Following the successful premiere of Robert Kirkman's Outcast, television network Cinemax has got its eyes on adapting a second mature comic-book series: Brian Michael Bendis' Scarlet. Published by Marvel's icon imprint (which allows for creator-owned stories told outside of the Marvel Universe), Scarlet has been running since 2010 and tells the story of the titular Scarlet Rue who starts a modern American revolution following the murder of her innocent boyfriend by corrupt police officers.
Bendis made the announcement that the series was headed to television at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, but stressed that at this point it is only in the earliest stages of development. The writer, who has already seen two of his comics recreated for the small screen in the form of Netflix's Jessica Jones and the PlayStation Network's Powers, claims that the team developing this latest adaptation is set to be formally announced soon.
The Scarlet comic-book series has been greeted with a generally positive reception from fans and critics alike, and is illustrated by Bendis' frequent collaborator Alex Maleev. The series has an infamously slow release schedule, with only nine issues released since it began six years ago.
Just as it seemed videogame adaptation Warcraft was poised to flop magnificently, emerging box office powerhouse China swooped in to quite possibly change the story single-handedly. In just its first two days of release the film pulled in over $90 million in the country where MMORPG World of Warcraft has some of its strongest supporters. This impressive figure also comes packaged with some broken records, which may well give the critically-mauled film some good publicity going into its first weekend of release in the United States.
Warcraft not only boasts the highest two day total that China has ever seen ($90 million to the $88 million achieved by previous record holder Furious 7), but also holds the country's highest Thursday box office to date. The film brought in $46 million on its first day of release leaping ahead of Chinese film The Mermaid which opened with a $37 million Thursday earlier this year.
The fate of this movie may well rest on whether it can keep up this momentum in China, as at this point the film is set to be practically dead on arrival in the USA where it is predicted to open with a paltry $20-25 million. This figure pales in comparison to the $160 million price tag the movie carries with it, a number which doesn't include the advertising costs associated with the film. Estimates say that the film will need to make around $400 million in order to turn a profit. China is shaping up to be Warcraft's guardian angel and could well have a greater impact on its box office prospects than any other country on this green Earth, but that will depend on how quickly the film's takings drop. In some territories the film is looking to be quite front-loaded, opening impressively but quickly seeing its numbers plummet. If it pulls a repeat performance in China that could affect the film severely.
Still, that's a worry for the future; right now there's no doubt that Lionsgate along with Warcraft's other investors (many of whom are Chinese companies), are breathing a sigh of relief that this risky blockbuster is showing some signs of life overseas even if it doesn't appear to be in the US. That can be attributed at least in part to the lack of big name talent involved in the picture, and perhaps to moviegoers previous run-ins with videogame adaptations (of the thirty-two released up to this point, not one has been positively received by critics -- a trend which Warcraft has sadly been unable to break).
The second Robert Kirkman creation to be adapted for the small screen after the juggernaut Walking Dead series, got off to a solid start last night with its season premiere entitled 'A Darkness Surrounds Him'. The episode comes out of the starting gate strong with a chilling opening scene depicting possessed boy Joshua, which is anchored by a very impressive performance by the young child actor Gabriel Bateman. Bateman displays a great understanding of body language, changing his physicality just enough to seem unnatural but not exaggerating to the point where things become cartoonish. What this makes for is a very memorable performance, and a child actor who may have stolen the episode from his far more experienced adult co-stars.
Indeed, this episode does seem at its most effective during the claustrophobic nightmare-fuelling exorcism scenes, and ultimately loses its footing in the scenes between. The introduction of Patrick Fugit in the role of Kyle Barnes feels uninteresting, possibly not helped by the fact that it comes so soon after the aforementioned shocking opener. Barnes is a deeply troubled character with a horribly dark past but it feels as if Fugit perhaps doesn't have the acting chops to portray such a role, overshadowed by his co-stars in most scenes. It isn't until roughly halfway through the episode that the performance shows signs of life, when an interesting plot twist makes things even worse for the unfortunate Barnes. Fugit takes full advantage of this development, and shows a marked improvement in subsequent scenes. Still, by the end of the episode it remains unclear whether he was the best choice to lead this series.
