"Batman v Superman" - Jerk Meets Gentleman

I don’t like Batman. I never have. Even when he was a cartoon, he was kind of unappealing to me. Superman, however, has grown on me. I’m referring to the more recent Superman films (i.e. Superman Returns, Superman). Superman’s sundry kindnesses to the children of men and his heroics that he performs for his love, Lois Lane are enough to melt any woman’s heart.

The idea of a well-bred alien superhero sparring with a brooding billionaire playboy whose enemies are all insane was a bit hard to swallow. Under what circumstances? How would two “men” like that even meet? And what on earth would cause them to engage in an epic battle? Lois Lane, I thought (I didn’t watch the trailers before I saw the movie).

Superman has a mother, a steady girlfriend and a romantic streak. Batman has nightmares and is seen in bed with an anonymous woman. He pursues Wonder Woman in a creepy way. Superman, sensing his imminent demise, bids Lois a heartfelt farewell.

The movie title, as basic as they come, could have been conceived by a 10 year old boy. A male friend of mine who is a die-hard Marvel Comics fan didn’t like the title either. Even after viewing the movie, the title still fell short because it failed to describe the “dawn of justice” since the main villain, Lex Luthor, basically got away.

As an action film, it was exciting and adventurous, with creatively designed fight and destruction scenes. I saw the 3D version and felt it was utilized very well in the opening and final scenes and the epic battle with the gorgon. There were many missed opportunities to use the 3D effect to enhance more mundane conversational scenes so I don’t recommend you spend the extra for the 3D unless you really want to.

Superman never wanted to fight Batman. Batman is the one who instigated and provoked Superman to battle, though his reasons don't make sense. One can fly; one has a cool, gadgety car. One can patrol the skies; the other the ground. What city could want more than to be monitored 24/7 against both alien attacks and regular street thugs? That is the bitter pill that is so hard to swallow. The “why”.

I get that Batman hates everyone because of his parents’ untimely death, but why blame Superman? With his superior technology, Batman should have be able to solve that crime by now anyway.

Audiences are forced to swallow that Batman hates Superman with an unrelenting, fiery rage because Superman accidentally destroyed some parts of Metropolis in order to save the entire world from Zod - an apparent criminal. Batman's hatred of Superman overrides his sense of justice against criminals. 

The numerous leaps of faith over gaping plot holes that viewers must take are humorously chronicled in this blog. Don’t ask “why”, just believe. Maybe the sequel will deliver more “aha” moments instead of “uh-uh” moments.

When the odd couple finally met, I immediately started rooting for Superman. His demeanor, character, streamlined outfit and restraint instantly out-classed Batman’s clunky, scary, cruel, meathead excess. His costume makes him look so close to the king of bats I thought he would morph into Dracula. And that basically sums up their face off – a devil vs an angel, a being from the heavens vs a critter from the depths.

These two superheroes don’t usher in any dawn of justice, more like a twilight of confusion, but most fans (females in particular, I think) would much rather have a nightly encounter with a polite alien in snug-fitting red tights, than the blackhearted, disturbed mind of Bruce Wayne. 

"Miracles From Heaven" - God, It's Good!

My Christian movie kryptonite has finally found me. With unhurried precision and thoughtfully crafted scenes and scoring, “Miracles From Heaven” undid all of my reservations about such an overtly titled movie and carried me to the brink of emotional torture and then delivered me to nirvana.

Miracles From Heaven is the first film released by Franklin Entertainment, spearheaded by preacher and former Columbia Pictures executive and author, DeVon Franklin ("The Wait", "Produced by Faith").

The action centers on a “regular” upper middle class Texan family, whose middle daughter, Annabelle, becomes violently sick with an unknown malady. When the mysterious illness is finally revealed as abdominal motility, an incurable illness, Jennifer Garner’s uncompromising portrayal of a worried, but determined mother against medical specialists with no answers is award worthy. Her frantic determination almost overshadows her dried up faith. Child actress Kylie Roger’s liquid portrayal of sickly Annabelle Beam is eerily realistic and almost unbearable to watch. When her faith slips away as her stomach pain increases, even the most cynical viewer will be reduced to a mess of sobs, tears and unanswered accusations against God.

