Superhero films have dominated the pop-culture scene for the last decade or so. It’s no real surprise that there are millions out there who love these movies. And yet as passionate as the fandom can get, they also tend to be not-so forgiving when creators butcher the source material. Batman V Superman’s Martha scene is a prime example, butchering a promising idea because of poor execution.
Also Read: Why The Snyder Cut Won’t Fix Justice League
There are times when the directors are just trying to experiment. And then there are movie studios who don’t know any better. The bottom line is that trying to put your own spin on these beloved characters can be very risky. With that said, here is why it is one of the most controversial moments in superhero cinema in recent memory:
Save Martha
That Batman V Superman was a controversial film is not news to anyone. Zack Snyder’s take on The Dark Knight baffled fans and critics alike. This version of Batman was older, jaded and more ruthless than any of his predecessor, long having abandoned his no-kill policy. It didn’t hell that the movie was an incomprehensible mess that burned through several promising storylines, wasting them all in one go.
But the most controversial is the Martha moment. Snyder’s defenders seem to think that anyone who criticizes the stupidity of the scene just doesn’t get it. Thing is, we get what the movie is trying to do, it’s just poorly executed. You can come up with all plausible reasons why Superman chooses to call his mother by her first name but it still doesn’t fix it.
The problem is that Batman has a genuinely plausible motivation against Superman. Superman’s recklessness is as much a result of poor writing and Snyder’s inability to understand his character.
Bruce drops everything and his character makes a complete U-turn in a way that’s unrealistic. The idea could have been ingrained subtly and a deeper exploration of Batman and Superman’s similarities would have been wonderful. But it’s not like Snyder has ever really understood what makes The Man of Steel great to begin with.
