Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

AWFUL!!!!! It was AWFUL!!! Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was way too long, and I even thought about leaving before it was even half way through.  It was dark - both the story and the cinematography.  There was an unnecessary overabundance of brutality; and there were little kids, including an infant, in the audience.  There were plenty of plot holes; and what there was of a plot was ridiculous.  There was some really bad CGI in a scene with Superman in space.  There was a last ditch attempt at some tongue-in-cheek, but it was too little too late.  I shed no tears at all; though I did manage a brief chuckle at a scene that was most likely an unintentional reminder of King Kong.   The DC universe is not for me.  I may not even see Aquaman even if it does star Jason Momoa.  Even my $5.00 was wasted.

The Dark Knight Rises

I'm not a big Batman fan and wasn't expecting much from The Dark Knight Rises. Surprisingly, the only thing I didn't like about it was the violence. Unlike the cartoon violence in The Avengers, it was much too brutal, with some distressingly similar to the recent killings in Aurora, CO.  I also found it difficult from time to time to understand what the villain, Bane, was saying.

Aside from these drawbacks, and before re-watching the first two films, I thought that this was the best of the trilogy. There were some interesting surprises, particularly when I was sure I had a couple of plot lines figured out. Christian Bale was OK (I can take or leave him); Gary Oldman was good; Morgan Freeman was his always calm and reassuring self; Anne Hathaway showed her versatility; and Michael Caine delivered a moving performance (my first bought of tears in the movie). The real treat was to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a strong role. I've enjoyed watching him grow as an actor over the past few years.

By the end of the film, I found myself sobbing, a sure sign that I liked it.

The Avengers

As promised, here's an oldie, from a May 4th midnight show.  

The Avengers was wonderful!  Since I'm not an avid comic book reader (my love of the characters goes back to the old 1960s TV series, The Marvel Superheroes), I missed some of the "in" things that brought cheers and knowing chuckles from the audience; but it didn't matter.  And what a great audience - this is why I go to midnight shows. Even before the movie started, there was a resounding "Shh!" so that everyone could hear all the previews.  There was action, drama, comedy - all you could ask from a Marvel film.  Once in a while, the laughter would muffle a line; so I guess I'll just have to see it again, perhaps several times.  All the characters were perfect; and there were a few action surprises, especially involving the Hulk, that we're pulled off seamlessly.  As a bonus, the half of the audience who stayed through the credits was treated to probably the best post-credits scene ever.  Since the sneak peek of the next movie came early, it was obviously a gift for the folks who stayed.