Batman v Superman: Critic's Whipping Boy...

First of all: I have not seen the theatrical cut of Zack Snyder's latest smash-em-up blockbusting extravaganza – my first exposure to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been in the 'Ultimate Edition' extended cut, which adds 30 minutes of footage not found in the original version seen in cinemas.

My first impression of the movie, however, was the stunning critical backlash it received. The sheer hatred it drew from film critics seemed to step beyond the parameters of reasonableness after a while. Indeed, the lambasting that Suicide Squad has received from critics feels like more of the same – a 'media narrative' with clickbait intentions. Considering the mess that was Green Lantern, and the excessive destruction of Man of Steel, some of the criticism aimed DC's way has been justifiably earned – but to this degree? It's ridiculous – but a sensible middle-ground opinion doesn't yell “DRAMA!” nor does it suck in curious surfers of the web. As much as we know that article titles featuring phrases like “and people can't handle it” or “what they look like now is unbelievable” are nothing short of completely asinine, the curious cat inside us all still itches and our index fingers click those links.

The truth of Batman v Superman, though, is that it absolutely does not deserve the blood-soaked drubbing it has received. The 'too long, didn't read' answer to “Was Batman v Superman unjustly savaged?” is YES. But that is not to say Snyder's heavyweight effort isn't flawed – because it most definitely is.

But let's not fart around any longer and get stuck in...

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Double Bill Mini Musings: Awards Bait Edition...

Django Unchained:
What's it about?
Quentin Tarantino's 'southern' adventure set in 1858 in which a German bounty hunter frees the titular slave, and takes him under his wing as they go in search of Django's wife Broomhilda, encounter gunfights and flamboyant slave owners along the way.
Who would I recognise in it?
Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, James Remar, Michael Parks, and Don Johnson, Jonah Hill.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
Surprisingly, for a film that's the best part of 3 hours long, Django Unchained rarely seems to drag. As good as Inglourious Basterds was, there were several scenes where I knew what was coming and I was just waiting for it to happen (e.g. the tense encounter at the bar) - Django Unchained, on the other hand, felt more unpredictable, and featured a more balanced sense of pace (helped too, by following the same main characters for the entire movie, not just parts of it like in Inglourious Basterds). The traditional Tarantino dialogue is there - especially for Christoph Waltz, who once again gives a (rightfully) Award-winning performance - but there's enough nerve-shredding encounters and all-out gunfights (with gleefully gloopy geysers of gore) to keep things fresh and exciting.

Click "READ MORE" below for more Django, and a dose of Argo...