Okay so these first entries will be taken from my Imdb reviews in that they are what I have written reviews about already and that is where the body of the text comes from. I think I have polished and renovated them to be more in my natural voice. The first is my review of Batman vs Superman: Dawn fo Justice. And the second is my review of the series Smallville as a whole. And the Legacy mentioned in the title is a Superman legacy, as well as a long journey.
Not Trash – a Masterpiece
The only convoluted parts of this movie are Lex Luthor's plan and why the world suddenly hates Superman. As far as Why Bruce is so relentlessly pursuing Superman and why 'Save Martha' actually pulls him back, they could not have set it up more clearly. And I realize a lot of Batman fans were disgusted/surprised at this version of Batman but they do explain his character perfectly: this is world weary, Robinless Joker beaten Batman who has almost given up on hope for the world. He spells out his motivations to Alfred "He has the power to make anything happen and if we believe there is even a 1% chance that he is our enemy He sees this alien as another freak in a costume. He even tells Superman while he's punching his face repeatedly "You were never a God, you were never even a man." Batman does not spare Superman because thier mother's share the same name. Batman didn't even know 'Martha' was Supes mother's name at first. But Superman asking Batman to save someone else was enough to make him pause and consider that this evil alien cares about people, cares about someone more than his own life. And then Lois comes in and tells him "It's his mother's name." And he realizes Superman has a human family. And literally everything that goes with that: he has a life, IS a good man I almost murdered. He finally realizes that "How many good guys are left, how many stayed that way" is a question he should have been asking about himself. Setting up both his mission and his attitude for the next movie.
Smallville An Innovative show that ran for 10 seasons and managed to stay cool
Some of the innovations of the show like red Kryptonite having a consistent physical reaction and his pod landing obscured by a meteor shower were pretty inspired. Season four with awesome writing and character development, just seemed a little awkward. And rushed. It's like they didn't know if the show would keep going so they pushed ahead like a steam truck until they realized they were being renewed for another season. So a transition where nothing happened that made everything else possible. Fortunately the show DID keep going because I LOVED Lionel Luthor's redemptive arc. When John Glover first came on as a recurring character he was a model of teh kind of man his son Lex was destined to become and also had athe effect of humanizing Lex to the audience. He was a true Machiavellian character that softened in season five and became a bit of a reclusive enigma. He also learned Clark's Kryptonian name and origin.
At first Clark was understandably reluctant to trust him but came to the conclusion that they did need him. After holding his hand to Lionel's throat in 2 different season finales, they became best friends. But halfway through season 7 because of the epically bad timing of a discovery from Lionel's past, something that happened before they even knew him much less from before he'd become an ally was enough to erase, in Clark's mind 3 years of Lionel being lock-step with him and dedicated to helping him. Twice before Clark had his hand at Lionel's throat, trying to kill and Lionel still came through for him. And they dismissed him our of hand as a liar and a false friend who finally showed his true colors. Turned out he wasn't responsible for the present day things they blamed him for. But they only learned that after he died. Also even though they mourned his sacrifice, they never actually admitted they'd been wrong about him, or how tragic it was that such a loyal friend died alone and friendless because they didn't believe in him anymore. Literally, he died protecting Clark's secret, murdered by his own son. The now full villian, manipulative and angry Lex Luthor.
Season 8 was horrible, contrived full of lies, betrayal and suspicions of infidelity. That is to say Jimmy Olsen, a friend of theirs they'd known for a couple of years who was always insecure around Clark thinking Chloe liked him better and would leave him in an instant if she could admit his feelings for him, started accusing Chloe of infidelity, was possessive and paranoid about how Chloe and Oliver Queen were spending thier time and eventually Divorced his now wife Chloe Sulivan for lying to him and 'being with someone else...keeping secrets from me'. I don't know anyone who would watch a Superhero show and want to see that. Most especially a show about Superman/Clark Kent. They actually killed him off at the end of the season. And while fans of the mythos probably hated that I think they made the right call.
Season 10 was the other 'bad' season. That was because they were trying to fit every single bad guy from the DC animated universe in at once...into a show that was originally more about Clark Kent than Superman/Kal'el at all. These were bad guys Justice League fans would be very familiar with and love to see in live action. But Superman never faced alone. I never saw Justice League. I was never very familiar with any TEAMS of Superheroes. Only Batman, then spider-man, then Superman. So to me this felt like throwing everything in their but the kitchen sink. And no longer felt like a conclusion or the end of Smallville at all. Still pretty good stuff, but for the wrong audience.
To sum up, seasons 8 and 10 are the stupid ones. Season 4 was weak. Season 5 which I forgot to talk about introduced the Fortress of Solitude, saw the beginning of Lex's descent into evil and gave us a version of Brainiac, calling himself the Brain-Interactive Construct. "I'm not one of them, I was only built by them." Season 9 was awesome for so many reasons, most of them having to do with developing and humanizing former loner, master archer Oliver Queen into a team player and devoted friend to Clark. It also expounded on the personal history and motivations of Jor'el as that was a powerful arc. The one thing I want to cure everyone from thinking is "The last 2 seasons sucked." Season 8 was the Olsen, Doomsday, Davis Bloom soap-opera disaster that had Oliver use kryptonite on Clark while he was actually in control of himself. And ended in Jimmy Olsen's death. Season 4 actually was a pretty weak season before the show hit its true stride and continued to grow past the "Clark in his high school years" theme. I mean season four WAS Clark's senior year of high school. Season 9 was everything fans of Batman or Superman would want. Oliver and Clarks relationship was that of a brotherhood and Oliver never doubted Clark again. It even had Julian Sands being Jor-el in the flesh and the most awesome dark and broody General Zod one could hope for. I'm glad I stuck it out even after the abysmal season 8. I'm sure you will be too.
Post-it-note: The reason Justin Hartley joined the stage as Oliver Queen in season 6 is because Warner Brothers studio would not let Batman be used in a serial not expressly about Batman. And the friendship between him and Clark faithfully reflects the friendship between Batman And Superman in the various animated series and live action films.
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