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By now, you’ve likely read the reviews or at least seen the headlines that BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE is a huge disappointment. Some of the main criticisms are that it isn’t cohesive, it’s too long yet doesn’t give enough time to important details, it doesn’t fix any of the problems inherent in MAN OF STEEL, and that the DC Universe is off to a terrible start. I’ll admit, some of these complaints are completely justified, but I had fun and I think that’s all that really matters. I wasn’t bored during a single part of the two and a half hour movie. The action was great, the characters were fun, and the story was interesting. That doesn’t mean the action was necessary, the characters had motivation, and the story made sense, it was simply entertaining.

Several months ago, people were anticipating this movie and criticizing it for things they knew nothing about. The casting was a huge part of that. Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? Ben Affleck as Batman? Jeremy Irons as Alfred? Okay that one makes sense. And then we saw the trailer. You know what trailer I’m talking about. The one that basically spoiled the entire third act. Well, it’s true.

If you’re set on not seeing this movie or you don’t have the time, watch this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fis-9Zqu2Ro).

Jesse Eisenberg was a strange choice that I’m not sure totally paid off. He was okay, but not great. Ben Affleck on the other hand was the best part of the movie. I didn’t think Christian Bale could be surpassed, but Affleck may be my new favorite Batman. He’s older and much more ruthless than we’ve seen before, and he’s also more psychotic. It makes sense that this guy would dress up as a bat and hurt bad guys. In regards to the trailer… still watch the movie. If you haven’t seen that trailer already, consider yourself lucky. Many of the most exciting parts of the film are spoiled in that marketing travesty, and I can only imagine how much fun it would have been to experience those things for the first time in the theater. But, there’s more to the movie than just that. There were a lot of moments that surprised me and had me on the edge of my seat.

Honestly, I don’t understand why people are so upset about the movie. It’s fine if you don’t like it, but people actually feel offended. They think the characters are being treated poorly or that the filmmakers think their audience is dumb. I don’t think these things are true. It’s not a perfect movie and maybe DC will never catch up to Marvel, but they have a good start. I think this movie did a lot to correct the wrongs that we saw in Man of Steel. I think the subsequent DC movies and The Justice League will continue to expand the Universe and improve the story. I had fun watching this movie. I like seeing superheroes beat each other up. I’m not there to see the next Oscar winner or to walk away with a new view on humanity. Batman and Superman fight. That’s awesome. If that’s something you want to see, go see this movie. If you can’t form opinions of your own, there are hundreds of reviews on the web to tell you what you should think about Zack Snyder and the DC Universe.   Movies are meant to be fun and that’s all this movie is.

4 out of 5 Stars

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE – Dir. Zack Snyder

Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot

Run Time: 2 hours 33 minutes

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE is the new film from half of the team who brought us WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, Taika Waititi. It stars Sam Neill of JURASSIC PARK fame, Rhys Darby (FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS), and relative newbie Julian Dennison as the film’s young, overweight star, Ricky Baker. Ricky is a troubled young man who is adopted by an older couple named Bella and Hec (Neill), who live on a farm outside of the beautiful New Zealand bush. Ricky has a difficult time acclimating himself to the country living of his new foster aunt and uncle, but quickly realizes that things aren’t all that bad. And even if he wanted to leave, there’s no way a chubby kid like him could survive in the surrounding forest. However, that’s exactly what he’s forced to do when depressing circumstances put him in danger of being brought back into the city as an orphan. He and Uncle Hec find themselves hiding out in the wilderness avoiding the police, hunters attempting to claim the bounty on their heads, and the dangers of the bush.

Unfortunately, I don’t think my synopsis of the film gave any credit to how hysterical it was. This was one of the funniest movies I’ve seen all year, though I have yet to see the new GHOSTBUSTERS movie – sarcasm. Ricky and Hec displayed amazing chemistry together that kept me rolling in laughter for the entire length of the film. Ricky is a gangster wannabe with a lot of attitude but an equal amount of heart and Hec is a grumpy old man filled with grief and regret, who also happens to be a great role model. Together, they make the perfect duo of recklessness and apathy. It’s funny when they don’t get along and it’s funny when they do. They’re simply great characters. In fact, all of the characters are well developed and funny in their own unique way. Each time a new character was introduced, I thought to myself “Oh, great. Here’s another character that I won’t be able to stand in 5 minutes.” And each time I was proven wrong. Even the villains are likable and completely sympathetic. I haven’t read the screenplay or the source material, but it is very apparent that all of the characters were written with a lot of love. No one was neglected and it shows. On top of that the situations were original, the dialogue was superb, and everything was made even funnier by their gorgeous New Zealand accents.

I had so much fun watching this movie. It was incredibly original from being separated by chapters, the way it used music and montage, and its overall structure. It keeps you on the edge of your seat by continually surprising you and making you smile. It may not be the movie you remember to include in your top 10 list at the end of the year, but it is certainly worth the price of admission this weekend. See it on the big screen with a couple of friends who like to laugh. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

3½ out of 5 stars

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (PG-13) – Dir. Taika Waititi

Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, and Rhys Darby

Runtime: 1h 41min

Is it as good as the first? No. Is is still an incredibly fun and visually stunning space adventure film to seal the series fate as this generation’s Star Wars. Yes!

The crass and lovable Guardians return in a more self aware and cartoonish sequel that delivers big laughs and surprising character moments. The cast as a whole has some fantastic chemistry, with each main character dishing up some incredibly memorable moments of snappy comedy (Yondu makes the most quotable line in the movie) as well as some heartfelt moments that balance the adventure nicely. Baby Groot again steals the show and makes us question how many effects had to be added to Vin Diesel’s gruff voice to make it work. The main man himself, Chris Pratt as Starlord, seemed to take a back seat allowing his co-stars to shine.

I’m not as big of a fan of the decidedly more cartoonish humor, as it really feels somewhat bizarre despite how irreverent GotG already is at times. I can appreciate, however, the times when Guardians gets weird with it’s world-building as it still features some of the strangest and creative fiction visually – its neon soaked landscapes and bizarre alien cultures/species make it a feast for the eyes.

The plot revolves around Starlord and the gang meeting Peter’s Dad, discover more about Peter’s past, shake up the ravager fleet, and once again save the galaxy. It’s a decidedly less focused plot as compared to the first, and it has some juicy twists in the latter half (along with some comedy gold as well). It’s also way weirder as compared to the almost grounded original.

And what of the “Awesome Mix Vol. 2” music selection? I didn’t feel that it was as strong and as perfectly integrated into the film as the first, but man are there some excellent picks throughout. The parents that have no interest in comics will appreciate the music when they take their kids. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a great example of a strong sequel. While not as fresh or as captivating as the original installment, it adds upon the lore of the Guardians, as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.