Matt's Best Albums of 2015

Matt here!

It was a dismal year for music in terms of the number and quality of entire albums. But I was lucky to come across a few, and here they are (in alphabetical order by artist):

1989

Ryan Adams

I first dismissed this album as a lame gimmick. After all, how come Adams couldn’t just put his energy into writing his own album, rather than making his personal arrangements of a Taylor Swift pop album? But then you hear his adaptation and realize it’s one of the best albums released this year. Of course, the fact that it is one of the best speaks volumes about the state of music and new releases this past year – the fact that an adaptation album made the top list – but, regardless, it’s still one of the best. Adams takes bubble-gum pop music and turns it into alternative indie rock for all ages. A song like “Bad Blood” sung by Swift sounds like some pop anthem, but Adams’ version is haunting and cerebral while also maintaining its catchy chorus and musical hooks. Whether Adams’ album is a gimmick or not, it’s an essential album to check out!

Favorite track: (tie) “Blank Space” and “Out of the Woods”

Coming Home

Leon Bridges

Nobody wants to be heralded as the next “insert legendary musican’s name here!” But sometimes, whether an artist wants it or not, it’s inevitable. That’s why I couldn’t help tones but hear heavy of Sam Cooke when I first heard Leon Bridges’ debut album, “Coming Home.” But he’s not the excitable Cooke; he’s the slow-groovin’ Cooke! Bridges’ songwriting heralds back to the time of great soul and he writes, plays and sings it as effortlessly as if he took a trip in a time machine from the mid-1960s. Bridges manages to craft a wonderful album that’s just as comfortable to play whether you’re cruising down a long highway or sitting at home on a rainy morning. Each of the songs are filled with something sorely lacking in most of today’s music: soul, meaning and harmony.

Favorite track – “Smooth Sailin'”

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Florence + The Machine

Florence + The Machine have been a force to be reckoned with ever since their debut album! Their newest album does not disappoint as Florence Welch continues to showcase her stunning, haunting voice! If there is one paramount thing the band has going for it in order to make it legendary, it’s that most bands (and their singers and therefore sounds) have a distinct sound – a sound like no other band out there. And Florence + The Machine have that kind of distinct sound! With this release, Welch and the band have swam into deeper waters in terms of the songwriting of the lyrics. There weren’t many hits this year, but this band’s album was a bonafide one!

Favorite track – "Ship to Wreck"

Medicine

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

I know everyone threw a lot of attention to Jason Isbell this past year, and while his album is good, it's not as good as the latest album from Tennessee natives Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors' seventh album, Medicine. The album features a lot of alternative/folk rock with a small tinge of country in it. I'm ashamed to admit this is the first I've heard of Holcomb, but better late than never! Holcomb delivers songs full of soul and music with catchy guitar licks and a beautiful melody with his wife, Ellie Holcomb. There's a nice, steady mix of faster tempo songs and lazy, slow songs. This is one of the bands I'm most happy about discovering this year!

Favorite track: "Here We Go"

Little Neon Limelight

Houndmouth

In a year not full of many hits for me, this diamond-in-the-rough couldn’t help but shine. I had never heard of this band before this album, but when I did hear it, I wanted more! Houndmouth is some of the best soul/blues/rock out there! It’s a great southern California alt. rock-blues album with tones of Black Crowes, Kings of Leon, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Grace Potter all in one! Houndmouth is helping to bring back the blue-eyed soul of which I am a big fan and they one of the few albums released this year that regular rotation in my car and at work!

Favorite track – (tie) "Otis" & "Say It"

Wilder Mind

Mumford & Sons

Upon first listen of this album, I wasn’t sure whether I liked it or not. Wilder Mind doesn’t have as many of the usual catchy musical hooks their previous folk albums had, and it’s the first time the band has gone heavily electric. Upon the news of the release of this album, there were many fans who were wary of the idea of the band using electric and it instantly reminded me of the backlash Bob Dylan received from his fans and critics when he first went electric with his fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home, and particularly when he first performed with an electric guitar to boos at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Since I’m a big fan of Mumford & Sons, I listened and was really excited for their shift to electric instruments. The first listen wasn’t anything special, but the next listen warranted a handful of songs I enjoyed. The third listen had me enjoying the entire album. Wilder Mind is not an instant hit that hooks you right from the start but it is a hit nonetheless. There are some songs which are a bit repetitive but songs like “Broad-Shouldered Beasts” and “Ditmas” more than make up for it.

