I Watched Batman v Superman

This weekend I had the opportunity to watch "Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice" and in doing so I discovered the reason why the critics have hammered it so mercilessly.

The reason, they've been trying to fit the square peg that is a comic book movie into the round hole of expectations.

The key word here my friends is "expectations."  It seems the critical masses has a different set of "expectations" than the viewing public or better yet the faithful comic book reader.

As I sat through the movie I waited for that critical hour to pass where the movie transitioned from an exciting adventure to the morass that has been termed a "Hot Mess."

It didn't happen.

Part of the problem with the aforementioned "critical masses" which I define as the print, tele-visual and internet critics, is that they develop a knee jerk response where-in piling on becomes the norm.  Once that snow ball of negativity starts to roll there is no stopping it and the joy ride of cynical acrimony becomes unstoppable.

As it rolls, those who join in applaud themselves with being right and attach themselves to the critical intelligentsia and merrily pat themselves on the back as they skip off into the sunset.

It's almost as if Lex Luthor was behind it all.

It seems the expectations for this movie was something akin to, let's say, The Lord of the Rings.  (Or maybe even The Ten Commandments.)  It had to be epic in scale, surfeit in stars, grandiose in stage and surpass all expectations.

That last one is a toughie.  

I thought to myself as the movie closed, "That was awesome, I loved it."  So what did the critics and there slavish minions expect?  Did it not include Batman and Superman?  Did it not find a way to introduce Wonder Woman to the story?  Was it not set on a mythological stage of Athens versus Sparta?  (Read Metropolis versus Gotham.)  Did it not contain the hubris of humanity and fallacy of their gods?

It did indeed.

Might I point out it took The Lord of the Rings three movies to earn all its accolades and bevy of Oscars.  Perhaps we should wait for the second Justice League movie to come out before we condemn the whole thing.  (Personally, I thought Charlton Heston was pretty hammy in The Ten Commandments.  Still liked it.)

I think part of the problem for the critics is the story starts in mid-stream and it rocked their critical boat.  They expected an origin story for Batman but what they got was an embittered version that has aged badly like a sour wine.

Where was the "Batman Begins" version with Christian Bale's story of Bruce Wayne?  How were we able to see how he became this way?  

Sorry, not that movie.

What about Superman?  Why wasn't he able to transition to his own sequel and and complete his own journey?  Again, sorry, not the premise here.

So herein we find what troubles the critical masses.  They took an established story and used it to set up a franchise of future movies.

Heathens!  Thou shalt not establish a franchise without setting up the proper sequence of movies.  Of course, Warner Bros is being measured against Marvel and it's Disney stable.  Their formula was to establish a hero (Iron Man) introduce his cohorts and then move on to the collective superhero saga where all the gang joins in.  (Hmm, didn't "Age of Ultron" get hammered?)

Can Warner Bros. be criticized for rushing their franchise?  Sure, there is money to be made and they don't want to miss out on that boat.  Does this make Batman v Superman a bad movie?  No.  It just didn't match the expected formula and for that it was damned.

Let's all take a deep breath and get to the movie.


The Batman

 
Much like Christian Bale's Batman, Affleck's is better without the mask.  Affleck gets to use the wry humor we saw in "Gone Girl" and his sense of urgency displayed in "Argo."  With the mask he gets a little more wooden.  It's not the actors fault it's literally the mask's fault.  There was something about the way the eyes were set in it.  Much like the mask had to be adjusted in the Bale movies the same has to be done here.

Otherwise, this Batman is pretty kick ass.  Superman fans will not like the way he handles the Man of Steel.  Even I grimaced at the thrashing.  Ouch.

There is also a rescue scene that is choreographed wonderfully and Batman literally thunders his way through the opposition.  Think Jason Bourne style or Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.  You'll wince in a good way.

Did he use guns?  Yes he did!  Not all together explicitly.  Like when he used the guns aboard the Batwing or Batplane if you prefer.  He employed them to destroy vehicles the baddies were using.  Could they have died aboard said vehicles?  Most certainly.  But it wasn't shown explicitly.  So you can infer whatever you like.  He also used a handgun in several instances.  Here again, no explicit head shots with blood spurts.  The shots may have been fatal but we weren't treated to their immediate aftermath so it is open to question.

