Movie trailers are like free samples at Costco: The good ones excite you and leave you wanting more, while the bad ones make you cringe. Each week, A&E columnist Matthew Fernandez will dissect movie trailers and analyze the Hollywood fare to come.
One is an alien, a god among men and a symbol of hope. The other is a creature of the night, an avenging angel and crusader for justice. Superman and Batman are two of the greatest heroes this world has ever seen.
When titans clash, the world trembles and geeks like me cry tears of joy when the final “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” trailer drops on the internet.
“Batman v Superman” explores what would happen if an older, jaded Batman (Ben Affleck) decided to take on a young, untested Superman (Henry Cavill). If the trailer is an accurate depiction, then it could be the best superhero film of all time.
I am one of very few people who was less than enamored by Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy. Before you all start jumping down my throat, I do not dispute that the first two were beautifully shot, intricately twisting pieces of cinematic gold. I respect how Nolan reinvigorated the superhero genre. But they were too far removed from the canon and made by a man who had never read a comic book. Seeing how Zack Snyder’s take on superheroes remains respectful to the source material really excites me.
The trailer opens with Batman taking on a gang of thugs in brutal fashion. In 20 seconds, it demonstrates the fluidity and range of motion of Affleck’s Batman, reminiscent of the Arkham video games. It is easily the best live-action Batman fight yet, far removed from the stiff, rubbery motion of Christian Bale and Michael Keaton. Little is shown of Superman fighting and even less of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), but the trailer and Snyder’s 2013 “Man of Steel” are good indications that the fight sequences will be expertly choreographed spectacles.
Despite the controversy behind his casting, I’ve been on team Batfleck since day one; I feel Affleck lends a suave gravitas and physical presence that Bale’s character lacked. Jeremy Irons is probably the most fitting actor to play Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s butler, aside from Michael Caine. Irons’ Alfred seems more involved with his master’s crime fighting than previous renditions, and it’ll be exciting to see him play a more active role in the film.
The one actor I’m not sure about is Jesse Eisenberg, who plays villain Lex Luthor Jr. Eisenberg is typically cast as a whiny weakling, for instance as Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network” and Blu in “Rio.”
When he was initially announced as the film’s villain, the internet exploded in anger. Eisenberg does not have the menace or charisma for such an iconic villain. But since Eisenberg is playing Luthor’s son and not the classic villain, I’m willing to give him the chance. With so many intense, hulking characters, the film could use a less physical presence to vary its dynamic.
In “Batman v Superman,” Wonder Woman will appear in a live action film for the first time.
Although the trailer briefly shows her flirting with Bruce Wayne and leaping into battle, I wish it could have hyped her up more. The superhero genre has been mainly dominated by male characters up to this point and more female representation is a refreshing and welcome change.
Aside from the opening fight sequence, the best part of the trailer was right around the two-minute mark, when an armored Batman stops Superman’s haymaker right in its tracks. For a die-hard Batman fan like me, the look of confusion and – dare I say – terror on Superman’s face is pure gold.
I admit I’m biased. I’ve been waiting for this movie ever since I saw the “Man of Steel” and the “Dark Knight” first meet in the 1997 cartoon “The Batman Superman Movie: World’s Finest.”
Both DC and Marvel are releasing films this year about warring superheroes, and “Batman v Superman” was originally scheduled to open on the same day as “Captain America: Civil War.” But when comparing the promotional material, DC’s film looks so much grander in scale and its heroes are of much greater renown.
March can’t come fast enough.
– Matthew Fernandez
Are you excited by the new trailer for “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?” Email Fernandez at mfernandez@media.ucla.edu.