Favorite track – “Broad-Shouldered Beasts”

Selfies on Kodachrome & Top Hat on Fleek

Postmodern Jukebox

Year and year again, Scott Bradlee’s music ensemble has released successful album over and over – most times maybe three albums per year! Bradlee created Postmodern Jukebox after leaving school and studying jazz piano. What started off as Bradlee taking contemporary pop songs and rearranging them to sound as if they came from various eras and genres (i.e., 1930s jazz or 1960s girl group, etc.), soon turned into him getting together some like-minded musicians and damn good various singers recording songs and music videos. Two of his latest albums made my best list this year, all consisting of various musicians and spanning many different genres over many different decades. If you are a fan of big band, jazz, doo wop, torch singer, and any other such genre, then Postmodern Jukebox will be the answer to your prayers!

Favorite track(s): “I’m Not the Only One” & “Hey There Delilah”

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

The BEST album of the year! Nathaniel Rateliff formed his band, The Night Sweats, and decided to bring back a genre so sorely needed: true soul and blues rock! With his self-titled album – along with Leon Bridges’ Coming Home album – Rateliff sings, wails, and plays with a deep-rooted, guttural voice and sound, making the heart and soul packed in each song burst through the speakers. Their breakout hit, “S.O.B.,” which Rateliff wrote about the pains of overcoming alcohol abuse, is a rollicking soul rocker and one of the best on the album. Rateliff brings Motown soul back and is easily one of the best new artists to have emerged in the past 10 years! I can’t wait to see what he and the band come out with next!

Favorite track – (tie) “Howling at Nothing” & “S.O.B.”

Matt Reviews "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"

Unless you've been in a coma for the past week or so, it's kind of hard to miss the massive amounts of reviews slamming DC Comics' latest cinematic entry, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Even my cohort, Jay, had quite a bit of negative things to say about the film. While he and I both agree it's not the worst comic book adaptation ever -- Spider-Man 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, Hulk, Green Lantern, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, the Joel Schumacher-directed Batman films (Batman Forever and Batman & Robin), Ghost Rider, Jonah Hex, and all of the Fantastic Four films fit up on that mantle -- nevertheless, I think the negative reviews are a bit extreme and critics are definitely over-exaggerating. Now, don't get me wrong. Critics and viewers have the right to not like this film. Batman v Superman (BvS) is not one of the greatest comic book films ever -- it's not as good as Captain America: Winter Soldier nor does it even come close to the best comic book adaptation to date: The Dark Knight. However, BvS is not the dull let-down the naysayers would have you believe it is.

First off, let me say I really enjoyed BvS! Despite its title, I'm happy it was more than some rock-'em-sock-'em action flick. Besides the much-talked-about action near the end, there was an actual story (which is more than I can say for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies) -- this time around inevitably having Superman dealing with the aftermath/fallout of his battle royale with General Zod (Michael Shannon), Ursa, and the rest of their Kryptonian criminal crew at the end of Man of Steel. I particularly liked the fact that this film addressed the almost vilifying of Superman, which perfectly reminds audiences of why Superman -- despite his few allies -- is one of the most alienated comic book characters. Despite his attempts to do good ever since the Kryptonian attack in Man of Steel (MoS), there is always some group of people he's offending or accused of attacking. This comes to a head when he is framed for murdering a group of African villagers and criminal soldiers (although, there is no shown casualities other than the criminals), and his actions get the attention of Senator Finch (Holly Hunter), who heads a Congressional subcommittee investigating Superman and believes he should understandably be held accountable for his actions or, in this case, inadvertent actions. While this is going on, spoiled rich boy (who tries not to act spoiled) Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) exploits the public's fear of Superman by using some Kryptonite found in the Indian Ocean to create a "final solution" to end Superman. As for his actual motivation, Luthor does not trust Superman being an alien and having so much power. Also, Luthor simply envies what he cannot have: Superman's power. It's the same motivation every Superman fan and anyone who's read a Superman comic knows. While this is all happening, Superman also has gotten the attention of another billionaire, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), who, after suffering his own personal losses in the Kryptonian attack, has it out to destroy the man of steel.