You may call me an apologist here, but I think Snyder was trying to establish Batman as extremely bitter and resorting to extreme measures because of his anger and frustration over the years of fighting crime.  Wayne even told Alfred criminals were like weeds.  You pull one and another pops up in his place.

This Bruce Wayne Batman also suffers from a deep sense of loss that we only get a glimpse of.  I suppose for the critics this isn't good enough.   They need to see the whole thing to establish loss.  Sorry, maybe in the stand alone version.  There is a unique take on the Wayne murders to start the movie especially concerning Martha Wayne.  It's the pearls.  You'll see if you haven't already.

Superman also give Bruce Wayne to focus his anger on.  This is an important distinction.  Yes, Wayne is angry with the aftermath of the Superman/Zod battle and its wanton destruction.  But you have to understand, Bruce Wayne is already angry.  Superman provides the focal point for it.  (And it's part of the conspiracy in the film.)

As for the vehicles Batman employs, you'll particularly get a charge out of the Batmobile.  Wow, that thing is amazing.  Much less a tank like the Tumbler of Nolan's movies and more like a sports car on steroids.  The Batwing is very cool also and the sound design for it includes a whirring mechanical like noise that makes sound very retro or perhaps even steampunk.

You'll like the Affleck Batman.  We should get to know him more when he gets his own movie.

Superman

This is a very human Superman.  In that, this movie is very much a sequel to the "Man of Steel."  The story continues in Superman trying to assimilate himself with humanity.  Therein lies his weakness.  In trying so hard to be what people want him to be or what he expects of himself, he tries too hard.  Mistakes are made that are both forced and unforced.  He becomes manipulated by those who adore and fear him.

There are Superman fans out there that don't like to see their hero weakened.  Yet, in his assimilation into society his vulnerabilities are exposed.  There is nothing wrong with this type of Superman.  I've always appreciated Cavill's take on the Man of Steel.  He's wounded and more that a bit lost.  Take the photo above.  The adulation is overwhelming and even when he does the right thing he seems confused by the aftermath.

Superman has his kryptonite but that's not his greatest weakness.  He needs to feel grounded, he needs a home and he wants to be loved.  By the end he finds resolution to all three but a terrific cost.  

Superman fans may not like this resolution.

And speaking of weakness.

Lex Luthor

 
This is where the critics have a point with their "Hot Mess" scenarios.  I don't think Jesse Eisenberg is miscast its just that his character has to much to do.  In his eveil machinations he is responsible for everything.

Everything!

Another cinematic example would be the James Bond Film "Spectre" where that evil organization was responsible for all that went wrong in the previous films.  Its too much and too burdensome for a plot line to carry.  Even in that universe it stretched credulity way too thin.

The same applies here.  The plausibility that Luthor's tentacles can be applied to a master plan is just too much.  The only kind of character that could carry that kind of weight was Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies and he was supposed to be funny.

Eisenberg's Luthor is skittish, schizophrenic, narcissistic and quite possibly bi-polar.  That's too much also and it is a wonder a person with all that baggage could possibly carry off that big a master plan.  It's implausible even in that universe.  (Isn't it?)

Wonder Woman

Gal Gadot is good as Wonder Woman.  In fact she is very good.  Her heroine is clever, strong and confident.  She has to deal with her own frustration however and it come from many years of fighting the good fight.  It has left very little positive results and she has become disaffected.

She is no fool in a world full of fools and as we are to learn, the world is ruled by foolish men.  Hey, I'm not offended by that.  It's her perspective and gives Wonder Woman her strength.  She doesn't steal the movie as I predicted but I have no doubt she will steal her own movie.  (Spot the Steve Trevor cameo!) 

Judging by Galdot's take on Wonder Woman, I predict it will be an immense success.

Speaking of Predictions...

