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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Film Review: A Plot You Didn’t Like Doesn’t Equal No Plot

Posted on May 4, 2016 Written by Pinar Tarhan

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Image via http://www.joblo.com.

I watched Batman vs. Superman, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now, I get where the unsatisfied portion of comic fans comes from. It’s natural to expect loyalty to the source material. If I loved a book and they fundamentally changed things, I am bound to refuse to watch the result.

I saw the first scene from Runaway Jury, and I ran away. It wasn’t a bad scene. The movie has a great cast. It was based on one my favorite books: John Grisham’s Runaway Jury, and that was the problem. They changed what the main trial was about, and I lost my appetite. After loving Batman v Superman despite the negative reviews (mostly about how it defies who Batman and Superman are), I will shut my mouth and watch a well-rated movie with a cast I love. I will forget about the book, and then I will come back and talk about it.

But as I haven’t read the comics, I don’t have anything to compare the movie to other than the Batman and Superman movies I have seen, and I’ve seen them all apart from the one starring George. I have enjoyed Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and Christian Bale as Batman. And I totally loved Affleck too.

I grew up with Christopher Reeve’s Superman movies, but Henry Cavill did a good job in Man of Steel. Now, I would have enjoyed that film more if the battle scene and sounds were edited better and cut shorter. But overall, it was a fun experience. And movies cast like that help if you are a total movie geek and don’t mind mainstream stuff. Russell Crowe as Superman’s father, Michael Shannon as the main villain, Kevin Costner as the stepfather, Diane Lane as the stepmother? Oh, and Amy Adams is Louis Lane? That was a decent experience.

Some people hate director Zac Snyder as a principle, whether or not they liked 300. I don’t like 300, but Watchmen was a dark, decent and engaging film.

Then there are the massive directorial style differences between Snyder and Nolan. So everyone knew the movies were inevitably going to be different.

Now, there’s a line I heard over and over. Sometimes it was uttered to harshly criticize the movie. Sometimes to state the obvious in a neutral way: “This wasn’t like a Batman movie. Or a Superman movie.” Exactly!

It was a Batman vs. Superman movie. It had them both. It had a more depressed Batman (although Bales’ Wayne/Batman was no ray of sunshine either), and a Superman who was having a bit of crisis. What sane being, alien or human, would feel comfortable with being adored and feared by the masses? When his fathers are dead, and his girlfriend is constantly in danger to her personality and job? And now he has a vigilante out for him, whose psychology isn’t that far off when you consider his childhood, history with villains and most recently, the death and distraction he witnesses in the beginning of the movie? (Sure, letting us know Robin was dead would make it even more rational, but I do love Batman overreacting and being irrational. It suits the character.)

As far movie having no plot/ characterization, that’s ignoring a lot of elements. You may not like it. You might find some clichés although I can’t really think of superhero movies without them.) but tell me how this is not having a plot:

(There might be spoilers. And so many things happened, I might confuse the order of stuff and leave some things out.

About two years after Superman’s fight with, and victory against, General Zod, United States is polarized about Superman’s existence. People are bothered by his powers, and how he doesn’t answer to anyone. On the other hand, people he saved or people who witness his saves are more fans/worshippers.

One person who’s extremely mad is Bruce Wayne. He’s seen the destruction the battle has caused. He lost many employees. He saw the panic, fear and pain with his eyes. Of course, a saner person would blame it on Zod, but our Batman is prone to extreme reactions. (Didn’t he hide away for years in a previous movie?) So he obsesses over how to beat (and kill) Superman while increasing the violence in his vigilante ways.

Rich and psychotic businessman Lex Luthor wants to destroy Superman for his own twisted reasons and uses the government’s doubts and his resources to get his hands on a batch of kryptonite.

Distracting Wayne a little is a gorgeous woman who seems to be rich socialite of sorts and “steals” the info Wayne wanted to steal from Lex Luthor.

And there’s the fun irony that Clark Kent, Superman’s journalist persona, wants to go after Batman as he sees him as an uncontrolled vigilante who doesn’t care about collateral damage or ethics when going after criminals.

In their distracted states and crises, neither hero sees what Luthor is up to until it’s too late. Will they see they are on the same side before it’s too late?

