could have fixed it.

The Ending – Superman dies but maybe isn’t dead, he sent Lois a ring proposing to her, Lex says a bigger bad is coming from beyond the stars and Wonder Woman and Batman work on forming the Justice League to honor Superman…None of this worked.

  This is a film that could have been great. Had we gotten a story that only involved “Batman v Superman” and was Snyder’s “Dark Knight Returns,” it would have been amazing! There would have been focus, there wouldn’t have been the baggage and clutter and the larger themes wouldn’t have become lost within this mess of a plot. I don’t recommend this film at all, Affleck is not reason enough to see this film, just wait until the stand alone “Batman” film is released. This film is loud, pointless and the good of Batman is not enough to offset the cluttered story, terrible villains and bland Superman. I seriously don’t recommend this film. Not worth your money or time. Zack Snyder should have just done his version of “The Dark Knight Returns” or done another solo Superman movie.

Final Score: 5 / 10 For the good Batman story in the mess.

Man of Steel (2013): Great Villain, Bland Leads and a World Worth Exploring

   “Man of Steel” is a controversial film, and after seeing it I get why. This is a film that isn’t a favorite, but I didn’t hate it either. I found the main leads boring but I found the world they inhabited fascinating, and I did enjoy the villain a lot. I found the writing clunky but the cinematography and score helped counter that in some ways…this is film that I’m torn over a little bit and at the end of the day, I did enjoy…even if I’m not likely to see it again anytime soon. What lead me to checking out this film is I plan on reviewing “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” soon and since that is a direct sequel to this film, I figured I should do my research and finally watch it.

      The film was directed by Zack Snyder and written by David Goyer and Christopher Nolan with the producers being Charles Roven and Deborah Snyer, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas.

     The story involves the origin of Superman (Henry Cavill) in regards to his childhood and the fall of Krypton leading to General Zod (Michael Shannon) returning to Earth in order to shape the planet into a new Krypton.

  The Pros: The Cinematography – Amir Mokri does a fantastic job on the cinematography and shows us a dark world full of life and color. We see it in the adventures in the wilderness with Superman and at the beginning especially when alien Krypton and it’s destruction is shown to us.

The Soundtrack – Hans Zimmer creates a masterful soaring score that really captures the promise of Superman and also the danger of the villains he faces. These are aliens who are as powerful as the best of humanity’s tech and the score captures the alienness of Krypton and those who come from it, even Superman.

The Universe – I like this Universe. I found Krypton very cool, from the High Council, the Military, the fact that people are raised to be in certain roles (creating a caste system) and how Jor-El’s heresy leads to Superman’s creation and also the destruction of Krypton’s people, culture and world as a whole. I also like how humanity fears Superman…it feels believable and from that Superman’s vulnerability and inability to really save people as he doesn’t understand his power fully.

Krypton – This is my third timing mention Krypton, but it is worth doing so. I loved Krpyton’s design and the technology on the planet as well as the mixture of biology and tech. This was a world that I wanted to spend more time in and would have watched and loved the movie if it just took place here and wasn’t about Superman at all until the very end.

Jor-El – Russell Crowe was great as Superman’s dad. He was easily the best actor in this and the writing for him felt the most natural. His personal relationship and rivalry with Zod was fantastic too and I like how they had a grudging respect for one another, even up until the end. They were equals and in the end both were destroyed because of it.

General Zod – Michael Shannon is awesome! I really want to see this guy in more films after this. This is a guy who could ham it up and have an aura of fear and crazy about it. He reminded me of Jeffrey Dean Morgan who played The Comedian in “Watchmen.” I wanted to know this character more and he truly felt like a threat the entire time. I got why Superman couldn’t save people and had to kill him, as long as this guy lived Earth would be under threat of total annihilation and he’d do it and could do it, even without his technology.

General Calvin Swanwick – Harry Lennix is great in everything I’ve seen him in. He gives character and depth to a role that would usually be stock in any other film (and was for all the Daily Planet folks and the Kents). I hope he’s in “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Okay: Superman – Cavill is okay but he isn’t given the chance to show all that much depth. He’s sad and angry and we see him smile…once. I get being thoughtful but Cavill isn’t that great of an actor, thoughtful just ends up looking angry. He was one of the weakest but I at least got his motivation and his desire to look after those around him.

The Cons: Lois Lane – Lois Lane is a plot device in this. She is a living McGuffin that moves around plot points to advance the story. Poor Amy Adams…the one time she has a chance to do something (relationship with Superman) there isn’t any chemistry. She really wasn’t needed in this story and her role could be filled by anybody.

Perry White – Fishburne is a good actor but in here he is just a stock character type. The Daily Planet doesn’t really do anything and he like Lois Lane is there mostly to be saved by Superman….

Jonathan and Martha Kent – These two are the final stock types….there is paranoid Jonathan who wants Clark to keep his powers secret until he’s ready even if people die…and his Mom who is just kind of there and isn’t given anything to do. These folks felt like American^tm

Blatant Product Placement – Superman fights in the IHOP, used to work at the IHOP and over the course of the film there. This was super annoying and thankfully the action distracted from this because every time something came I couldn’t help but be annoyed…I get films need endorsements and money to be made, but this doesn’t have to “Transformers” level obvious.

      This is a deeply flawed but enjoyable movie. It makes me want to go back and check out other versions of the character from Bruce Timm’s version of the character, the original Superman of the films and even the very hated “Superman Returns.” I’ll admit he isn’t the guy I’m drawn to DC comics for. It is hard to tell a compelling Superman story as so much of what creates drama is the facing of adversity and if you are someone with only one weakness, it’s hard to create tension. In that way Superman is only as interesting as the world around him and I found the world around him in this fascinating, even if the character paled in comparison to the villain.

Final Score: 7.6 / 10