In my blog post, "New Batman v Superman trailer: What the Experts Missed." I made a prediction concerning the bandaged hand of Lex Luthor seen above.  Turns out I was right.  You can read that bold prediction at the link.  

Some may say Luthor's machinations led to the undoing of the film.  You could add the several endings were too much also, although "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" had many false ending to it also and it turned out all right. 

 

In conclusion, I do recommend this film.  I fact I would give it three out of four stars.  Especially given its comic book origins.  That's the perspective you should look at it in.  

Messy endings or convoluted plot lines are very "comic booky."  If you take it for what it is you will be very satisfied and if you are like me, wanting more.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is just the first step.  They've chosen their own path and broken with formula.  That does not make it a bad film.

It means its the beginning of a great adventure.



 

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New Batman v Superman Trailer. What The Experts Missed.

By now many of you have seen the new trailer, or should I say trailers, since Ben Affleck had one of his own and we even had a Batman "unmasked" teaser.   Also by now you've read many of the myriad recaps and in-depth dissertations as to what these trailers reveal.

So we're done right?

Not by a long shot!

As I combed through all the recaps across the net I noticed they didn't pick out some of things I did and in fact, left out some doozies I thought were quite salient.  (I'm not patting myself on the back.  Just sayin' is all.)

So let's take a look at some of the things I thought were important and some general observations.  


The Hand

 

Jesse Eisenberg's Luthor goes through a lot of gesticulation in this trailer.  Too much say some.  A lot of complaints on the internet of Eisenberg's performance is that he is too much like The Joker.  What is he, a "Joker Lite"?  Too manic!




Amidst all this hand waving I thought I picked out something important.  A bandage on his right hand.

 

This bandage doesn't appear until much later in the trailer and if my spidey senses prove correct it could prove quite significant.  I'm also of the thinking if it wasn't of importance the wouldn't have shown it.

They showed it.

So what is the significance of the bandaged hand?  Well, it could prove to be the entry point of some sort of Kryptonian infection.  Especially since Luthor was seen marveling at a piece of krypotonite in the first trailer.  This infection may lead to his hair falling out as seen above or that could simply be do to radiation exposure from the rock.

Could it be something more sinister?


The Device






Please observe that bizarre looking sculpture as Affleck's Bruce Wayne drives up to the Luthor reception party.  It looks like a mass of discordant twisted tendrils.  (Silver twisty shape center of picture.)

Anything else like that in the trailer?

Indeed.  Take a close look at the "Trans mutative Kryptonian biological matrix device" that is throwing geysers of electricity across the room.  (And, yes, I just made up that device name.)

I see similar tendrils amidst the bolts of lightening  and I have no doubt this is the device that brings the resurrected General Zod to life as Doomsday. 

I'm thinking someone with the out-sized ego such as Lex Luthor would actually put a sculpture image of his greatest invention on the front lawn and no one would be the wiser.

The kicker?  (Here's where the bandage ties in.)

As Luthor begins to reanimate Zod into what we know as Doomsday a drop of blood escapes Luthor's hand and gets instilled into the matrix.

Doomsday is also part Luthor.

 

 Too crazy for you?  Hey, it's a comic book movie.  Run with me here!


Of Gods and Men


 

Superman is often compared to a god or at the very least possesses god-like powers.  In this particular trailer we hear these comparisons from not only Lex Luthor but Bruce Wayne too.

I thought it telling we see Greek mythological iconography muraled on the walls of Luthor's reception.

In keeping with this theme we see this iconography right behind Clark's head.  Both a man and a god.

I also have no doubt Luthor thinks of himself as a god among men  or at least a slayer of gods or beasts much like the Athenian heroes before him.  (Hmm, Athens, a Wonder Woman tie in?)

Nothing earth shattering here I just like the work from Snyder and his set design people. 


The Empty Chair

 

Here's a closeup of the Caped Crusader in the Bat-plane (Bat-wing?) as he bores in on Superman in what looks to be an epic air to air battle.  Tracers ring off the Man of Steel and in a moment, Big Blue looks to be firing up his heat vision.





Batman is set aglow in fiery orange as he is about to be incinerated by the aforementioned heat vision.