*

I still left a lot of details out, but basically you have a decent plot with a solid antagonist who is working on unleashing a more dangerous creature just in case, a superhero trying to fit in and shaking off Bruce Wayne, a US senator (Holly Hunter) who undermines and underestimates a disturbed genius, and of course two protagonists who have to deal with a lot of demons, action and each other.

Yes, it’s not a Batman movie or a Superman movie. But it’s a great hybrid with a lot to offer if you don’t go into the movie expecting it be loyal to comic books.

It does however have more realistic superheroes in the sense that they have problems like the rest of us. Maybe it’s not money or health, but they grapple with who they are, what they should be doing and their levels of humanity.

And Jeremy Irons’ Alfred is like a combination of Michael Cain’s Alfred and Morgan Freeman’s Fox: butler, scientist and life coach with a snappy sense of humor. Frankly, I would watch a lot more Batman movies with that Alfred.

*

All in all, I think Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice is the Keanu Reeves of movies. People are polarized. As with Keanu Reeves, I like what we get.

What do you think?

PS Bang2write’s awesome Lucy V Hay has a great e-book on the movie. She basically evaluated the script. After reading it, I do agree with some of the scenes being redundant like the nightmares.

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: batman v superman, Batman v superman dawn of justice, batman v superman movie review, ben affleck, Henry Cavill, Jeremy Irons, Jeremy irons Alfred, lucy v hay, man of steel, zac snyder

Superman: Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill and A lot of Oscar Winners (&Nominees)

Posted on June 19, 2013 Written by ripitup

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man-of-steel-man-of-steel-henry cavill-russell crowe-michael shannon
Image via fanpop.com. From left: Russell Crowe, Henry Cavill & Michael Shannon.

 

On the Cast and Crew

I don’t think a comic book movie has ever seen such a cast. Superman’s father is played by Russell Crowe, stepfather by Kevin Costner, stepmother by Diane Lane, love interest Lois Lane by Amy Adams. The main villain is played Michael Shannon, one of the most gifted actors of his generation – who is better known for awesome low-budget films (Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter).

The special effects are pretty spectacular-to the point of being overdone, but then again it’s Zac Snyder (300, Watchmen). The story is written by David. S. Goyer (Dark Knight trilogy)  and Christopher Nolan (Memento, Inception, the Dark Knight trilogy…)

As a fan of the 70s/80s Superman series, (as horrible the effects seem today and the story isn’t cool, it holds a tremendous nostalgic value for me . After all, it was my first superhero movie, and Christopher Reeve was my first Superman).  And it is hard to fill in Reeve’s shoes as an actor (and as Superman)- he had this uniquely suave look about him, and he stood at 6′ 4″ (1.93 m). So you hardly questioned Lois being head over heels, or him being an alien with super powers

 

christopher-reeve-superman
The late Christopher Reeve as Superman. Image via allposters.com.

But then Henry Cavill came, having worked out so much that he could have been the next choice as Wolverine (pay attention to his look and mannerisms in the first rescue scene.) He looked the right amount of innocent, frustrated and otherworldly. Something I don’t think Brandon Routh was able to bring.

 

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Henry Cavill as Wolverine. Oops, I mean Clark Kent. 🙂 Image via celebuzz.com.

Yes, with such cast and crew, you’d keep your expectations high. And I’m thinking you are more likely to be impressed than disappointed. Let’s go over the plot before moving on to other thoughts:

Man of Steel Plot

Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife (Ayelet Zurer) manage to have the only naturally born son (Kal-El, later to be named Clark by his stepparents) in a long time in the dying planet Krypton. General Zod (Michael Shannon) tries to take over, hoping to save the planet under his rule. His hostility and betrayal aren’t approved by Jor-El, and he sends his son to earth, a plan he came up with his wife.

He sees that his baby leaves the planet safely, but ends up being murdered by Zod. Eventually Zod and his men are captured, sentenced to a very long time in a black hole.

Their capture doesn’t prevent the planet from ultimate destruction, however.

Later we meet the adult Clark (Henry Cavill) who has managed to keep his special abilities secret by working the odd jobs, and not staying in one place for too long.