Wrenn Schmidt and David Denman appear as Kyle's caring adoptive sister and her less understanding husband, but neither character leaves a lasting impression with both requiring a great deal more development over the course of the series. The pair give the best performances they can with what they're given, but of the adult cast it is Philip Glenister who comes out on top with his turn as the weary Reverend Anderson proving to be one of the episode's highlights. The Reverend is perhaps the most well defined and interesting character featured in the episode, feeling like a truly new creation rather than a more general archetype -- a point which many of the show's characters are yet to progress from.
This isn't helped by a script which wobbles at points with certain expository lines feeling forced in to speed up the plot, leading to awkward moments which can briefly take you out of the story. One has to wonder whether this was the right project for director Adam Wingard, whose recent projects The Guest and You're Next have both left room for comic relief and tongue-in-cheek moments, neither of which can be found in this dour episode. Wingard does a competent job drawing from his previous experience in the horror genre but fails to leave a distinctive impression.
Still, in spite of its flaws Outcast definitely has potential. Although this first episode doesn't do a tremendous job of developing its cast of characters, that isn't to say there won't be opportunities to do interesting things with them further down the line. Mysteries crying out for elaboration are healthily sprinkled in throughout this episode, while a reference to the impending and rather ominous sounding 'great purge' gives a clue as to where future episodes could be headed. The show shines in its pulse-pounding and visually arresting exorcism scenes, but should be careful not to lean to heavily on this aspect as overexposure could lessen their effectiveness. Flawed but ultimately an interesting watch, Outcast is definitely a show which should be on your radar.
After Legendary recently removed the Pacific Rim sequel from their upcoming release schedule, things were looking bleak for the Guillermo Del Toro creation and many suspected the follow-up would never make it to cinema screens. This wouldn't have been hugely surprising either as although the first film did make over $400 million worldwide, when you consider its colossal $190 million budget plus advertising costs that number becomes less impressive.
However, just when all hope was lost news broke yesterday that Pacific Rim 2 was indeed coming and in better form than many had dared hope. The sequel has bagged John Boyega for the lead role, an actor hot off his breakout role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens who has quickly established a sizeable fan following. He will be playing the son of Idris Elba's character from the first film, and will no doubt end up piloting one of the movie's gargantuan jaeger's by the time the credits start rolling.
No other plot or cast details were given, and so whether the sequel will also see the return of Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman and Ron Perlman remains to be seen -- but fans will be keeping their fingers crossed.
Guillermo Del Toro who is seemingly always working with an extremely packed schedule has stepped down from the director's chair for the sequel, possibly at the request of Legendary who its rumoured was looking for someone more cost-effective to helm the film. Apparently that someone is Steven S. DeKnight who is better known for his work as a producer, with his only recent directing gigs being an episode of Netflix's Daredevil series (for which he was also the showrunner). Handing someone so new to directing the reins to such a big budget franchise is a daring move, and only time will tell if it ends up being a successful gamble.
Pacific Rim 2 is set to start shooting sometime in the final quarter of this year, with a release date as of yet uncertain but rumoured to be sometime in 2018.
This week's box office numbers continue what has been an ongoing theme throughout this year's summer movie season, that being a diminishing interest in blockbuster sequels from movie-going audiences. Indeed, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is only the latest big budget follow-up to open with significantly less than it's precursor, perhaps a result of the so-called blockbuster fatigue that has been predicted for some time, or maybe a sign that audiences are ready to shift the emphasis back to original ideas after years in the grip of sequel-fever.
Alternatively, it could simply be that this summer's crop of movies frankly hasn't been up to par. According to review aggregate site Metacritic, the only films released since May began that have garnered generally positive reviews are Captain America: Civil War, The Nice Guys and this week's mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping which ironically suffered the worst debut of all the weekend's new releases.
