Night is Darkest Before the Dawn?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might be my most anticipated film of the year. I loved Man of Steel but I always thought the idea of bringing Batman to square off with Superman as one gigantic mistake. Even I disliked the logo they showed during Comic-Con in 2013. But after two and a half years I probably have become accustomed to the idea. The first two trailers were solid and it sold me. I didn't see the one with Doomsday in it though, I actively avoided that one. The cast was pretty okay too I guess. With the exception of wild card Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Then again, I have become accustomed to the idea. Probably this would affect the film later on. I would be accustomed to the movie. But not right now.

So Bruce Wayne lost an old guy in the Metropolis battle, he disliked the idea of having Superman praised as a God. While Superman still performs his duties as a hero while also undergoing scrutiny for certain allegations that he killed innocents and he disliked the Batman being a violent night crusader. Then there's also Lex Luthor who found Kryptonite in the World Engine. Then Bat and Super fight. Joined by Wonder Woman. Wondering where's the coherence? That what I was looking for too.

Probably I went in with a really high expectation. I haven't been let down this much since I don't know. I'm disappointed with the film. There's so many potential there. I mean, the plot is not that bad either. It's just, they should be emphasized more, maybe packed differently. I know I could suggest some edits to certain parts. The talented cast was stranded save for Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and Jesse Eisenberg. I would love to see more of Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane and even Amy Adams, who's just there without doing much. The opening sequence was pretty cool. The fight in the end was also cool. The introduction to Wonder Woman is probably the coolest entrance ever given to a superhero character. I have that Wonder Woman theme song as my ringtone now. And I'll walk away from a flight casually with that song in the background.

There are many cool imageries that are literally on the screen. However, we lost the more subtle imageries like the symbols as seen in Man of Steel and in Nolan's trilogy. This one has become a straightforward comic book flick. This film played a really insider game, this film might not be accessible to kids because the story's too serious and it might not work with the general audience because it's too comic-bookish. I watch DC's animated films but sometimes it gets too comic-bookish and I don't even like it, and I don't like the comic-bookish feel of this film (you'll get what I mean if you see the movie). This film works like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, to world-build and tease for further installments. This one tried and pretty much failed. If you remember TASM2, which for the record I love, there were a lot of characters being introduced. But this film has even more which is already a burden to begin with. This film doesn't know the difference between tease and show. Let's tease the Justice League! I would tease by showing their logos. But this movie's idea of teasing is showing what/who they are. And fuck Cyborg. I hate him. Bring on the Martian Manhunter.

Let's talk about something good. Zack Snyder is still the master of visuals. I like/love all his films and this one might rank lowest for me, and I love Sucker Punch. I'm an easy guy to please. He works best if given the right script and this one isn't right. Sorry, something good. Wonder Woman is awesome. Gal Gadot did a great job. Ben Affleck shut the critics, and how I wished we were introduced to him in a solo film prior to this one. All the cast is good. There are some good moments, but then again they are not explored well. They weren't given the time to sink to the audience. They were there and bam, gone, moving on. The fight scenes were functional at best. Man of Steel had the best, and I'm not exaggerating, best fight scenes in the whole superhero genre. This one had Batman beating up Superman with a sink. Something good, sorry. The opening scene was quite nice. Some scenes was good. Also the ending's pretty good for a messy movie like this. It keeps you curious for the next one. But it's kinda classified for spoilers. Like I said, this movie might work better as soon as I have become accustomed with it. Just like we all have been accustomed to the idea of this movie two years after it was announced. Probably this wasn't even the dawn of justice. I hope this is still the night. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (by the way, still a really bad title): rated 2/4. (Frankly I could go lower but I love Batman & Superman so much that I just couldn't do it. Sorry. I couldn't stay objective this time).


Come to think of it, I probably enjoyed Green Lantern more. The last time I was this disappointed in a film was probably Wrath of the Titans. But it's like comparing apples to watermelons. I was disappointed in Transformers 4 but at least I know it's gonna be bad from the get go. It's really my fault, I went in with a very high expectation. Okay so, disclaimer: come with the lowest possible expectation. Think of it just Batman and Superman having a talk at the park.

But for now let me treat you with this gorgeous pic of Wonder Woman. Because even if I watch this movie again, Imma watch it for Diana.

Up next, is the promised 2015's bests.

Las Ketchup

I mean, let's catch up. It's probably these jokes that killed my blog. Anyway, it's been too long since I posted a movie review. I watched quite a lot of movies though. I caught up on Ron Howard's In The Heart of the Sea, which is quite a satisfying watch in my opinion, I was also the last man on Earth to see The Martian, and I watched Room just a couple of days ago. I don't know where to start.

Let's just divide the films I watched during these past few months in a ratings category and then I'll absolve my sins by stating my top picks for 2015 (which is supposed to be controversial because I haven't even seen The Revenant or The Hateful Eight).