Through flashbacks, we get to see how Clark struggled as a young boy to control and hide his abilities, but managed somehow through the guidance and support of his stepparents, Jonathan (Kevin Kostner)  and Martha Kent (Diane Lane).

Jonathan explains him that he came from another planet, though he doesn’t have a lot of details. He encourages him to keep his powers secret for the greater good of his planet’s and the earth’s.

The adult Clark’s final gig lands him in Canada, where Louis Lane of The Daily Planet is also on a case. When Lois follows Clark into the spacecraft (a vehicle that the army was trying to figure out), Clark gets to save her – revealing his powers, but not before having gotten the message of his biological father.

He leaves soon, and Louis writes about the mystery man. But when her boss (Laurence Fishburne) refuses to print it, she makes sure people hear her story via a conspiracy theorist. She later decides to track down the mystery guy herself. But when she finally finds him, he tells her about Jonathan and his doubts about the world being ready for someone like him. After this, Louis decides to keep his identity a secret, strengthening the bond already formed between them.

But things get out of her control when Zod announces that he’s coming to the earth with his men, and all he wants is the alien. And of course he won’t accept “no” in peace. This puts Lois at risk, and Clark knows better than to trust Zod.

And the real action/effects feast part of the movie start after we find out that Krypton’s demise has freed Zod and his men; and he intends to recreate Krypton on earth, while destroying humans…

 

*

Review

Man of Steel provides solid entertainment with substance.

It does a good job explaining the backstory and answering the questions of the superhero’s fans who don’t necessarily read the comics: Where does the name/costume come from, why there is an S symbol on his costume (and a lot of other places), how he “officially” became a hero among others.

It starts presenting Krypton in all its different glory and giving Crowe a piece of the action.

Then we move on to an adult Clark who has nothing to do with newspaper reporting or glasses, which is refreshing.

The movie does a fine job of balancing drama with action, though I have to say I prefer to part of the movie before Zod arrived in our world. Because the fight  sequences between Clark and Zod’s two soldiers took a bit too long for my taste- and as Transformers showed, too loud and long can be a major turn-off. And I can also say it for the final battle between Zod and Clark. However these are my only two complaints about the movie. I had a great experience. I can’t wait for the next installations.

I’m also happy to announce that the movie made more than half its budget at the box office on its first day. May Nolan and Snyder collaborate on more features.

How did you like the film?

 

Also on Kevin Costner:

The Company Men starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello & Kevin Costner

Nicholas Sparks vs Happy Endings- Kevin Costner’s Message in a Bottle

Kevin Costner: An Amazing Lead Who Should Just Stay Away From Sci-Fi

When Adultery is OK- Revenge (Movie Review of Revenge, Starring Kevin Costner and Anthony Quinn)

The New Daughter starring Kevin Costner

 

Also on Russell Crowe

The Next Three Days starring Russell Crowe & Elizabeth Banks: Emotional, Captivating, Entertaining

 State of Play starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel Mcadams and Helen Mirren

A Good Year starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard

A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris & Paul Bettany

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Amy Adams, Christopher Nolan, christopher reeve, christopher reeve as superman, Diane Lane, Henry Cavill, henry cavill superman, Kevin Costner, man of steel, man of steel cast, man of steel movie review, Michael Shannon, russell crowe, superman man of steel, superman man of steel movie review, zac snyder

Tristan + Isolde starring James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell & Henry Cavill

Posted on November 26, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Tristan and Isolde starring James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, Henry Cavill and Mark Strong
Tristan and Isolde starring James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, Henry Cavill and Mark Strong. A Kevin Reynolds film, 2006. Image via sinemablog.com

Britain, Dark Ages. Britain consists of several tribes, not united. Ireland is a lot stronger, and the Irish King is more than determined to keep it this way.

British young Tristan (Thomas Sangster – The Last Legion, Love Actually) father is for unison, and he wants Marke (Rufus Sewell) to be a king, as Marke is the strongest of the lords. However a meeting in favor of the unison gets interrupted when the Irish attack. Many are killed, including Tristan’s parents. Marke loses his hand, but manages to save Tristan’s life. Despite the losses, Marke orders that they rebuild. He loves and treats Tristan as he does his own son, Melot.

