I just watched Superman V Batman: Dawn of Justice last night because of a Twitter conversation the other day. The question was, who is the best Batman?

I hadn’t watched the latest Batman movies to chime in – and when I asked about the legitimacy of Ben Affleck being considered “the Best” I got slammed by some definitely crazed Ben Affleck fans. I wish I was exaggerating – crazy fans, including JLo groupies who clearly were convinced, there was no conversation to be had. Ben Affleck is the best Batman. Wow!  Really? 

Uhem, first let me be clear:  I would never have any hate for Ben Affleck. The man is from Massachusetts. And if you don’t know, I’m a Bostonian, born and raised. And we’re loyal. It’s a give-in if you’re born anywhere in the state of Massachusetts period. It automatically makes you a fan of all sports teams in Boston for life, even if you don’t watch sports at all.  It also makes you supportive of any and all people from the great state doing more good in the world than not. We have our exceptions of course, but the point is – I ain’t got no hate for Mr. Ben Affleck.

With that said… I watched Superman V Batman last night and…  I’m so sorry, there are so many things I want to say but, if I was hesitant before, I’m super clear now: there is a reason why I’m a Marvel fan instead of a DC Comics fan. That might have been one of the worst films in the genre I’ve watched. For real though.

But I digress…

This really doesn’t need to be said, but I stand by the fact that Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve will always be the best of the DC Superhero actors on film – Batman and Superman, respectively.  And for those about to shout out about Adam West, we’re talking Movies, not TV. No disrespect.

If you take the OG’s out of the conversation because honestly, how can you even compare them? I would say that when it comes to Batman, I’m still a fan of Christian Bale as Batman after Michael Keaton. And then, I’ve give props to Val Kilmer. Yes, I said Val Kilmer.  Go watch it again before you speak.

I also want to admit that the Marvel world is also a little less Dark that DC Comics movies. This is my limited experience, but the doom and gloom of DC Comics and its world, just makes me sad. It doesn’t pull me out of the sadness enough to bring me a feeling of accomplishment and hope.  I mean, if you watched Marvel’s Infinity War – it was definitely sad. And you left the theater totally bummed – but, there was always a sense of hope. There was a possibility. And you couldn’t wait for End Game because you just knew, you knew in your heart “WE” had to win! 

But watching Superman V Batman last night – a movie that I kept pausing and taking a break from because of how bad it was, I couldn’t help to think, this could have been so much better on so many levels! But even the Christian Bale Batman’s were always so gloomy to the end. Even when we won, we felt like we lost so much… Meh. I may not be explaining right, but it’s all I’ve got word-wise at the moment. 

What’s my problem with Ben Affleck as Batman? I honestly don’t know. I can’t pinpoint my issue with his portrayal, but it can easily be that I just didn’t believe him as Batman. It wasn’t seamless for me. I kept SEE-ING him as “Ben Affleck in a cape playing Batman” instead of just seeing the movie. And that could be a lot of things – my criteria for what makes a good movie is rather simple:  If I’m not completely engrossed in the movie, if I’m aware that I’m watching a movie, then something is wrong with the movie and it’s not going well. Period.  The movie was bad people. It was muddled on several levels and I honestly still don’t understand why Batman was so angry with Superman that he wanted to kill him. I mean I KNOW because I know the story, but in the movie it was NOT clear…

The best part of that movie – and this is a weak compliment – was the understanding of how Lex Luther came to be. I’m not sure I loved the complete portrayal, but I respected the attempt. I also liked the introduction of the possible other superheroes that needed to be found.

I’m still a Marvel fan –  I want to love DC Comics and clearly it’s an overall genre I love. When done well, it’s the escapism and hope for me!  But it’s been a long time since I craved watching a DC Comic movie. I’ve appreciated the Wonder Woman movies with Gal Gadot – but they also do not compare to something like the current Black Widow or even, dare I say it – I think I enjoyed Captain Marvel more than the Wonder Woman movies. Not sure. In a way, I hate to compare because there are just not enough women-esque led and directed films – so we need much more.  

Well, that’s it. Just wanted to vent about that – curious, are there any movie genres comparisons you find yourself struggling to love?  Star Trek verses Star Wars? Lord of the Rings verses Harry Potter (is that even a thing?).  Hmmmm…  what will I watch next? 

Happy Sunday.