Actually, the way the trailer is edited, it looks to be Doomsday that is about to deep fry Batman.  Only the timely intervention of Wonder Woman and her shield saves the day.  (Although I would think Batman would have been immolated in the resulting fireball that is also in the trailer but I think we've run into more clever editing here.)

So what did I notice out of all this?

See that canister to the left of Batman's head in the "Glow" picture?  In the "in-flight" picture it is to the right of Batman's head.  (As we face him.)

Switching seats Batman?  Did you move from the Batmobile to the Batplane and we have more clever editing?  Why a two-seater?  Same old equipment from the time of the now dead Robin?  Saving the seat for a future Robin?  Jenna Malone is purportedly to be in the movie.  Is she the Carrie Kelly Robin that will fill that seat?

Quick Fan Boy Scenario

At the end of the movie or in a post credit scene an exhausted Batman sits slumped in the Batcave.  Suddenly the (newly repaired) Batmobile appears, the doors spring open and out pops an ebullient Kelly.  "Aw, who needs a hug?" she teases.  To her shock and amazement she gets that hug.  Life has returned to the Batman.


Armored Up Batman 


 



Excellent shot of the Crusader of Steel.  What else is intriguing about this shot?

Note the graffiti on the wall behind Batman.





We saw graffiti much like this in the first trailer and as seen in the above photo.  One could easily posit that these scenes take place in Gotham City as it is often portrayed gritty, foul and unforgiving.

So where is the "gun" or "staff" that Batman is holding in the misty blue above?




It looks to be a gun (with kryptonite bullet?) in the above frame but Batman seems to be out of armor here.

The homage to Robin (replete with graffiti) stands with a staff before the remorseful Bruce Wayne.

Staff?  Gun?  What is it?  Why isn't in the second trailer?  It seems we get a good deal of fighting in Gotham City.  In fact, according to this movie Gotham and Metropolis are in close proximity to each other.  Something I never imagined from the comics.  Is the Gun/Staff the reason Batman is able to put such a beat down on Superman?

I for one want to see how much of the fight Superman brings to Batman on his home turf.  If Batman is as resourceful here as we think he is then bringing him to Gotham means he has the advantage.  Let's hope we see the staff or gun that used to be heavily hinted at.



Gloomy Gotham

 
 
Aside from a masked vigilante that roams the streets of Gotham, maiming his victims, it doesn't seem to be a very nice place to live.  Check out the sidebars in the above newspaper.  "Funding cuts to water board."  "Air, new safety regulations." And the partial at the very top, "Labor" and "Struggles."

I have a feeling that Gotham has one of those population counters on the sign as you leave the city.  Except it is always counting down.


 "Stay Down!"


 


"If I wanted it, you'd be dead all ready."


 


Batman doesn't seem to be doing too well in this scenario.  The upside?  He's definitely in Superman's head.  Superman had already killed Zod and that nearly crushed him.  Killing or at least threatening to kill a "lesser being" means he's really off his game.  That's the opening Batman is looking for.

Wayne already observed to Alfred in this trailer that Superman had "brought the war to us."  Which would be a nightmare of course.

Soooo, in keeping with that....


The Dream Sequence


 

Not a fan.

The above scene has been spoiled as a dream sequence.  That's too bad.  I was hoping Superman had been turned by Luthor by use of Red Kryptonite.  Or even better, converted to a Bizarro Superman complete with fascist acolytes.

The frame also shows "Parademons" which are minions of Darkseid.  So, purportedly, this is a dream sequence where evil Superman lords over the Earth as a disciple of the aforementioned Darkseid.

Odd that the "Super-Nazis" are outside the walled compound spilling from trucks above while the parademaons seem to be coming from the compound.  A helicopter also seems to be coming from the compound doing battle with the demons.  Hard to tell who are the good guys here.  Is the walled compound the last vestige of the good people or Earth or a base for Darkseid?  (Hmm, maybe this view is from inside the compound.)