Years later, Tristan (James Franco) and Melot (Henry Cavill) grow up to be good fighters, soldier and friends; although Melot is upset that Marke seems to favor Tristan when it comes to leadership.

After another Irish attack takes place, Tristan manages to help save many lives but ends up poisoned. The poison makes Tristan appear dead and his “body” is sent out to the sea- ending up on the Irish shore. He is found by Princess Isolde (Sophia Myles) and her maid Bragnae (Bronagh Gallagher) find Tristan. Despite Bragnae’s concerns, Isolde hides Tristan and nurses him back to health. Her time with Tristan is the only time Isolde is happy, as her father the king is forcing her to marry one of his obnoxious soldiers. The only mistake Isolde makes with him is that she hides her real name. The two fall madly in love, but she doesn’t leave with Tristan when he goes back.

Back home, Marke is more than happy to see Tristan alive and well. Complications arise when as Marke’s trusted soldier and in favor peace, Tristan goes to Ireland and wins a tournament, so that Marke can marry the princess. But of course the princess turns out to be Isolde, and both their worlds come crashing down. Despite his love for Marke, can Tristan stay away from Isolde?

**

That wasn’t the entire plot summary, just the first third of the movie. Sorry, I got carried away but I just love Tristan and Isolde. It is a lovely period film with fine actors. I have always been a major Rufus Sewell fan and the movie has an additional bonus that is Mark Strong. I wouldn’t have picked another Tristan or Isolde. Both James Franco and Sophia Myles are pretty, passionate and emotional enough for their roles, although Henry Cavill is fun to have around as well.

The only part I don’t like about this love story is that, well, it turns into a tragedy because how foolishly Tristan and Isolde both act. Isolde should have told him her real name, at least when they parted. Or she could have just gone with him. It is not like her life was happy without him there. Or Tristan could have told Marke in the beginning. Or they could have just run away… Instead, they have to act all stupidly, thinking they are being heroic and self-sacrificing. ..Yes, I am more into happy romance stories but Tristan and Isolde is a good enough story, despite the unnecessary tragedies two of the main characters bring on themselves.

You need to see it, if you like a good period romance with fine acting and a decent story.

Franco is good at portraying different characters. I can’t wait to see his  127 Hours. You might remember Sophia Myles as Beth Turner from Moonlight.

Currently 7 on IMDB. 7 sounds just right. Directed by Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, The Counte of Monte Cristo.)

Other Posts on Rufus Sewell

The British Actors We Love feat. Rufus Sewell

The Woodlanders: A Gorgeous Rufus Sewell in an Awful Movie

In a Savage Land with Rufus Sewell

Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence: Fun romcom with Monica Potter, Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes

Vinyan starring Rufus Sewell

The Illusionist with Edward Norton, Rufus Sewell and Jessica Biel

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: action, adventure, Bronagh Gallagher, drama, Henry Cavill, James Franco, Kevin Reynolds, Mark Strong, movies, romance, Rufus Sewell, sophia myles, story of tristan and isolde, Thomas Sangster, tristan and isolde, tristan and isolde movie, tristan isolde, who were the characters of tristan and isolde

Stardust, The Air I Breathe, Playing by Heart, The Good Shepherd, Hairspray & He’s Just Not That Into You: 6 Good Movies with Brilliant Casts

Posted on April 10, 2010 Written by ripitup

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If you are anything like me, you have some actors whose projects really entertain you. But sometimes those actors come together to star in a film. So for instance what’s better than seeing Michelle Pfeiffer acting with Robert De Niro? Adding Mark Strong to the list. And you provide the comic relief with Ricky Gervais. Beauty? Siena Miller. New talent? Charlie Cox. Before you know it, you have one hell of a cast. Here’re my 6 favorite ensemble casts:

1) STARDUST

 

Stardust movie poster featuring: Claire Danes, Ricky Gervais, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Peter O' Toole, Sienna Mille, Mark Strong and Charlie Cox

 

Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Siena Miller, Charlie Cox, Ben Barnes, Ricky Gervais, Mark Strong and Henry Cavill.

