I didn't enjoy Man of Steel very much, so I knew what I was getting with this movie in terms of tone and character. The frustrating thing is that I think the casting has been phenomenal in the DCU; Zack Snyder just hasn't made a movie yet that I enjoy (DC or otherwise). That said, Suicide Squad looks amazingly fantastic (I'm actually more excited about that than Civil War, and I love Cap).
I suspect a lot of collectors will be going for that same pose once all three figures are released.
Yeah, I agree with the casting choices in the DCEU, they've all turned out to be top notch. I personally really enjoyed both DCEU movies thus far with Snyder directing, as I admire him having the gall to dare to do the unexpected, and pull it off well in my opinion. Of course not everyone is going to like the films, but I do think some people may possibly dislike them because of the fact that they are indeed different, and some people aren't quite sure how to digest that. It's almost like some people feel that there's a certain blueprint you're supposed to follow when making a superhero film (lighthearted, smiling, lovey dovey romance, etc.) to where you know what to expect, but Snyder's kind of taking it to a different level.
I'm really looking forward to Suicide Squad as well, but I can't say I'm looking forward to it more than Civil War.
That bolded part's a good point, but I think we also have a big difference of opinion on the second paragraph (which ties back to the first). While I can see the world as being flawed and cynical, I don't necessarily want to see all of that reflected on screen in the movies. I see superheroes as a way to escape that and to be reminded of the good that people can be. Given the world we live in today, I'd actually argue it's even more important that our heroes rise above our flaws and give us something to aspire to (as opposed to making them more similar to us).
I think the darker, more serious tone worked wonderfully for Nolan's Dark Knight movies, and there are characters where that tone is appropriate (i.e. Daredevil). I've been hoping Marvel would commit to a darker, more personal approach to one of their characters in the MCU movies (IM3 had promise, TWS came close, and Civil War might actually be it). Things don't have to be happy-go-lucky, but I want to see superheroes be better (and maybe flawed) versions of ourselves. Superman in Zack Snyder's movies reflects the flaws in ourselves, but not necessarily the inherent good. I don't need Superman to be a god or a savior, just someone who wants to do the right thing even when the world around him doesn't appreciate it. The Dark Knight showed a similar struggle about the need for the hero, but I think it did a better job of capturing the doubt and the desire to do good. Superman in MoS and BvS hints at that, but I'm never convinced that he really wants to do the right thing or that he really thinks he should step down. He says all these things, but it feels more like talk (with meaningful stares) rather than real character development.
Anyways, neither of our viewpoints about superheroes is any more right than the other, but it is interesting to hear an opinion in favor of the movie (even if I can't fully understand or relate to it).
Ah believe me, I can understand that also. People go to the movies to escape from reality for a mere few hours, so many people don't want to see "real life" played out on the big screen with all the negativity that they already encounter in the real world. Especially in a superhero film like you said, because these are supposed to be characters that people should aspire to be, not characters that already remind us of ourselves.
However, I feel that's precisely why characters such as Batman and Iron Man tend to be quite popular, especially with younger crowds, because they are "flawed". Batman's motivation to do good essentially stems from revenge for what happened to his parents, while characters such as Superman and Captain America already possess an innate goodness that isn't motivated by revenge nor anything else other than simply wanting to try and do good. In our society, many people always feel there's a catch to something, so when we encounter people and see these characters that are intrinsically good and amiable with no strings attached, we have the propensity to question their intentions. I felt this was accurately conveyed in the scene in BvS that showed Supes doing acts of goodness, while people debated the need for a "Superman" and what they feel his intentions are based on ourselves. During that scene, there was a quote that said we as people have the tendency to project ourselves onto others, so if we feel we're flawed and are capable of a certain thing, then we tend to project this onto others when it actually might not be the case. It goes back to what I mentioned in my previous post about many people not liking to feel like someone else is above them. And that quote was then followed up with another quote with someone saying that perhaps he's neither a God nor a demon, but is simply a guy who is just trying to do the right thing. The fact that Supes at the end of BvS was rejected by many, but still possessed the strength and valor to sacrifice himself for the safety of the very people that rejected him gave me all the hope in the world. I like the fact that starting with MoS, Snyder made it a learning journey for him. People are learning about him as much as he is learning about himself. He doesn't put on the blue and red suit and automatically knows what to do in every situation. Jonathan Kent's quote in MoS before his death even alludes to that, where he said that he and Martha have been doing the best they can and have been making it up as they go along, so perhaps their best isn't good enough anymore. How we handle adversity tends to be a testament to show what we're really made of. I felt Supes demonstrated this perfectly in both MoS and BvS.
Despite how cynical our society can be, I like to believe that deep down, people know what the "right" thing is. Sometimes our brains are wired and conditioned to think a certain way though.
You're right though, because that's the beauty of opinions; they're neither right nor wrong. Someone else's opinion is no more valid than yours, and yours is no more valid than theirs. It is indeed interesting to hear different viewpoints.