Whichever the cause it's hard to ignore the cold shoulder many sequels have been given so far this year, with the Ninja Turtles weekend haul of $35 million being yet another example of this harsh treatment. This opening is a little over half of the $65 million the first film opened with back in August 2014, in spite of the film receiving (marginally) better reviews than the first entry and a larger budget of $135 million. While disappointing, this soft debut was still enough for the Turtles to take the top spot, as fellow sequel X-Men: Apocalypse also finds itself on the receiving end of audience apathy.
The 20th Century Fox super-hero sequel opened last week to $30 million less than previous entry Days of Future Past, and fails to recover any ground this week with a steep drop of 66%. This amounts to a second weekend haul of just $22 million, most likely a consequence of the film's mixed critical reception. Apocalypse fared better overseas where a strong debut in China of $59 million made it the number one movie at the foreign box office, but still the film is unlikely to exceed or even match the total of Days of Future Past -- currently looking at a worldwide gross of around $650 million in comparison to Future Past's $747 million.
It is telling that the one film which opened above and beyond expectations this week was a non-sequel with no ties to any major franchise, that being romantic drama Me Before You. Expected to open with around $12 million, the film instead raked in over $18 million snagging the number three spot in the process. The film is a much-needed win for Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke who faltered last Summer with the critical and commercial flop Terminator Genisys, but has come under fire from some in the disabled community who claim the film suggests disabled people are a burden on their loved ones while advocating euthanasia. It remains to be seen how this backlash will affect the film going forward.
After a horrible opening weekend the forecast doesn't get any better for Disney's Alice Through the Looking Glass this week, as the film drops 60% falling to number four with a second week haul of just over $10 million. Comparing the ten-day totals of 2010's Alice in Wonderland with this summer's sequel is genuinely shocking; by this point in its release the first film had already pulled in well over $200 million in the USA alone, while Through the Looking Glass has limped to just $50 million with it's colossal flop status all but confirmed. With a hefty price tag of $170 million plus advertising costs which is unlikely to be recouped, this film could well sound the death knell of Johnny Depp's blockbuster career.
The film's disappointing haul has been blamed by some on the actor's very public recent split from actress Amber Heard which came with accusations of domestic abuse, however with a lengthy string of flops behind him dating back to 2011 it feels as if Depp's career problems have been building for some time. Next year's Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales could very well be the actor's last chance in the big leagues, and if it too flops then Depp's face could be one absent from blockbuster films for the foreseeable future.
Alice Through the Looking Glass may well be the film worst affected by audience's apparent aversion to blockbuster sequels, with Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, X-Men: Apocalypse and underperforming comedy sequel Neighbours: Sorority Rising getting easy rides in comparison. It's salt in the wound that in a week where so many sequels have struggled to find an audience, one of the summer's original movies has reached a huge milestone. Disney Animation's Zootopia has reached a worldwide total of $1 billion, only the fourth animated film to accomplish such a feat (after Toy Story 3, Frozen and Minions).
But just as things begin to look brighter for the future of original movies in Hollywood, a debut the size of the aforementioned Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping comes along. The spoof comes courtesy of comedy band The Lonely Island and is fronted by Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg. No doubt the film was hoping to benefit from the elevated star-power Samberg has gained from the critically acclaimed FOX sitcom, but surprisingly the film ended up opening with a lower debut than The Lonely Island's 2007 offering Hot Rod. Popstar settled for number eight bringing in just $4.6 million over the weekend, with the film's restrictive R-rating cited as a possible reason for such a disappointing result.
Domestic Box Office Results (June 3rd-5th 2016)
1. (-) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows - $35.2 million
2. (1) X-Men: Apocalypse - $22.3 million
3. (-) Me Before You - $18.2 million
4. (2) Alice Through The Looking Glass - $10.6 million
5. (3) The Angry Birds Movie - $9.7 million
6. (4) Captain America: Civil War - $7.5 million
7. (5) Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising - $4.7 million
8. (-) Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping - $4.6 million
Gavin Hood's Eye in the Sky chronicles the unfolding of a complex military situation in Nairobi, where two Al-Shabaab extremists have been found preparing suicide vests for an imminent attack on a populated area. British Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) is eager to eliminate them with a drone strike before they have the chance to leave, but the situation is made far more complicated by the arrival of a young girl selling bread who would likely be caught in the blast radius and possibly killed.