The movie comes razor close to the perfect story and tone for the dramatic Christian movie genre. It is quite possibly the best of the batch of the pastor-church-family structured Christian films. Even the “heaven” scene, beautifully crafted with CGI, is spectacular without being a spectacle, but a “real” heaven that children and adults can visually relate to.

A noteworthy dramatic performance from Eugenia Derbez (Dr. Sam Norko), the Boston specialist who witnesses both Anna’s illness and her miraculous recovery. Queen Latifah (Angela) delivers several brief but nonstop fun scenes.

Considering that the majority of this movie takes place is several fairly monotonous settings - various hospitals, the family ranch, and in a church - the pace is very upbeat and smoothly moves the action along. The protracted, unexplained suffering of young Anna rattles your heart along a disjointed conveyor of emotions from white-hot rage to misery to hoping that she will die just to be free of her suffering.

However, the writing is on the wall is that Christian dramas are going to have to move beyond dramatizing fairly wealthy suburban people who live in large homes, enjoy financial and familial stability, and enjoy 7 course meals prepared by a housewife/mom and provided by a hard-working dad. Representing Christians as stereotypical nuclear families is almost as bad as representing us as pie-in-the-sky fanatics or not representing us at all.

Conveniently having a friendly pastor and caring church family to “balance” the family and offer timely advice would be a welcome addition to almost anyone’s life, but still does not reflect an authentic life where individuals must battle through circumstances largely on their own or with non-traditional family arrangements.

The next revolution for Christian dramas will be to trust that original fictionalized scripts can effectively spread the message of Christianity without using “case studies” as proof.

“Miracles From Heaven” is a must-see movie. Anyone who has cared for a sick friend or relative will relate to the heave-ho of the characters’ physical, emotional, and mental state. Anyone who hasn’t will be totally immersed in both Anna’s suffering and the drama of a mother’s resolute determination to get answers for her child –even from God Almighty.

Ultimately, “Miracles From Heaven” is not really about going to heaven but about bringing heaven down to earth.

"22 Years" - Short on Time, Long on Heart"

In just 16 minutes, the short film “22 Years” explores the aftermath of a question that haunts millions of adult children of divorce - “Why did Dad leave?”

Lead actress and producer Dawn Noel, delivers an emotionally convincing performance as Avi Moreno, a young waitress awaiting acceptance to law school, while grappling with her father’s sudden re-entry into her life after a 22 year absence. She still wears a chain he gave to her as a child shortly before being kicked out by her mother, who was tired of his reckless alcoholic behavior.

Avi navigates her turbulent state of mind by seeking the help of a psychiatrist (Kearran Giovanni, Major Crimes) and turning to her diverse circle of supportive friends. The action gradually progresses towards the much anticipated meeting with her father.

“22 Years” major achievement is tackling a complicated family drama head-on and yet concluding with a satisfying uplift. Avi’s emotional journey is accented by a memorable piano theme that reflects a modestly successful life, tumultuous childhood, ambitious future plans and an uncertain encounter.

Dawn Noel exhibits a very capable dramatic intelligence and range, introducing just enough emotional grit for the audience to feel her anger, frustration, and pain without coming across as starkly bitter or hopeless. She conveys a delicate, guarded hope that her life will turn out okay despite the uncertainty of how meeting with her father will affect her as depicted in the YouTube Trailer.

As with many short films, the challenge is telling a compelling story within a very unforgiving time constraint. “22 Years” delivers exceptional pace and keeps the audience interested with good rising action. However the low light, possibly intended to reflect the mood, created a shade effect making it difficult to see in some scenes. There was excessive camera shake that could have been reserved for the most dramatic moments instead of liberally inserted in nearly every scene.

“22 Years” delicately pulls your heart strings through a touchy emotional journey. A strong lead and well-rounded supporting cast deliver unrushed, down to earth performances showing how the pain of abandonment can lead to a much more fulfilling acceptance.