Was Batman granted a look into the future or is he becoming so unstable this is what his sub-conscious has come up with?  Hard to believe he would know anything about Parademons let alone Darkseid.  Has Wonder Woman seen the future through an Oracle?  Will magic be introduced?  Justice League Dark?  Zatanna?  

Now that would be awesome.

"Here's a look at the "Unmasking" teaser part of the Nightmare" scenario.



 

I do love the way Superman looks at the empty mask.  As if it just a symbol of an empty man.


Rebuilding Metropolis

 

Seen above is the homage to Superman from the grateful people of Metropolis.  Note the cranes and derricks working in the background to repair the obliteration done by Zod and Superman.  

Memorials are often constructed with the pieces of the destruction in order to add emotional weight.  (I say memorial because we see a lot of flowers etc. laid at the base of this structure.)  I found the oval shape behind the Superman figure to be a little odd.  Is it seen elsewhere in the trailer?



 


Yes, that odd oval shape is now seen in the background of the statue bracketed by bolts of lightning.  

This, no doubt, is where Luthor is creating Doomsday.  (The lightning bolts are the giveaway.)  So this means it is a Luthor facility.  Even his buildings must have suffered some damage.

The significance of this?

I have no doubt Luthor paid for the Superman tribute/memorial.  Here Luthor is playing the long game.  What better way to tear down a figure than to build him up first.

All part of the plan.


One Last Word


 



The name of the movie, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."  What if it turns out to be Gal Gadot's movie?

Seriously,  her portrayal of Wonder Woman looks pretty astounding.  It's safe to say she's embraced the role.  What if she steals the show?

Oh, and the gun Batman is holding in the above frame?  Not the same thing as the first trailer one.  If it is a gun.  (Destiny Spear?)  Many have criticized Batman for having a gun at all.  What happened to the no gun rule? 

No doubt Batman comes up with a weapon for all occasions.  If it comes in the shape of a gun to stop Superman then so be it.  Kill Superman is another thing all together.  Additionally, the Batwing sure is packed with a lot of firepower.  Perhaps this aged more bitter Batman (can Batman really get more bitter?) has changed.  Snyder tweaked Superman and he may well do the same to the Caped Crusader.

Can't wait to see the Twitter firestorm on that one.

Well, that's a wrap.  Here's the "special" trailer that Affleck introduced for Good Morning America.

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Batman v Superman Trailer *Updated*

The new Batman v Superman trailer has been out for a bit so now that the dust has settled critique wise I'd like to have a crack at it.

I usually approach these things in a step by step fashion and run through items of interest in a chronological  order.  I think this time, I'll intercede with some thoughts and jump ahead from time to time with theories and thoughts as they come to mind.

Take the character of Senator Finch played by Holly Hunter.  We open the trailer with a voice over from her and, later, we see her again as she meets with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg.)

(Did you notice she can barely get the word, "truth" out of her mouth?)

She looks to be holding a Senate hearing into the aftermath of the Zod and Superman fight and she warns her audience "That kind of power is very dangerous."

But how legitimate are her concerns?  Does she really take the welfare of American citizens to heart or she just a prop for a larger force?

To answer that question, all we have to do is skip ahead in the trailer to find her at that meeting with  Lex Luthor.  Luthor tells her devils come from the sky.  She's also at Luthor's place (mansion?) and if we can trust the trailer, Luthor has showed her evidence of Superman's "guilt."  I think from here we can conclude from this that Senator Finch is in Luthor's pocket and his influence extends into the Senate through his proxy Senator Finch. 

She's been bought.

The trailer moves on to Superman's appearance before the Senate.  Superman, he of the furrowed brow.

I like Henry Cavill.  He portrays Superman as such a sympathetic figure.  As Superman, he always seems legitimately concerned.

Later, even as Martha Kent explains to him that he doesn't owe the people of Earth anything he looks genuinely puzzled that she should say such a thing.

As for Martha, Diane Lane continues the cynical approach Zack Snyder has imbued her character with.  The same was done with Kevin Costner's Pa Kent in the first Snyder Superman movie.  This is a departure from the usual "folksy" take we have of the Kents where everything is rosy.