This already impossibly difficult situation is made all the more so by the tightly restricted time window those in charge have to make a decision. As Powell points out numerous times, the extremists could potentially leave at any given moment and the consequences of their escape could be devastating. The audience isn't spared from the gut-wrenching indecision as the film takes place more or less in real-time, and feels very much like watching a real military operation in action.
This is an impressive feat, especially when considered that some of the technology in the film is quite clearly beyond what is currently at our disposal. But even with this knowledge, there's a great sense of realism carried throughout this film's runtime and that is because the futuristic tech never distracts from the theme this movie is drawing attention to; that being the ethics of drone warfare.
This is a theme handled with surprising delicacy and sophistication; as characters start taking sides in the debate on whether or not to strike, neither preference is made to seem like the "right" choice nor is either side portrayed as either villainous or heroic. The film is remarkably objective and never tries to force a point of view onto the audience, instead giving us all the arguments and allowing us to form our own opinions on the matter.
This high-tension story is anchored by strong performances across the board with the aforementioned Mirren portraying a hardened Colonel, but still managing to retain a sense of humanity. Aaron Paul, still searching for his place in a post-Breaking Bad world, reminds us why he was the emotional core of that show in his role as American 2nd Lieutenant Steve Watts. As the one who would have to fire the missile, Watts is arguably the most concerned for the life of young girl Alia and displays quite powerfully just how much strain a single day in the military can put on a person's mind.
Barkhad Abdi of Captain Phillips fame is undercover agent Jama Farah, and as the character in the most imminent danger is easy to empathise with and proves here that his 2013 Oscar-nominated debut was no fluke. Finally, Alan Rickman (who tragically passed away earlier this year) puts in an excellent performance here as Lieutenant General Frank Benson. Rickman manages to perfectly deliver some of the film's comedic lines while never losing his persona as a respected and somewhat intimidating high-ranking member of the military.
Indeed, that is something that could be said for the film as a whole. It does occasionally veer into darkly comic territory in its satire of government and military indecision, while pointing out just how far removed some of the key decision makers can be in situations like this. Still though, it never makes light of the obviously highly sensitive situation it depicts and doesn't become so satirical as to lose the very grounded and brutally realistic tone that it establishes early on.
Eye in the Sky is a thrilling look at the ethics of drone warfare that could quite possibly end up being one of the most thought-provoking films of the year.
Batman v Superman has a lower score on Rotten Tomatoes than the Daredevil movie from 2003! But is this really accurate? David Craig presents this in-depth exploration of both films, with the intention of deciding once and for all which is the better super-hero movie: Batman v Superman or Daredevil (2003)?
Midnight Special has been showered with praise by many critics, and so I'm quite disappointed to say that I feel the film has really let me down. Expectations were high given the strong track record of director Jeff Nichols and the impressive cast which counts Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton and Adam Driver among its number. Unfortunately though, Midnight Special ends up buckling under its own weight by setting up a mystery it can't satisfyingly solve.
Indeed, it was around halfway through the movie that I began to suspect answers to the many questions this film poses were unlikely to be revealed, and as a consequence what tension the film had began to be drained. This also wasn't helped by its plodding pace and thin characters, many of whom lacked development.
Joel Edgerton's character stands out to me as particularly odd; he explains in the film that he only has a distant relationship with Michael Shannon's character Roy, and yet he seems quite happy to put his life on the line for him and his son while being remarkably unaffected by the young boy's superhuman abilities. This kinds of oversights make these characters feel less real, and in a film focused on exploring superhuman events in a very real-world setting that becomes a problem.