The paramount thing to remember about DC's current cinematic universe is these films are exploring origins of characters that have been told and retold a dozen times or more by many different writers and in many different fashions. The only exception is Affleck's Batman, who has been doing his vigilante crime-fighting for quite some time -- as evidenced by visual (Robin's suit with Joker's spray-painted taunt) and spoken references (Wayne to Kent: "Maybe it's the Gotham City in me ... we just have a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns."). So, the critics' argument that -- particularly in MoS -- Superman doesn't act like Superman is a bit unfounded or, at best, moot as Superman is growing into and learning to be the hero us comic fans know. For fans who so adoringly remember and love Richard Donner's 1978 Superman, starring Christopher Reeve (who will always be the true Superman), MoS and this film are probably a bitter pill to swallow as this interpretation is definitely not the same. The origin may be there but the production, writing, acting and overall feel of the films are different. Again, I'm a huge fan of the Donner film, but if you go into MoS and/or BvS with the same kind of expectation, prepare to be thoroughly disappointed. If Donner's Superman was the golden age comics version of Superman, then MoS and BvS are the New 52 comics version. And I think that is wherein mostly lies the problem for critics and fans. There have been other versions of Superman in the cinema and most people love Reeve's portrayal; this version is not like Reeve's version, which most unknowingly have a problem with, and because this is a character people love so much, they are all the more critical if the film and character don't live up to their expectations or the version they care so much for.

There is certainly a lot to enjoy in BvS. Affleck's turn as Bruce Wayne has him comfortably portraying a hardened, weary, alcohol-for-breakfast-swigging Wayne while his version of Batman is darker, more ruthless, showing off his many years of fighting crime. He is the embodiment of Nietzsche's warning of becoming a monster after fighting them for too long. While we are briefly shown Batman's traumatic origin, I'm happy it will not take center point when or if a solo Affleck Batman film is released (I heard a 2018 or 2019 with Geoff Johns' assistance  is on the roster). This is a technique being used nowadays with comic book characters whose origin story is widely known and/or has been recreated on film a few times. Case in point, Marvel Comics' The Punisher's origin (which has been shown on film three times) is merely talked about on the hit Netflix series, Daredevil; and Spider-Man (whose origin has been shown on film two times) will be rebooted and reintroduced to filmgoers in this year's Captain America: Civil War and eventually in his own standalone film, which has already been announced will not be an origin story. Jeremy Irons' portrayal of Wayne's butler, Alfred, was good as he vocalizes the central theme to BvS: fear. "That's how it starts. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men ... cruel."

Gal Gadot's Diana Prince/Wonder Woman is the mysterious figure to intrigue audiences, getting them pumped up not just for the upcoming Justice League film but also for her long overdue standalone film (look closely and you'll spot a slightly blurry pic of Chris Pine as Steve Trevor). I found the photographic hint of her history was certainly enough to get me excited for the films and I think her role in the final battle is integral to showing audiences just how powerful she is (some don't know her power almost equals that of Superman's). I think not fully utilizing her in this film was a wise move as the filmmakers had, they would've risked jamming too much into a film with already a lot going on. There's a moment during her battle with the major baddie -- those who've seen the trailer know it's Doomsday (as in the monster who was responsible for killing Superman in the 1990s comic book run) -- when she actually smiles after being hit by the monster, and I couldn't help but smile myself because those in the know are aware of her true power. Also, when she, Batman and Superman first share screen time before their battle, even though there is little dialogue, their chemistry together feels, looks and sounds like what they are known for in the comics. Amy Adams' Lois Lane worked in BvS and she proves she is one of Superman's few tethers to a world in which he still doesn't feel comfortable yet; plus, her chemistry with Henry Cavill improved. I also loved the intriguing twist of Jimmy Olsen as a spy. What got me most excited, though, were the cameos of a majority of the rest of the Justice League: Ezra Miller's Flash, Jason Mamoa's Aquaman, and Ray Fisher's Cyborg (which all ran longer than I thought).

Most may be expecting the Lex Luthor most people associate with the comics version (on the right), but Jesse Eisenberg's younger portrayal fits more into the Secret Origin younger version (on the left).

