Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

 Released Year: 2016

Directed by Zack Snyder

Casted by:

Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman

Henry Cavill as Clark Kent / Superman

Amy Adams as Lois Lane

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor

Diane Lane as Martha Kent

Holly Hunter as June Finch

Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman

 Story: 

Eighteen months after Superman's destructive battle with General Zod in Metropolis, Superman has become a controversial figure. Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego, has moved in with Lois Lane. Bruce Wayne, who has operated in Gotham City as the vigilante Batman for nearly two decades, sees Superman as a potential threat to humanity. After learning of Batman's activities, Clark views Batman as a threat, and seeks to stop him via Daily Planet articles. Wayne learns that Russian weapon trafficker Anatoli Knyazev has been contacting LexCorp mogul Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, Luthor tries to persuade Senator June Finch to allow him to import kryptonite retrieved from the Indian Ocean following Zod's terraforming attempt, claiming he wants to maintain it as a "deterrent" against Kryptonians, but she denies the request. He also makes side dealings with Finch's subordinate and demands access to Zod's body and the Kryptonian scout ship.

Bruce Wayne attends Luthor's party at LexCorp, where he meets a mysterious antiques dealer named Diana Prince, and retrieves encrypted data from the company's mainframe. While decrypting the drive at the Batcave, Wayne has a dream of a post-apocalyptic world, where he leads a group of rebels against Superman. He is snapped out of the dream by an unidentified time traveler, who warns him of Lane's crucial role in the distant future, and urges him to find "the others". Wayne later discovers that Luthor is not only experimenting with kryptonite, but also investigating metahumans. One of them is Prince herself, who is an immortal warrior. Wayne admits to Alfred Pennyworth that he plans to steal the kryptonite to weaponize it, should it become necessary to fight Superman.

At a congressional hearing, as Finch questions Superman on the validity of his actions, a bomb planted by Luthor explodes, killing everyone present but Superman. Believing he should have detected the bomb, and frustrated by his failure to save the people, Superman goes into self-imposed exile. Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite, planning to use it to battle Superman by building a powered exoskeleton, and creating a kryptonite grenade launcher and a kryptonite-tipped spear. Meanwhile, Luthor enters the Kryptonian ship and learns details of its alien technology.

Luthor kidnaps Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother. He reveals that he has manipulated Superman and Batman by fueling their animosity for each other. He demands Superman kill Batman in exchange for Martha's life. Superman tries to reason with Batman, but Batman instigates a brutal fight. Although Superman's powers give him an early advantage, Batman catches him off guard with a kryptonite gas grenade and ultimately wins. Before Batman can kill Superman with the spear, Superman urges Batman to "save Martha", whose name is also shared with Wayne's late mother. Lane arrives and explains the situation, convincing Batman that Superman is not a threat. Unwilling to let someone else's mother die, Batman leaves to rescue Martha upon learning of Luthor's plan, while Superman confronts Luthor on the scout ship.

Luthor executes his backup plan, unleashing a genetically-engineered monster with DNA from both Zod's body and his own. However, Diana Prince arrives unexpectedly. Revealing her metahuman nature, she joins forces with Batman and Superman to fight the creature. They are soon outmatched by its power, as it can absorb and redirect energy. Realizing that it is also vulnerable to kryptonite, Superman retrieves the kryptonite spear. With Batman and Prince's help distracting it, Superman impales the monster. As it dies, the creature stabs and kills a weakened Superman with one of its bone protrusions.

Luthor is arrested, and Batman confronts him in prison, warning Luthor that he will always be watching him. Luthor gloats that Superman's death has made the world vulnerable to powerful alien threats, and that something bigger is coming to Earth. A memorial is held for Superman in Metropolis. Clark is also declared dead and Wayne, Lane, Martha and Prince attend a private funeral for him in Smallville. Martha gives an envelope to Lane which contains an engagement ring from Clark. After the funeral, Wayne reveals to Prince that he plans to form a team of metahumans, starting with those from Luthor's files, to help protect the world in Superman's absence. After they leave, the dirt atop Clark's coffin begins to levitate.

 L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:

I remember when I saw the trailer of this movie, I told myself, no matter what, I MUST watch this movie in the cinema as this is the first time DC put its 2 greatest superhero into a movie and fight along each other... Of coz i don't know who's the actors at that time & i don't even know Wonder Woman will appear in it as well.

When the movie is on big screen that time, I was kinda with my work... Until two weeks later, finally I got time and some cinemas were still showing it. So i thought i can happily ask my fren to go along, but it seems like everyone has watched it and their feedback is BAD ! OMG~ i was kinda unsure that time, my fren whom is also x-men's fans told me its kinda dull; this definitely prove her right when i watch it last night... And that wonder woman out of no where appeared and i was like "is this justice league?" Overall the story is not as attractive as X-Men's; the selection of actors & actresses seems a bit... no comment, but Ben Affleck as Batman? Are u kidding me? And Amy Adams is too old to be Lois Lane pls... Gosh...  