Rated 2/4
- The Danish Girl
It's beautiful to look at and acted amazingly by Alicia Vikander. But Eddie Redmayne came off as annoying and the story that was supposed to be meaningful and moving just fell flat. I don't know if Einar is vocal to be a transgender or if he's just a bitch by default, it certainly is the latter in this film. It's harsh, sorry, I know I have to respect the LGBT community, but I'm just being honest. I'm sure the real Einar wasn't like the person portrayed in the movie.

- Crimson Peak
I also would like to love this film more but I just couldn't. The production design is stellar and awesome. The gothic feel of the movie was captured from the set and costumes. The actors are also amazing. But the story was quite frankly boring, uneventful and predictable. I know the ghosts are supposed to be a metaphor but it doesn't mean the movie should be moving as slow as those red ghosts are right? Nevertheless, I still love Guillermo del Toro and would like to see more original ideas like this.

- The Night Before
If you've seen the trailers, then you've seen the movie. This is not an exaggerated take on an overused statement, but it is the truth. This film is a film that does not know what to be. Is it a comedy? A drama? A sci-fi? It has a Hangover feel over the trailers but all we get is a by-the-numbers friendship drama that revolves around Christmas. Some parts felt stretched too long, some parts came out of nowhere. On that last part, something good came out of it: Michael Shannon. Best part of the movie. It struggled too hard to be that classic Christmas movie, but it did not know what to be at the first place.

Rated 2.5/4
- In the Heart of the Sea
I think this film is underrated. It came out the week before Star Wars so it was buried both in the box office and headlines. It is actually a solid film directed by a solid Hollywood director, Ron Howard. The cast is great with Chris Hemsworth at the lead. I'm so happy that Benjamin Walker finally starred in a major film after the amazing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The visual effects was great, and the film itself felt enormous but still, if explored more could be even more epic.

Rated 3/4
- Black Mass
A complete return to form from Johnny Depp. The true White Oscar snub. It is a performance that carried the whole film. Pair him with an underrated actor Joel Edgerton and you've got yourself a winner. Add that with a slew of amazing actors, and you've got yourself a solid film and a tense story acted greatly. My favorite among the supporting actors were Jesse Plemons and Dakota Johnson. Dakota Johnson, who single-handedly made Fifty Shades of Grey worth at least one go earlier this year, had two scenes in this film with Johnny Depp in his full make-up but can still be on the same level, that's just great.

- Brooklyn
It's undeniably a beautiful and good movie. I give a 3 out of 4 mainly if it's compared to the other 7 Best Pic nominees, it's the most bland. it does not mean the movie is bland, it's just a wonder for it to be nominated. It has a sweet screenplay penned by Nick Hornby, a great performance by Saoirse Ronan (in her original accent!), and an all-round beautiful cinematography that captured both the location and the mood of the lead actress. Wait, come to think of it, this is definitely a 3.5/4 film. Brooklyn: rated 3.5/4

Rated 3.5/4
- Bridge of Spies
YES. Another Steven Spielberg film this year. The subject of the story might be a bit boring but the film is beautiful. The look of the movie and the production design are great. Of course we also have the Oscar-winning performance from Mark Rylance, performing in a quiet but effective acting that is pivotal to the film. Tom Hanks also delivered a great performance.  The movie is just satisfying to watch while it definitely does not belong in among the other Spielberg greats.

- Spotlight
This is your typical best picture winner. It's a great movie but I don't believe it deserved the title. It has a tight script that keeps you wanting more and a great ensemble cast led by Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo. It's great to know that this film is written and directed by that guy who died on a freak accident in a modern ark to save humanity from doomsday in 2012. What a range. Anyway, Spotlight, while not a really really great film, is still an important film to address important issues of today.

- The Walk
JGL's French accent and constant narration from the top of the Statue of Liberty might be annoying. But once you saw through that, the film is stripped down to the most intense final sequence ever filmed. Ah also, you have too look past the awkward CGI during the first half of the film at least, because definitely all the CGI budget went to the final walk. That last sequence is just amazing it felt surreal. It felt super real. Great stuff.

Rated 4/4
- The Martian
Hands down the best sci-fi of 2015, or at least behind Ex Machina. Matt Damon gave a defining performance in a movie that relied solely on himself. Also with a bunch of talented supporting actors in it, the movie is just amazing. It is an effortless go by master director Ridley Scott who directed this film beautifully. Don't forget the amazing script by Drew Goddard too.

- Carol
Beautiful film. Great script. Beautiful direction. Amazing actors and actresses. Great cinematography. Great costume design. Surely this is among my 2015 greats. I don't even know how to describe more of this film. You know this is a lesbian film right, so you'll watch it anyway.

- Room
For me, this is the best picture of the year. It has a story that can move you, can leave you scarred, or it can leave you happy and inspired. Amazing acting by Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. Effective and outstanding direction from Frank director Lenny Abrahamson. The script is written by the woman who wrote the book herself too. Amazing film. A must-watch. Definitely. I'd rather watch this 10 times then see anything else.

You know that year recap might have to wait. I'm sleepy.