As for the two more contentious characters (and their portrayals), Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor has drawn the most ire as many didn't take well to his particular brand of acting. Some have compared him to his Mark Zuckerberg portrayal from The Social Network: a nerdy, awkward, fidgeting dork doing his best to be threatening. While Eisenberg's portrayal (as any of the other parts in the film) is more a testament to the writers' version of Luthor, it should also be said that this Luthor is not the brawny, intimidating Luthor currently shown in DC's comic but rather the younger Lex prominently featured in Geoff Johns' Secret Origin comic. While that may be no excuse for letting down people's expectation, the fact that this is Luthor's introduction to the new cinematic universe and he's young proves that the Luthor all fans have grown to love to hate still has to do a bit more growing himself. What I do find ironic is that people/fans who are so in love with Donner's film would be so critical of this film, but expectations are high. It's a good thing Donner's Superman and Superman II weren't released today -- as critics would pan those films! I can hear it now. "Isn't Luthor's ultimate plan of sinking California a bit too simple a plot point?" "Turning the earth backward to turn back time? Seriously!?" "A super kiss that makes Lois forget? C'mon!" "Margot Kidder's acting?" And "Gene Hackman's comedic approach to portraying Lex Luthor?" Nevertheless, I can understand people's issues with Eisenberg's portrayal and if it's not for you, it's easy to see why. One of my biggest complaints was the sore underusage of Luthor's assistant, Mercy Graves (Tao Okamoto), who was first created for Superman: The Animated Series and is quite tough!

From 1992's The Death of Superman story, Doomsday is introduced as a mute killing machine who simply wants to destroy everything and everyone ... pretty much like the BvS version of Doomsday.

The second abused character is Doomsday, the Luthor-created Kryptonian monster best known for his introduction by killing Superman in the 1992 DC Comics storyline, The Death of Superman. Jay was quick to point out he thought the character was some mindless, horrible-looking thing which resembled the dopey Bane in Schumacher's Batman & Robin. However, unlike Bane in the comics, the comics version of Doomsday, when first introduced, does not talk and is merely a rage-filled killing machine that simply wants to destroy, there is no other motivation. So the portrayal of Doomsday here is quite on the mark. Also, the Doomsday in the comic (when first introduced) looks a bit too cartoony so I don't see a problem with how they created him via CGI for this film (I'm just happy that added the jagged rocks sprouting from his limbs and body). As for the criticism of Zod's ship being kept in Metropolis, it is true that it is never explained but when seeing how big the ship is, knowing this is only a year-and-a-half after the battle of Metropolis, and the fact the ship is made of Kryptonian metals and materials, it's safe to say the ship may not be as easy to move with earth material-made construction equipment as most would think. Finally, the creation of Doomsday is not merely Luthor putting his blood on Zod's body and putting him in water. The ship connects to Zod's body and begins the metamorphosis process, and Luthor's blood is merely mixed with the symbiotic fluid used to create a chrysalis for the transformation. The ship's technology takes it from there.

If there is one minor issue I had about BvS it's the inconsistency of teetering between origin story and throwing in what only comic fans would most likely know. Most of us know the basics of why Luthor first dislikes Superman, but if BvS is supposed to be an origin story for the two characters -- and especially their relationship -- I feel the filmmakers could or should have written some kind of scene to better explain or develop Luthor's jealousy as the scene at the benefit gala did not cut it. The closest they come to explaining Luthor's reasoning is at the end when he confronts Superman, and basically explains he doesn't trust Superman because of his being an alien and the fact he has so much power. Still, it's extremely difficult to make a film about a character who's already been portrayed so many times before. Another element I didn't care for was the writers' weakening of Superman, which has been shown on film ever since the Modern Age (mid-1980s), and is shown in BvS when a nuclear bomb explodes near him (SPOILER) and he's left in the atmosphere near death, which would never happen unless the bomb had Kryptonite in it (END SPOILER).

What I loved most about BvS was the final battle scenes. I won't get into too much detail as I don't want to spoil anything but I thought both were well-executed with great pacing and acting thrown in for good measure. The bottom line is: BvS is not the spectacular film everyone hyped it up in their minds to be, but it's also not the snore-fest most critics are painting it to be. If you're a fan of Superman and/or DC Comics, you're gonna most likely enjoy this film. If not, at least DC Comics and Warner Bros. have given us a barrage of characters (stemming from BvS) whose films will be forthcoming and can thus give us high hopes from this point on!