We move to that riveting scene where Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne is running towards the carnage of Metropolis seen in the Man of Steel movie.  Now that's a hero.  How many people do you know that run towards a collapsing building?

I should mention Bruce Wayne being in Metropolis during the Zod fight is a big deal.  As we find out, it provides the impetus for Batman's disdain for all things Superman.

To continue,  Bruce Wayne bears first hand the fighting between Zod and Superman.  He seems to be desperately calling anyone in that building to get out as soon as possible.

Heat vision cuts like a scythe through glass and steel and in an instant a figure comes darting out of the skyscraper as the building falls in his wake.

In the rubble of once was the Wayne Financial building, Bruce Wayne looks skyward.  He hold in tight embrace the figure of a young girl.  The lone survivor?  A future figure in Batman's life?

Wayne is transfixed in his gaze.  Is he staring at Superman as he hovers in the midst of battle?  Of this I have no doubt.  Wayne's own heat vision is internalized and it is powered by the contempt for the caped figure that has destroyed part of his corporate family.

I say corporate family because in the next sequence Wayne has received a newspaper clipping of the day his building was destroyed.  Across it someone has scrawled, "You let your family die."  This is a doubled edged dagger to the heart for Bruce.  It invokes Wayne's family dying before his eyes as a child and of course the most recent disaster in Metropolis.

Who would send such a letter?

I'm betting it was sent by Lex Luthor.  I think it is a double pronged effort to taunt his corporate rival and perhaps elicit an angry response from the Batman.  Luthor would have to know that Wayne is Batman of course and he may well.  In the comics, Luthor is known as the second smartest man on the planet.

Wayne being the first.

The Wayne vignette actually starts with a lone figure striding towards a mansion whose grounds have gone to seed and the manse stands hollow and broken.  A metaphor for Batman?

The voice we hear is that of Jeremy Irons who plays Alfred the Wayne Butler.  It could be Wayne strolling to the mansion but I am convinced it is Irons.

The scene cuts immediately to the Batcave.  Another figure cuts from from right to left in the distance behind some glass.  I believe this to be Bruce Wayne.  Is Batman semi-retired?  The Batmobile seen on one of the levels is covered in a tarp suggesting a lack of use.

Alfred continues his voice over.  He speaks of a fever and a rage that turns "good men cruel."  (In the background a video monitor seems to show Superman in action.)

Not coincidentally, Batman's costume is revealed and Bruce Wayne takes a hard look at it.  Has it been a while?  Did the Batman turn cruel?  What prompted this cruel turn?

Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) continues the voice over.  He's berating Clark Kent over his fascination with the Batman.  Is Clark using his position as a Daily Planet reporter to get intel into the Batman.  Pehaps stepping over the bounds of a normal reporter?

Our trailer turns to some quality time between Superman and Amy Adams' Lois Lane.  She reminds Clark that the symbol on his chest stands for hope.  As she intones this reminder we get a scene of Superman appearing before some flood stricken people.  One lady in particular lifts an outstretched arm as Superman hovers above.

This strikes me as particularly odd.  I mean it is a great cinematic hero scene with Superman being back lit by the sun in god-like fashion.  But would Superman really just hover there just to look awesomely cool?  Wouldn't he just swoop in and rescue those people?

Is he that hesitant/damaged by his Metropolis experience that he can't decide what to do?

This is where we pickup the Martha Kent monologue.   She basically tells him to be the angel people look to or just junk it all because he doesn't owe them a thing.  It's an odd discourse and I don't blame Supes for looking confused.  As I said before, these Kents are a lot more cynical.  It's my thinking that Martha is reacting to the backlash by the public in general which is no odoubt being orchestrated by Luthor behind the scenes.

Luthor takes over with his "Devils" speech to Senator Finch and the dead visage of General Zod is revealed.  There is a lot of people on the internet that believe Luthor is set on cloning Zod to form an army of beings to rid the world of Superman.  Perhaps even "Doomsday" from the comics.

I, instead, have a crackpot theory.

What if these cloning experiments go wrong and instead of a Doomsday being we get this.

Bizarro Superman.

