#so anyway I loathe bvs

[sassylittlecanary]

Cynicism and God Complexes: Thoughts on Batman v Superman

There’s good stuff about this movie. Clark and Bruce are especially well cast, some of the costumes are pretty, Wonder Woman is there, etc. But as for the rest? I just rewatched this film, and here’s my two cents.

Bruce's Characterization

I appreciate how the beginning shows Bruce’s compassion for people (especially kids), but then it’s … not really relevant ever again? What Batman does to the sex traffickers is certainly satisfying, but it's also more in line with Huntress or Red Hood’s tactics (which comics!Bruce hates). So, by making him more like Frank Miller’s Batman (aka the Punisher in a cape -- seriously, The Dark Knight Returns had horrendous characterization and we should not be basing movies on it), it erases everything about his character that defines him as Batman, which is VERY relevant in comics batfam dynamics. Furthermore, there's the moment when the media is criticizing the bat brand, and Bruce says, "They’re criminals, Alfred — they’ve always been criminals. Nothing’s changed.” This is not who Bruce is! This is not his mindset! Where is the Bruce Wayne who gets a former villain a job at Wayne Enterprises and works toward reform and doesn't see anyone as a lost cause?

There's also the question of the dead Robin (not that you can really tell it’s a Robin costume because it's freaking BROWN) who is probably Jason Todd, which makes Bruce's characterization here even more implausible. Bruce didn’t kill his arch nemesis (who’s still alive and played by Jared Leto) who tortured and murdered his teenage son, but sure, he’ll kill Superman happily!! I call BS.

Clark's Characterization

This film is all about fear of Superman, and this is best personified by Bruce and Alfred's perspective — that Kal-El is a god coming down from the sky who could reign terror on the earth and answers to no one. Sure, they’re unreliable narrators, but this narrative still ruined many people’s perceptions of Superman. Despite scenes showing Clark’s kindness, fear of Superman (plus the idea that we SHOULD be afraid of him) is woven throughout the entire film. The entire point of the Knightmare sequences is fear of Superman. Even if they’re simply meant to demonstrate Bruce’s paranoia, they still serve to instill fear of Superman in the audience as well. (Also the Knightmare sequences are literally just Injustice ripoffs and I HATE IT. Literally the worst thing to take inspiration from for a Superman movie.) It's noteworthy that Superman's first appearance shows him looking scary and imposing. That's the image many people remembered.

Also, the core of Clark's character is that he cares about people. He does literally everything in his power to protect them. The idea of him allowing (or causing) destruction to befall innocents just so he can save Lois is ludicrous. Actually, the (heavily Injustice inspired) idea throughout the DCEU that Clark prioritizes Lois over other innocent people is awful. Clark cares about all of humanity — whom he lives among and is not isolated from  — not just Lois. (Also, while I love the tenderness in their relationship, it's just not a Lois & Clark relationship. Where is the banter? The flirtation? These two are cute together, but they were also made into a very generic couple.)

Additionally, I hate Superman as a Christ figure, and I hate the "he's a god among mortals!!" narrative. Y'all. This is post-Crisis. John Byrne got rid of that. We've moved past this.

The Villain

I hate Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. I get that he’s Luthor Jr, but still. He’s kinda just playing the Joker without makeup. He’s just pathetic and annoying and I cringe when he’s on screen. It's honestly embarrassing that every other actor who has played Lex Luthor was both more menacing and more compelling. 

The Tone

Beyond a doubt, this movie's fatal flaw is how bleak and cynical it is. The tone, the characterization, the very premise, and even the color scheme are so cynical. It takes all the fun and meaning out of the genre. Thanks for turning these inspiring and beloved characters into another sad soulless action movie!! Love you Zack 😘

Also, the beginning bothers me. Bruce doesn't like Clark because of all the violence he causes -- except comics!Clark cares about protecting civilians. It's just that Zack Snyder followed the 2010s action flick trend of adding tons of gratuitous, gritty violence, and now BvS is reckoning not with the characters' actions, but with Snyder's directorial choices from Man of Steel. Which is lame and I hate it.

Snyder's choices in general just bother me. He literally took one of the brightest, most colorful, most fun genres ever and was like “Actually, what if everything was DARK and BROWN and SAD.” And you know what? I do not vibe with that. Not everything has to be Game of Thrones.

Honestly, all this cynicism and moralizing would've been more suited to an Authority film than one about the DC Trinity.  I don’t WANT a dark and realistic take on Superman and how people might view him. I don’t want a movie where Superman is put on trial or burned in effigy! I want a movie where Superman saves people and brings joy and hope to the world. I want my kind and inspirational beacon of hope. I want the hero whom children adore and adults admire. Give me a real superhero movie, not a hopeless grimdark action movie with superhero characters.