Jay Picks the 5 Best Episodes of "The Larry Sanders Show"

Jay here.

Last Thursday the news broke that comedian, Garry Shandling had died at the age of 66 years old. To the comedy world this was a huge loss. Garry was a titan of comedy and revered among his peers for his influential and groundbreaking work throughout the 80's and 90's. You know how they say, "He's an actor's actor."? Well, Shandling was a "comedian's comedian".

When you read all of tweets from celebrities and comics who knew him or worked for and with him, you begin to get a sense of the impact this guy made on comedy. After his hit show, The Larry Sanders Show took its final bow on HBO in 1998, Shandling kind of faded into the background a bit. You get a sense that he had done what he wanted to do. He popped up briefly with fun cameos as the corrupt Senator Stern in 2010's, Iron Man 2 and 2014's, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But it was that HBO show that would be his crowning achievement and arguably one of the most important hits for the paid subscription network.

The main cast of The Larry Sanders Show (clockwise from top left): Jeffrey Tambor, Garry Shandling, Rip Torn, Wallace Langham, Janeane Garofalo, Penny Johnson and Linda Doucett

This was before Oz, The Sopranos and Sex in the City. Many people scoffed at how a sitcom could be successful on HBO? Isn't that a channel just for movies? Today HBO is bigger than ever, driven mostly by the success of its original content. I remember watching Larry Sanders as a teenager. It was like nothing I had seen before. At times it didn't even seem like comedy. It was fresh and new. Shandling famously turned down the opportunity to replace David Letterman on NBC when the host bolted for CBS. Instead he decided to become a different kind of talk-show host, on a fake show that seemed more real and fresh then any other late night. 

It also was a breeding ground for young talent. Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Trainwreck) was a writer and producer on the show. Sarah Silverman, Scott Thompson, Janeane Garofalo, Jon Stewart, the list goes on and on.

And then there was Jeffrey Tambor's show-stealing performance as bumbling sidekick, "Hey Now" Hank Kingsley. Much of what made the show great was just seeing how Larry would react or treat Hank. It was comedy magic. 

Rip Torn was just as brilliant as the show's producer, Artie. His grizzled, no bullshit way of dealing with people was good for laugh after laugh.

In honor of the passing of such a talent, I present for your enjoyment my personal favorite five episodes of The Larry Sanders Show. Be warned, this being an HBO show there is some adult language on display here.

5. "The Spider Episode" (Season 1, Episode 3)

This was the episode that really set the standard for The Larry Sanders Show. When Carol Burnett comes on the show to do a sketch with Larry, the insecure host decides to face one of his biggest phobias and invite a tarantula wrangler onto the show. Hilarity ensues ..... Burnett was fantastic in this episode and earned an Emmy nomination for her guest appearance as herself.

4. "Hank's Sex Tape" (Season 4, Episode 7)

Jeffrey Tambor was always great in this show. Hank Kingsley remains one of the greatest sitcom characters for me and this is one of his best episodes if you want to see how great he is. When raiding Hank's office for stashed candy, the writing staff finds a VHS tape that shows Hank having a threesome with two prostitutes. Being comedy writers, of course they make copies of the tape and spread it around the office for big laughs. Seeing Hank make the women tell him he's "boss" and perform other hysterical role plays is fantastic. This scene with Norm McDonald and Henry Winkler is comedy gold!

3. "Arthur After Hours" (Season 4, Episode 3)

This is Rip Torn's best episode, in my opinion. He was so good in this role as Artie, he was the most quotable character, but his best comedic moments always came when he was drunk. Artie is the quintessential loyal producer. He would do anything for Larry, which makes it tough because Sanders frequently treats him like shit.  In this episode Artie finally has enough and spend a drunken night in the studio where he lashes out at Larry and bonds with the custodian. It's both funny and touching at the same time.

I couldn't find a clip on YouTube from this episode so simply enjoy this great scene of Artie drunk from a different episode ....