Still, the actors do the best here with what they're given. The entirety of the main cast are at the top of their game right now and it shows; frequent Nichols collaborator Michael Shannon rarely lets us down, while Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton and Adam Driver are hot off of recent head-turning performances in Fargo, The Gift, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens respectively. Meanwhile, Nichols was able to find a child actor with real talent, as the young Jaeden Lieberher impresses in only one of his first main roles in a major motion picture.
There are some engaging sequences in Midnight Special, particularly in the film's earlier scenes however when the final act falls apart quite so catastrophically as it does here, it's hard to see those moments as redemption. There is really no pay off to anything in the ending Midnight Special provides, ending with a bizarre sequence intended (I assume) to be emotional and exciting but ultimately failing at being either.
The warm critical reception to this movie implies that for some Midnight Special will be a pleasing experience; however, for those looking for a coherent story that can actually answer the mysteries it sets up I would recommend looking elsewhere.
Admittedly this year's TEN awards show has arrived a little late; in an attempt to compile the strongest list of nominees possible, I decided to wait for some of the films I missed upon initial release to come out on DVD and streaming services. While arguably these awards are perhaps a little less relevant coming four months after 2016 drew to a close, I thought this would be a fun thing to do nonetheless.
A quick note before we continue; certain films that have been awards contenders at the major American shows such as The Revenant, Room, Creed, and The Hateful Eight are not nominated here due to the fact that they were released in the UK in 2016 -- this awards show is strictly for films and TV shows released in 2015.
Without further ado, here's the nominations for this year's awards; we hope you'll return to see the winners later this month.
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Colin Firth (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Harrison Ford (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Jason Statham (Spy)
Michael Pena (Ant-Man)
Michael Shannon (99 Homes)
Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak)
Rachel Weisz (The Lobster)
Rebecca Hall (The Gift)
Rose Byrne (Spy)
Scarlett Johannson (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture
Andrew Garfield (99 Homes)
Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina)
Jason Bateman (The Gift)
John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Matt Damon (The Martian)
Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Best Lead Actress in a Motion Picture
Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Emily Blunt (Sicario)
Maika Monroe (It Follows)
Melissa McCarthy (Spy)
Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak)
Best Director
Alex Garland (Ex Machina)
Denis Villeneuve (Sicario)
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Guillermo Del Toro (Crimson Peak)
Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes)
Best Picture
99 Homes
Ex Machina
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Mad Max: Fury Road
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The Martian
Aaron Paul (Bojack Horseman)
Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo)
Carlos Valdes (The Flash)
David Tennant (Jessica Jones)
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Vincent D'Onofrio (Daredevil)
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series
Carol Kane (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Jamie Lee Curtis (Scream Queens)
Jean Smart (Fargo)
Niecy Nash (Scream Queens)
Rosario Dawson (Daredevil)
Yael Grobglas (Jane the Virgin)
Best Lead Actor in a Television Series
Aziz Ansari (Master of None)
Charlie Cox (Daredevil)
Jesse Plemons (Fargo)
Patrick Wilson (Fargo)
Terrence Howard (Empire)
Will Arnett (Bojack Horseman)
[This review contains spoilers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.]
Zack Snyder's DC Comics sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has finally seen release this weekend after many years in production, only to find itself on the receiving end of some truly scathing reviews. This wasn't something I found particularly surprising; having suspected that the film would suffer similar flaws to its predecessor Man of Steel, I released a public service announcement over a month ago warning people not to raise their expectations too high. Needless to say that video was just a drop in the ocean of Batman v Superman coverage and so did little to prevent the heartbreak many DC fans felt this weekend. Many, but not all.
Indeed, some fans have left screenings of Dawn of Justice singing the film's praises which ended up leading me to purchase tickets for opening night, as I look for a place to stand on one of the most divisive blockbuster films since... well, Man of Steel I suppose. So the question is, is Batman v Superman really that bad? I would say no. While undoubtedly deeply flawed, Zack Snyder's two and a half hour epic isn't unwatchable -- whether or not that's a compliment is debatable, but frankly it's more than I expected.
