If you pay any attention to movie reviews, you know that the DC cinematic universe has not been received terribly well by critics or audiences, outside of those who stick by DC through thick and thin. I have been a bit angered myself by many of the choices made in these movies, but I also don't think it's fair to overlook the good parts just because of all the bad stuff. So, I am going to list ten things I think are good about the DCEU.
1. The Casting
No, the acting is not always the best. But I chalk that up more to the directing because in the right hands, i think these castings are perfect (besides Eisenberg). Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Gal Godot as Wonder Woman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and especially Russell Crowe as Jor-El are all spot on. And with the proper directing, I think all of them should have no problem killing it.
2. The Visual Style
Yes, I understand and agree with the complaints and ridicule tossed at Zack Snyder's bland color palette. It's always been a criticism of his movies. But, there are certain instances where it looks amazing and far more artistic than any of Marvel's shots. The image above is very powerful. The shot in BvS of Batman standing under the rain is actually a thing of beauty besides how dark the scene is both in style and tone. Also, Man of Steel and Batman V. Superman's action is some of the coolest I've ever seen in my life!
3. It Tries to Have Good Themes
Yeah, I know that sounds like a really backhanded compliment. My point is, that while I think the themes often miss, I can still appreciate what they're going for. They want to show what it means to be a superhero in the real world, much like Watchmen did. Despite the set-up being weak, I do think it's a really interesting dilemma for the world to ask themselves whether they should trust Superman or be cautious of him. If they explored it better, I think Batman's psychosis' role in BvS' conflict could be a very strong asset to the movie. I do actually think they did a good job of addressing all the death and destruction Superman initially caused, which brings me to...
4. Man of Steel's Ending
(SPOILERS if you haven't seen Man of Steel) I can feel the Internet's hate now. Yes, you read this right. The most controversial part in the entire movie is one I think was actually good. And before I get any backlash about how it's out of Superman's character, didn't he kind of kill him in Superman II as well, depending on how you interpret it? Anyway, I don't have a problem with it because he did it to save cornered bystanders. And the fact that he was forced to snap the neck of the last of his kind gave him a new development. Superman is horrified by what he's had to do and tries not to do it again. It's interesting to see Superman have to learn a value of life rather than always knowing it and being perfect, as before.
5. Wonder Woman's Entrance in Batman V. Superman
I think this one speaks for itself.
6. Krypton
This one kind of goes with the visuals. I like the design of Krypton. It looks amazing and even gives us more of a feel for their wildlife and culture than I've seen before.
7. Batman
This one ties into the casting, but it's not just Affleck's performance (which is better than Christian Bale's, sorry) that makes this version of Batman good. He feels like the old, more violent Batman of The Dark Knight Returns and we actually see the "world's greatest detective" do some actual detective work! Even if you don't care for this darker take on the character, you can't call it "inaccurate."
8. Suicide Squad Villain
NO, NOT THAT ONE!!! 😒ðŸ˜
Yes, that one. This woman is stupid, as in the whole situation never would have happened if it wasn't for her, but she is still ruthless. She scares me more than any of the Marvel villains combined.
9. Suicide Squad Soundtrack
I mean, it's no Guardians of the Galaxy awesome mix, but it's still a nice little mash-up of styles, I think.
10. Wonder Woman movie
Does it have flaws? Yes. But no more so than the Marvel movies. This movie is what made all the jaded ex-DC fans remember why they like DC. We finally have a superhero who does right just because she knows it's the good thing to do. One that has a hopeful view for the human race and refuses to let it go even when confronted with our evils. One that's not afraid to have a little bit of fun amidst all the seriousness. What I really appreciate is that this could have easily been just as bad as the other movies. They could have made it all about promoting extreme feminist propaganda, and that's all the movie's about. But they didn't. This is not only a great superhero movie. It's the right way to do a film about feminism. Diana never compromises this aspect of her, she always trumps the men she works with, but she's still humble enough to admit she needs them just as much as they need her. That's why I don't participate with anyone who says it's too feminist or not feminist enough. I believe it struck a perfect balance and had a lot of fun while doing it!
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