2. "The Hankerciser 200" (Season 2, Episode 6)

I love this episode! In fact its really hard for me to choose between this one and the series finale as my favorite. If you watched this show you know that Hank Kingsley was a shameless self-promoter. If someone wanted to put his face on their product he wouldn't think twice about it. When Hank endorses a new ridiculous exercise machine, and Larry's journalist wife threatens to write an article about how it isn't safe, Hank goes off the deep end. The scene where Hank calls Larry's wife an awful name is brilliant. It illustrates how Shandling's job was often just reacting to the craziness around him, and his reactions are genius. Of course, most of his funniest reactions were to Tambor who is at his best in this episode. In this clip watch how great Sanders and Tambor are as they do promo spots for the shows while discussing the problems with the Hankerciser which leads into their fight about Francine.

1. "Flip" (Season 6, Episode 11)

I think the series finale for The Larry Sanders Show is certainly in the discussion for the best final episodes for a show ..... ever. Hmmmmm, maybe that's a list Matt and I should do real soon? Part of the reason for this is that like a real talk show that is ending, there was a season long build up to it. Jon Stewart is picked by the network to replace Larry, and the episodes Stewart was in are really great. There were so many cameos in this finale: Jim  Carrey, Sean Penn, Warren Beatty, David Duchovny (still playing on the is-he-gay-for-Larry shtick), Jerry Seinfeld, Greg Kinear, Bruno Kirby, etc. It really is touching episode, especially for the three main characters, Larry, Artie and Hank. Moving and hysterical "Flip" is the perfect swan songs to one of the great sitcoms of all time.

In this interview Shandling talks about creating the final episode.

And that's my picks. You can find a lot of episodes on YouTube if you've never seen this groundbreaking show before. Also, there is a great collection on DVD/Blu-ray called Not Just the Bes of the Larry Sanders Show, which has a good collection of the best episodes to watch.

For now, enjoy this ..... "No Flipping!"

Jay Reviews "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice"

Jay here.

For the first part of this review I will try to remain spoiler free. But towards the end I do plan to discuss important plot points of Batman vs. Superman. Don't worry though, I will warn you when we get there, if you want to see this movie without knowing what happens.

Critics are already slamming Zack Snyder's latest entry into the DC Universe pretty hard, most of it deservedly so. Is it the worst comic book movie ever made? No. It isn't as bad as Spider-Man 3 or certainly as bad as X-Men: The Last Stand. There are some moments to point at BvS and say, "They got that right." But unfortunately these moments are few and far between.

To understand where this film fails you have to know a bit about its director, Zack Snyder, Warner Bros goals for the DC franchise and also you need to have seen 2011's, Man of Steel, the predecessor to BvS. That movie, also directed by Snyder, detailed Superman's origins and his climactic battle with General Zod (Michael Shannon) that left the city of Metropolis decimated and thousands of people dead. Man of Steel is not a bad movie, it's actually pretty good when compared to its successor, but many fans of the character, including myself, thought it was too much of a departure for Superman to engage in a battle that would cause so much devestation and lives lost.

Batman vs Superman, in many ways, seems to be a response to that backlash, and I don't think that is necessarily a bad idea. From the beginning of this movie you can see what Snyder was going for. The idea of an alien who grows up on Earth and has unbelievable powers would be a frightening thing in the real world. Much of how people like Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and Senator Finch (Holly Hunter) react to Superman's existence feels realistic. The problem is how this plot becomes overburdened and contrived through a mess of a script that doesn't flow at all. This movie doesn't know if it wants to be a thoughtful exercise on the nature of power or an all-out superhero extraveganza. It falls flat when it tries to be both and Snyder is not skilled enough to tie it all together.

Batman (Ben Affleck) moves to take down Superman (Henry Cavill). After the events at the end of Man of Steel, Bats thinks Supes is more threat than savior.

But before I beat up on it too much, let's talk about what I liked. Ironically, one of the things that I was most scared of before seeing this was Ben Affleck in the role as the Caped Crusader. And I must admit I was pleasantly surprised that he pulls it off for the most part. Affleck is at his best when he is Bruce Wayne and feels comfortable in that role. In many ways this is more his movie than Superman's and he anchors it well. Jeremy Irons is also really good as Alfred the Butler. It makes you really wish they had done a stand alone Batman movie with these two before rushing into this quagmire. It would have been the smarter move.

