Dark, But Not Gritty
Often referred to as “Call of Duty Syndrome,” the inability to make something visually or narratively foreboding without creating a crepuscular gray mess is a problem that has plagued mainstream blockbusters for years now. Though the Nolan films have their moments of beauty, they often come in the form of gentle heartstring tugs (Alfred in TDKR comes to mind) rather than chromatic visual flair. Man of Steel, on the other hand, had a slightly wider palette, but it certainly wasn’t very over-stimulating to the eye either.
What can be done about this for the Batman and Superman crossover? Returns is beautifully drawn, and since the artists have such direct control over the visual and its onscreen flow, the ultimate throw-down between Bruce and Clark manages to be ferocious, flashy, colorful, and just the right amount of excessive all at once. For a live action counterpart, we need this same level of visual allure and balance of nerd-gasm against appropriate story-relative behavior.
If Man of Steel was any indication, Snyder has a tendency to get a little bit over-indulgent on the action tip, and my greatest fear is the crossover resulting in two enormously overpowered gray hulks duking it out for an hour straight, taking down half a city in their wake. Like with Returns, each hero’s unique style must be considered, his disposition visible in his attacks, and his movements planned with the utmost precision and care.
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