 

Magical, thrilling, romantic and visually wonderful story of a young man (Charlie Cox) after a star (Claire Danes), the star co-operating so that she can go home, princes after a crown necklace and the witches after the star’s heart. For many more details, photos and trailer of Stardust:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/20-reasons-to-love-stardust/

 

2) Playing By Heart

Playing by Heart starring Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid
Playing by Heart starring Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid. There’s also Ellen Burstyn and Jay Mohr. I love this movie and the cast. Photo: http://www.moviegoods.com

Starring:Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, Dennis Quaid, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Gillian Anderson, Gena Rowlands, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, Ryan Phillippe.

It is romantic, sweet and at times really funny.  You can check out the plot here.

 

3) The Air I Breathe

The Air I Breathe. Starring: Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser, Forest Whitaker, Emile Hirsch, Julie Delpy, Kevin Bacon

 


Starring: Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Emile Hirsch, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

If you like any of these actors and enjoy intersecting stories, you will enjoy this one. Sure, the undertone is very dramatic and it is slightly depressing but it is hopeful. Love, hatred, depression, anger, revenge, fun, loyalty,….. You name the emotion and you will find the story. No event is unrelated here. Andy Garcia is the villain. Kevin Bacon plays a really nice guy. Refreshing, right?

4) The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro,William Hurt, Alec Baldwin, Lee Pace, Billy Crudup, John Turturro

 

 

Starring: Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Lee Pace, William Hurt, John Turturro, Billy Crudup and Alec Baldwin.

1960s. CIA agent Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) is faced with a crisis as some crucial information might be leaked to enemies. As the agents try to figure out who is responisble and who the info was given to, we start learning about Edward’s past with flashbacks going into the late 30s. We learn about what made he who he is from his childhood to his days at Yale, from the ww2 and onward. The cast is by far one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. It might be due to the fact that De Niro is the director. Great film. It is a drama thriller.

5) He’s Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You starring Jennifer Connely, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johannson, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long

Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johannson, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long

Don’t wait by the phone, don’t make excuses. If he is not calling you, he is just not that into you. Based on the refreshing relationships book by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo. Extendend review for both the movie and the book can be found here.

6)  Hairspray

Hairspray starring John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes
Hairspray starring John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes. Fun, colors, the hair and more fun…Photo: drkruznutty.files.wordpress.com

Now, you may have watched an Hairspray film made in 1988, written and directed by John Waters. And it is not that its cast is unknown, featuring names like Sonny Bono and Deborah Harry. However, you might realize that it was rated 6.8 votecd by over 8.000 people. However the Hairspray film that I’ll brag about I from 2007 and it is rated 7.2, voted over 40.000. So yes, we are facing a remake rated higher than the original.And I have no intentions of seeing the original.

Because John Travolta is a terrific actor and a singer and he is playing a woman! The wife of Christopher Walken! Absolute hilarity! And you have seen the cast, right? Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer makes a kick-ass bitch. James Marsden is a great actor, yeah- but here he shows us that he is an amazing singer too. And br ready to forgive Zac Efron for the Highschool Musical series. Yeah he still plays a guy in high school but the guy can sing rocknroll. Just forget about his pop idol/teenage-girl magnet reputation. If a guy can sing rocknroll well, he will have my respect. I also vote for the jet black hair.

If you aren’t entertained by this film-regardless of how you feel about musicals- I am sure what will put a smile on your face. Directed by Adam Shankman (A Walk to Remember).


Feel free to add your favorite ensembles. In the meantime, here’s a list of posts on these actors:

ANGELINA JOLIE:

Beyond Borders

Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life

The Most Gorgeous Women in Haollywood

Lee Pace:

Possession

The Fall

Soldier’s Girl

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

James Marsden:

Enchanted

24th Day

The Box

Julie Delpy:    

Before Sunrise

Before Sunset

Bradley Cooper:

The Wedding Crashers

The Hangover

Alias

Yes Man

Zac Efron:

17 Again

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Andy Garcia, Angelina Jolie, Ben Barnes, Bradley Cooper, Brendan Fraser, Charlie Cox, Forest Whitekar, Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, Jennifer Aniston, John Travolta, Lee Pace, Madeleine Stowe, Matt Damon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ricky Gervais, Robert De Niro, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scarlett Johannson, Sienna Miller, Zac Efron

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