This is how Bizarro Superman looks in the comics now.  It would take a lot of guts to introduce this strange creature to the movies but it shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

Now here's a telling sequence.

Bruce Waynes speaks and he tells of his twenty years in Gotham.  "How many good guys are left, how many stayed that way?"  As we start this sequence Wayne looks at the empty suit of what is commonly believed to be that of Robin.  A deceased Robin.  Quite possibly the Jason Todd Robin that died in the comics. (To be played by Zack Snyder's son Eli?)

Jason Todd took a turn for the worse, is this who Wayne is talking about?  Does he include Selina Kyle as someone that didn't stay good?  How about The Huntress?

The empty suit has "The Joke's on you Batman" scrawled across it.  Was it the Joker's assassination of Jason Todd that turned Batman cruel?  Or did it drive him into retirement?

If I may I want to speak on the rod the Robin suit is holding.

In the first trailer we see Batman holding a similar rod as he stands in the shadows.  Later, he stands atop a building with what looks to be the same instrument.  Has Robin's rod been modified as a weapon to take out Superman?  Is it tipped with Kryptonite?  Is Batman really holding a rifle in the second frame that shoots a magic bullet of kryptonite?

 Or is it the "Spear of Destiny?"   Now that would be pretty profound.

Wayne further intones,, "He has the power to wipe out the entire human race and we have to destroy him."

It's now, "Go time" for the trailer as it really takes off.

First, we get some quick cuts of Thomas Wayne being cut down to remind us of Batman's bitterness. Then, what looks to be the Batwing setting a city on fire.  Is the Batwing's devastation testimony of how cruel Batman has become in that he willing to destroy entire neighborhoods in order to achieve his goals?

Now we are really rocking as Wonder Woman is introduced.  (We saw her briefly as Diana Prince when Wayne spoke of good guys.)

I love the look on Gal Gadot's face as she is thrown back during battle.  It's as if she is saying, "You dare?"  (GIF courtesy of Kokatu.com)

I have a feeling the battle we are witnessing is a three way fight between Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.  It occurs at a time when they really don't get each other.  In fact Batman and Wonder Woman may be allied against Superman.

We get some terrific shots here as Batman nearly gets zapped by heat vision and Wonder Woman is quickly losing her patience.

Luthor appears and wouldn't you know he seems to have some Krypotonite.  Not too close Lex that stuff may make your hair fall out.  (Man, that is a bad wig.)

Luthor tells Senator Finch, "The red capes are coming, the red capes are coming" and this is what leads people to believe Luthor has been trying to clone General Zod.

Please let it be Bizarro Supermen.

Our trailer culminates as Superman rips off the doors to the Batmobile.  Batman stands in defiance to a far more powerful being.  God, the Dark Knight has some brass ones.

It looks as though Superman has followed Batman to Gotham Gity as the gas pumps say Gotham City Gas.  Good work Clark.

So, what does everyone think?  Wondering why I left out the "Super Nazis" and the "Desert Batman?"  Sound off below with your thoughts!

Update Alert!

 
I left out this image in my first take of the Batman v Superman trailer as I wasn't certain of it's significance. It shows a be-booted individual walking amongst shell casings, a deflated basketball and what seems to be an injured security guard.

Now we have this image from Empire Magazine showing Lex inside a gym with basketballs in the background.  It's not a leap to deduce the shooting from the above image took place in LexCorp's gym.  (BTW, who puts a giant neon sign inside a gym?  Someone with a giant ego?)

We could have made that deduction as evidenced from a motorcycle racing to the scene of some Lexcorp devastation but I think this seals it.  Who is the motorcycle rider?  My guess it is Lex himself alerted to the explosive incident.  Was it Superman that caused the devastation?  He did like to destroy things in the Man of Steel movie.  I'm thinking it was rather the Batman investigating Lexcorp and leaving a wake of destruction in his path.  The injured security guard may spell Batman's aversion to killing and the hundreds of shell casings show what a hard target he is.

It's possible a fight between Batman and Superman took place in the gym.  Those two do know how to break things.  We may find out more in the near future.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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