The biggest problem with this movie is the same one present in every Zack Snyder production, and that's a bad case of style over substance. Snyder can undoubtedly create some visually arresting action sequences, but he struggles to understand the humanity in these conflicts. Something I couldn't help but notice was that many of the scenes in this movie failed to make me feel something -- anything in fact.
Whether I was watching Amy Adams' Lois Lane be held at gunpoint, seeing a young Bruce Wayne struggle to come to terms with his parents death, or even witnessing the brutal "death" of Superman (one of the world's most beloved super-heroes, need I remind you), my general feeling throughout this film's runtime was one of indifference. I didn't care when I saw Superman impaled on a spike and that puzzles me.
I feel that perhaps the root cause of this problem is that the characters in these movies are lacking in something. I hate to compare the DC films to those produced by Marvel Studios, as that would suggest I'm implying all super-hero films should follow the same formula. I don't believe that for a second. However, it's hard to argue against the fact that the Marvel movies have well defined characters, each with a unique personality and it's because of this that they play off each other so well in the Avengers team movies.
The DC characters at present are severely lacking strong personalities. Henry Cavill's Superman comes across in this film as little more than a grumpy guy with super powers. Ben Affleck's Batman makes a similar first impression, as a grumpy guy without super powers. I think perhaps this is why I appreciated the presence of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman quite so much: she was the only character in this film who genuinely seemed like she was having fun.
A smile during the overwhelming final battle. A fun remark about how Bruce Wayne has never met a woman quite like Diana Prince. These are miniscule things that go a long way in a film otherwise devoid of any comic relief whatsoever, and carrying an overall tone that is depressing enough to prevent all but the most dedicated DC fans from coming back for repeat viewings.
Wonder Woman isn't the only thing this film has going for it; given that her screen-time isn't huge, that would be rather dire indeed. But she is quite possibly the stand-out, which makes me optimistic that perhaps Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman solo movie coming next year could fare better than this film has with critics. Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter are also worthy of praise, crafting characters with more personality in their relatively minor roles than arguably either of the two lead actors do in this film's entire run-time.
A figure of much disagreement has been Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, who is indeed a drastically different take on Superman's arch-nemesis than we've seen before. I fall somewhere between the groups that love and hate this interpretation of the character, believing that while the performance was by no means disastrous it wasn't compelling enough to justify changing a character who was fine to begin with. Indeed, one can't help but wonder how different this film would be had the fan-casting of Bryan Cranston come to fruition.
Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor was an interesting but unnecessary experiment.
The plot of this movie also isn't entirely without merit. It's true that the premise of the film i.e. watching two characters who have no reason to fight each other doing just that, does feel forced and indeed I feel this film could have been stronger had it been focused on a team-up rather than a showdown between these two iconic characters. Additionally, this film does fall into the trap that many comic-book movies have found themselves in recently (The Amazing Spider-Man 2 perhaps the worst offender), of being more concerned with building a 'cinematic universe' than they are with telling a coherent story.
Cameo appearances from other DC super-heroes while fun for fans to see, do feel somewhat shoe-horned in to a story which really doesn't involve them in any way. Although that being said a certain Flash cameo has the potential to be very exciting if future films can successfully tie into it: that's a big 'if'.
However, credit should be given to screenwriters Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer for juggling all these balls and not ending up with an utter disaster on their hands. Dawn of Justice's plot may be messy but it isn't totally incoherent, and with the exception of a few moments here and there held my attention for the duration.
Batman v Superman perhaps isn't as bad as its harshest critics are claiming, but unfortunately it's too flawed to be called a success. Performances from Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter and Jeremy Irons combined with Snyder's dazzling action sequences provide this film's glimmers of brilliance, but ultimately aren't enough to save it from mediocrity. Having two lead characters with little in the way of personality certainly doesn't help matters, while the scattered story pales in comparison to some of the much more sophisticated work found in the comic-books from which this movie takes inspiration. As I stated earlier in this review, Batman v Superman is watchable but by no means is it the masterpiece many fans were no doubt hoping for.
