When superheroes clash

When mythic titans clash, thunder and lightning appear to envelop the arena. We may then say that the regular local screening of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had an appropriate start yesterday on Black Saturday.

Oh and what a grand battle or series of encounters it proves to be. Spoiler alerts galore. One of them dies. But not at the hands of the other. Well, that almost happened, too. But one word, a mother’s name, saved the day. For mankind? Hmm, we can still clothe it in mystery. 

In this blockbuster movie, it’s mankind that propels these extraordinary heroes to pit their strength and physical abilities against one another’s. It appears that a world that has become inured to disastrous episodes involving super-villains has also become prone to cynicism about its saviors.

Doubting heroism and its proper place in the turn of confrontational events has long been a sub-theme since Greek mythology. Heracles’ (or Hercules) occasional drunkenness or lunacy was said to allow him to slaughter innocent children, as long as he could follow that up with cleaning the Augean stables.

Here, there is also much gnashing of teeth over apparent dilemmas. The protagonists become very dark characters for the most part, tight-jawed, grim-faced, apparently angst-ridden even as they contemplate seemingly existential questions.

Well, to follow up his Man of Steel movie of 2013, director Zack Snyder could do no less than offer the first ever comicbook-to-movie action romp as a mano-a-mano between the DC Comics lead characters. No doubt it will satisfy many a fantasist’s dream of settling the schoolboy debate — not so much on who is more powerful, but on who deserves to win such a duel.

Being of this earth, The Dark Knight naturally comes off disadvantaged against an alien foundling with unearthly powers. Even if this particular Batman edition pushes himself to the limit with uber-gymwork and dons more goth metal from facemask to body outfit, he can certainly be no match, physically, for Kal-el turned Clark Kent turned The Man of Steel. No way can the “Bat of Gotham” challenge the “Son of Krypton.” 

But of course we all know Superman’s vulnerability, and it’s not Lois Lane (with whom he’s already shacking up in this version). And Batman knows it, too: Ah, kryptonite! So does the primary science-maven villain, a youngish Lex Luthor who provokes all the fireworks and practically arranges the duel.  

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Back to framing the inevitability of the epic clash, the narrative has to establish that some threat from space (and the evil cyber genius) wreaks havoc on Bruce Wayne’s urban turf.

Here’s a paragraph from the promo material that should help us with a narrative base. 

“Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.”

And another, for good measure:

Wonder Woman doesn’t really need a shield.

“In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the two legendary superheroes’ worlds collide in the aftermath of Batman’s massive battle that leveled the city of Metropolis. Batman (played by Ben Affleck) will seek out the superhero responsible, and epic action will ensue after he and Superman (Henry Cavill) come face to face. Another threat will emerge as well… The cast includes Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman / Diana Prince), plus Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Jeremy Irons (Alfred), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Holly Hunter (Senator Finch), and many more.”

From start to finish, the film has an utterly dark quality. The action scenes are spectacular as expected, often backlit against El Greco skyscapes, with dramatic tension escalating with each pulse-pounding sequence.

It also becomes obvious that this movie promises a sequel. Well, it’s a known fact that the plan is to follow up with a further exposition on the Justice League; this prequel only shows the dawn even before its birth.

Wonder Woman is introed in the latter part, where she figures prominently in the action scenes with Batman and Superman. DC Comics fans know that it’s this trio that eventually decides to form the Justice League by recruiting a cast of lesser superheroes.  

Back to the spoiler alerts: there’s no way these can be skirted. Suffice it to say that when Batman initially launches his rationalized aggression against the rival who tries vainly to convince him that he doesn’t have the chops for it, indeed he is beaten back handily. Until he falls back on the cheat tactic of employing kryptonite. Whenever the antidote wanes, Superman’s jaw regains its steel impregnability. Until kryptonite is used again. The crafty human is about to apply the coup-de-grace when the fallen alien utters a name that saves him.

The word is Martha. Bruce Wayne is taken aback, presses his prostrate opponent for an answer on why his mother’s name has been invoked. Here’s where Lois does her alien lover a service. She explains: It’s Clark Kent’s mother’s name, too.

Imagine that. How many DC Comics aficionados ever got to wonder about the coincidence: that there was Martha Kent and there was also Martha Wayne? 

Now this scene proves more credible to me than the early self-questioning done by Batman to get himself amped up with motivation — to rid the planet of a rival rescuer whose decisions seem flaky at times. Like zooming in the air halfway across the globe just to save his girlfriend Lois from Middle Eastern kidnappers. Hey, come on, Bruce, she was his girlfriend after all, and she was in distress.

Oh, in his philosophical turmoil, Bruce suffers from numerous nightmares, this despite the enlarged role for butler Alfred (played effectively by Jeremy Irons), who practically orchestrates his ward’s moves and maneuvers. The nightmares serve as convenient frames for fantasy action sequences — psychedelic pyrotechnics, we might say — or otherwise inconceivable scenes like having the dreamer approach a desert fortress, or is it his own ice fortress?

Hmm. Identity theft.

In a way, it’s a dark lark, justified into being in a league of its own when it comes to torrid action. Oh, Wonder Woman is a wondrous looker, svelte in gowns and dynamic in her battle costume. Not only does she live up to her comicbook persona as the one who’s virtually indestructible among the three. Here, too, she isn’t shown illogically having to fend off bullets with her bracelets.

But the three are still no match for the grand antagonist referred to as the creature, who grows stronger with each knockdown (much like the giant Antaeus who gains strength everytime he’s hurled down on the ground). We silently urge Superman to cast this blob of a deadly threat up into space, all the way out to a galaxy far, far away. But then he probably knows that the creature will just come back, so that in their final pas de deux in space, the Man of Steel has to make the supreme sacrifice, martyring himself by using… what do you know, the same antidote that kills him.  

And so like Jon Snow he is rendered prostrate once more, apparently with finality this time when he comes down to earth. And he is actually buried, much to Batman’s, Wonder Woman’s, Lois Lane’s, Perry White’s, and the rest of the world’s ceremonious grief.

Suspense grips us till the end credits. Will his wooden casket suddenly burst open? Or like FPJ, would his, gasp, death enrage Pinoy Muslims enough to vent their own firepower onto the silver screen?

There appears a hint of movement as the first clods of earth are thrown upon the coffin. Or is it just an imagined flicker, our incredulous eyes played final tricks upon, somehow assuring us that yes, as super revenants go, there will be a sequel?