[hellyeahheroes]

The difference between how Miles handles his charter school and how MCU Peter handles it

First, I would be remissed if I didn’t highlight the history of charter schools. Charter schools were used to force Native American children to assimilate into white culture and strip them of their indigenous cultural identity. Now and days, charter schools or boarding schools are used to allow rich and predominantly white kids as a way out of school integration. Rich kids don’t want to pay for poor people schools so they take their kids out and put them in rich people schools. So Charter schools are a very racial and very class based thing.

So I find it strange how both Spider-men deal with charter schools with both kids attending under vastly different circumstances.

MCU Peter treats charter schools like it is damn near propaganda from Betsy Devos. It is suspect that Peter Parker, a poor Jewish white kid from Queens, would be granted a scholarship to some rich charter or even attend one when the bulk of Peter’s bullying in school came from an American public school perspective. Flash was an American jock who was abused by his car dealer salesman dad. Liz Allen was a snobby cheerleader. The narrative becomes disjointed when you make Flash a rich minority who was snubbed by Peter in consideration of a debate team(showing that Flash is smart but not smarter than Peter). This school can also afford trips to Europe and etc which is atypical from the normal high school experience.

Homecoming is like one of those stock photos that advocates of Charter schools would use as a justification for them.

I am going to tag @traincat because they have a lot more to say about how Peter’s school experience is less about him being a shy nerd and more about him being Jewish.

Anyways...

Miles Morales however takes a completely different approach. His experience with his charter school or the idea of them is more of an indictment of the American education system.

On the onset, the idea that Miles has to enter a lottery to be able to enter this school while testing high enough proving that he certainly intelligent shows the financial inequality of the American education system. It is framed as an opportunity gained for Miles and a missed opportunity for kids whose lucky number isn’t 42.

But what exactly is the opportunity gained? In Miles case, it’s hinted that his public school was not ideal or safe as even if he graduated with top scores, he would have still been underachieving simply because of the school that he attended. This underlies the meritocracy aspect of the school system. Going to a bad school becomes a disadvantage and a safety concern.

Also Miles is not happier at Brooklyn Visions as few depictions of his experience there show that he lacks freedom there. Miles is mandated to stay in Visions and away from his community that he grew up in. This is the feeling of alienation that was shown in Into the Spider-verse. He doesn’t fit in yet because these kids are well to do while Miles, who isn’t poor but he isn’t rich, can’t really relate. Miles Morales is involved in graffiti culture, an aspect that further cements that his previous school lacked art classes or graffiti being a culture that grew because the lack of affordable and accessible art avenues. Miles wants to be “with [his] people” but is pushed by his father to go to the school and encouraged by his Uncle who shares with Miles how little his Uncle and his father had growing up.

Then there is Miles biggest obstacle in his school experience as Spider-Man: the school-to-prison pipeline.

Yes, Miles is black and an outsider because unlike the other kids at Visions, he isn’t super rich or well to do. He got here on lottery scholarship. So there is this underlying racial tone to try to push him out of Visions.

Mr. Dutcher is example number one. Mr. Dutcher assumes Miles is a sneak, a couple of letters away from being a racial slur, contrary to everyone else’s opinion of Miles. Miles is a troublemaker and a problem child which there is no evidence of this. But the hilarious thing is that Dutcher admires Spider-man but loathes Miles Morales. The same qualities that he sees in Spider-man are qualities that he believes Miles lacks.

And the other kids aren’t helping in this perception of Miles. Since kids at BV are mandated to not leave school grounds during week without special allowances(parents or family emergencies), Miles sneaking out constantly or ditching class to be Spider-Man is a source of endless rumor. In fact, he discusses this with his not yet girlfriend, Barbara Rodriguez that kids are talking about him contrary to what Ganke says who is a bit of a recluse so he wouldn’t know what other kids at Visions think.

So things that Peter was afforded: freedom and the benefit of a doubt that he isn’t up to no good, aren’t afforded to Miles. Instead of just making web fluid with chemicals, Miles is suspected of using Ganke in stealing from the school chemistry lab and making drugs.

And Miles’ bullies lord his status of being the other over him. Sean thinks Miles doesn’t belong at Visions(two guesses why) and antagonizes Miles to react hostilely to kick him out. Accompanied with Mr. Dutcher’s vigilance of Miles Morales, Miles has an actual situation where he could lose his scholarship and get expelled as Brooklyn Visions is a zero tolerance school.

Then you have Jason Reynolds novel of Miles, which is pretty much school-to-prison 101, where Miles is antagonized by a teacher who is teaching slavery was a good thing. Again, Miles being black, brought up in a working class family, is a disadvantage in this environment that he has to overcome.

All and all, MCU Peter’s appropriation of an aspect of Miles lacks the complexity of it. It is pretty much propaganda whereas Miles kind of has a more nuanced approach that only works because Miles is a person of color.

@ubernegro