BvS: Dawn of Justice (2016)

June 23, 2017 can't come soon enough after seeing Wonder Woman (precisely who I went to see) in all her resplendence and force today (March 24). The Dehradun theater full of some extremely well-versed crowd (comic book nerds as yours truly!) clamored with whistles and applauds!  I wish I could watch all my DC-Marvel flicks in Dehradun instead of yet-to-catch-up NCR!


 
Good days are coming for DC! The promising Justice League is taking shape too. If nothing else, Suicide Squad (read Margot Robbie aka Harley Quinn) will ensure that :)
 
About the film, how can a comic book nerd not enjoy a movie featuring the big three with Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman! Went in without reading any reviews and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Not a perfect film (but a Zack S film never is, you either love his style or don't), but it achieves enough to brush aside the flaws.

Recommendations:
1) WATCH in 2D
2) Work through the first half patiently, second half more makes up for any deliberations.
3) REMEMBER - Superman and Batman become the heroes that we know today after this film's conclusion. Supes "sacrifice" and Bats (un)brand of justice for Lex Luthor are powerful scenes that subtly bring forth the real heroes to the world.

Finally, with all the overtly critical reviews doing the rounds, I rest my case with the below image that sums the situation neatly.



Image source 


8.2/10

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Director: Francis Lawrence

Keeps you engaged with strong performances from lead actors and a few wisecracks here and there. The music is engrossing too (still humming 'The Hanging Tree'...there is nothing Lawrence can't do!). Felt tad too long, given it lacked great content of first two parts.

Overall, a good buildup to the finale of series.


6.9/10

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Director: Ridley Scott

A disappointing affair.  Ridley Scott is known for creating characters that etch into your memory forever—Maximus, Ripley, Deckard. Nothing like that in this film. Summing it up:

- Decent special effects
- Dull acting
- Not enough substance justifying the length.

Best part of the film was the kid playing God; perfectly executed the hatred one might feel following 400 years of slavery. Points to expansive sets too.

Charlton Heston’s Moses remains the one to beat. In fact, the animated version “The Prince of Egypt” was definitely much better than this recent take.

6/10