Gal Gadot is also really good as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. She's magnetic whenever she is on screen. The problem is that I have no idea why her character is in this film at all and I am clueless as to her motivation. It's clear the only reason she's in the script is to set up the forthcoming Justice League movie. It's a disservice to such an iconic character to give her such a short shrift. 

That's about it for what I liked.

Now let's get to the really bad stuff. First and foremost, Jesse Eisenberg's performance as Lex Luthor is quite possibly the worst comic book villain ever translated to the screen. I can't sugarcoat it. Just thinking about him now makes me want to punch him. I guess they were going for the geeky, nerdy boy who daddy abused, but it just comes off as annoying. At times I thought he was trying to channel Heath Ledger's Joker and just missing the mark by about a thousand miles. It's so bad and also unfaithful to what really is one of the most iconic villains in pop culture history. Hey, I'm all for reimagining things, but this is not Luthor at all. There is nothing that is menacing about him in the least and his big scene with Superman where he reveals his plan is jaw-droppingly awful. Also, again we have a character whose motives are unclear. Why does Lex want to kill Superman? I have no fucking idea. He babbled something about God and Power but I am lost.

Yes, this is Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) and he is Superman's greatest enemy. Hmmmmm....

It's hard to swallow because I like Eisenberg and I think he's a good actor. Go watch The Social Network, Adventureland or last year's, The End of the Tour if you want to see how good he is. Just forget this role and pray they don't bring him back.

Next, there is the final "fight" of the film. Now here is where we are going to get into SPOILER territory, so leave if you don't want to know what happens at the end of BvS ......

So, Luthor manages to worm his way into getting access to the Kryptonian ship from Man of Steel, which the government has sealed off for research. Side note: can we get an explanation as to why the ship is kept in a park in the center of Metropolis??? This seems ridiculously dumb. It couldn't be airlifted out? Who's writing this???

Anyway, Luthor learns a lot of stuff about the universe from Kryptonian memory banks and decides to use Zod's lifeless body to create a new super being. Oh, he can do this simply by cutting his hand and submerging the body in a water-like substance in the ship. And thus, Doomsday is born.

Doomsday faces off against Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot).

For those who don't know him, Doomsday is pretty famous for being the villain that managed to kill Superman in the comics back in the 90's. Here he is a completely redundant and uninspiring monster. My best comparison was to remember how they portrayed the villain Bane in the universally despised 1997 film, Batman & Robin. He was a joke, reduced to a mindless bodyguard for Uma Thurman's, Poison Ivy. In the comics Bane was smart and cunning. Think about how Tom Hardy portrayed him in 2011's, The Dark Knight Rises. That is more like the Bane from the comics. So, Doomsday got the Joel Schumacher treatment here, unfortunately.

I think a reviewer for Entertainment Weekly captured it best when he called Doomsday a walking "turd". I laughed out loud because that is exactly what he looks like. He's basically a bigger, better CGI version of the Golgothan Shit Demon from Kevin Smith's, Dogma. Look it up, I'm serious!

The final fight is pretty to look at, but it has no soul. And I think this speaks to the heart at what is an overarching problem with a lot of Zack Snyder's filmography. All flash, no substance. His best films for me, in order, would be 2004's, Dawn of the Dead, 2009's Watchmen and Man of Steel. A lot of people probably disagree with me on Watchmen but I think he did as good a job as anyone could adapting what was pretty much unadaptable. 

But, this guy also made 2011's, Sucker Punch, a movie that looked as good as its script sucked. And that was supposed to be his original story, not based on previous works. And before you bring up 2006's, 300, which was a HUGE hit for Snyder, I will also repeat that was a movie that relied on looks more than  words. 

Maybe I'm being too hard on Snyder. For all we know this is what Warner Bros wanted. But I really feel, in their haste to compete with Disney's Marvel cinematic franchise, they rushed things, in a hurry to get to Justice League. They should have made a second standalone Superman film, with Luthor as the big bad (casting anyone else but Eisenberg, obviously). Then make a Wonder Woman movie. 

If you want to see a great comic book movie go see Deadpool or watch the excellent Season 2 of Daredevil on Netflix.

This movie suffers from being too crowded and disjointed. At this point I am not optimistic that Justice League will be any better ....