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Released Year: 2010
Directed by Zack Snyder

Casted by:
Jim Sturgess as Soren
Ryan Kwanten as Kludd
Emily Barclay as Gylfie
Helen Mirren as Nyra
Joel Edgerton as Metal Beak
Hugo Weaving as Noctus and Grimble
Miriam Margolyes as Mrs P
Geoffrey Rush as Ezylryb
Sam Neill as Allomere
Story:

Soren, a fledgling barn owl, lives peacefully in the forest of Tyto with his family; his father, Noctus; his mother, Marella; his older brother, Kludd, his younger sister, Eglantine and Ms. P the family's nest maid. Noctus enjoys telling Soren and Eglantine stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythical group of warrior owls, who once saved all owlkind from the evil "Pure Ones" in a great battle in which the Guardians' leader, Lyze of Kiel, defeated the Pure Ones' leader Metal Beak. Kludd, however, thinks Soren soft-headed for believing in such stories. One night, while branching, a jealous Kludd pushes Soren and loses his balance in the process, and they both fall to the ground below. They are attacked by a Tasmanian devil but are saved and also kidnapped by a pair of Long-Eared Owls named Jatt and Jutt.

They are taken to St. Aegolious, home to the Pure Ones, where Soren meets an elf owl named Gylfie and her captor, a (boreal owl) named Grimble. The two are roughly thrown into a crowd of other kidnapped owlets. Nyra, second-in-command of the Pure Ones and the mate of Metal Beak, claims that the owlets now work for the Pure Ones as slaves. Soren and Gylfie protest, and are sent to be pickers, along with most of the captive owls. Kludd denies his brother, and goes away to be a soldier with other selected owls. They are tutored by Nyra in the ways of the Pure Ones, who believe that Tyto owls (barn owls and their relatives) are the strongest owls and that, because of this, they have the right to rule the owl kingdoms.

The other captured owls are forced to sleep under the full moon. Gylfie informs Soren that this will cause "moon-blinking", a trancelike state in which owls lose all sense of will and individuality. Soren and Gylfie stay awake, which means that they are not moon-blinked. They are brought to a large cavern to pick through owl pellets for small metal flecks. Soren discovers that the flecks en masse cause weakening pain in owls, when he is ordered to deliver a fleck to the bag they are kept in. The full bag is then carried away by a large bat to a gigantic metal container. Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton) and an unknown owl watch from above, making a bargain in which the unknown owl will receive a portion of the owl kingdoms and the Tree in return for laying a trap for the Pure Ones' enemies, the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Grimble secretly takes Soren and Gylfie to his library, where he reveals that he is not truly a Pure One. He also tells the two owlets that his family was captured by the Pure Ones and forced into their service. He teaches Soren and Gylfie to fly, so they can warn the Guardians of the Pure Ones' plans.

Kludd has become a strong soldier, and his promise prompts Nyra to ask him about Soren's similar potential. Hoping to recruit him, the Pure Ones interrupt Grimble's flying lessons. Nyra attacks Grimble, Soren and Gylfie. Kludd joins the fray on Nyra's side, ignoring Soren's pleas. Grimble sacrifices himself to hold them back, and Soren and Gylfie just barely escape to begin their quest. On their journeys, they meet a (burrowing owl) named Digger; a (great gray owl) named Twilight; and Soren's old nestmaid, a (snake) named Mrs. P. They join Soren with the promise of leading him to the Sea of Hoolemere, the location of the Great Tree and the home of the Guardians. Soren and his allies are mobbed by (crows) on the way to the Sea and they nearly lose Twilight's lute, in which Mrs. P is riding. The battle brings them to the shore of the Sea of Hoolemere and the home of an (echidna) mystic. The crows deliberately led them to the meeting so that the Echidna could give them their bearings to the Great Tree. Far out over the ocean the group encounters a fierce hurricane, and Digger falls towards the sea. Soren dives to save him, only to find Digger being rescued by an enormous (snowy owl) with an armored mask - a Guardian of Ga'hoole. The Guardian leads Soren and his friends through the storm to the Great Tree.

Digger's saviors are Boron and Barran, the king and the queen of the Tree. The king and queen, as well as the ranking officers of Ga'hoole, hear Soren's tale. The search-and-rescue squadron leader, a (great gray owl) named Allomere, expresses doubts about Soren's story. But battle-scarred (whiskered screech owl) Ezylryb (Geoffrey Rush) defends Soren. Boron decides to send a scouting party, led by Allomere, to St. Aegolious. Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger begin their training in the different trades of the Tree. During one lesson, Ezylryb takes them out to learn how to "really fly," using a powerful storm to teach the young owls how to use the wind currents instead of fighting them. Soren briefly masters the technique of flying by instinct, only to lose control and to be saved by Ezylryb. After the lesson, Soren converses with Ezylryb in his hollow tree and learns that Ezylryb is, in fact, Lyze of Kiel. Soren is disillusioned with the seemingly heroic stories when he sees his hero's disfigurements and hears that the battle in the stories wasn't as heroic as he thought.

Allomere returns without his scouts. He tells King Boron that they were ambushed; that the scouts were killed; and that he barely managed to return with two moon-blinked owlets. One of the moon-blinked owlets is Eglantine, who was kidnapped by Kludd. Outraged, the Guardians go to war. At the urging of Ezlyryb, Soren reluctantly stays to tend to Eglantine. She soon awakes, but with shocking news: she wasn't rescued, but given to Allomere by Kludd. Allomere is revealed to be a traitor, and Soren and his friends rush to the Guardians' aid. When the Guardians arrive at St. Aegolious, they are drawn into a trap. Allomere peels off at the last moment and the Pure Ones unleash the power of the flecks against the Guardians, leaving the owls helpless on the ground. Soren and his friends arrive minutes too late, just as Metal Beak and Nyra send the bats to finish off the defenseless Guardians. Soren sends Twilight, Digger and Gylfie to hold back the bats. He plunges into the burning forest fire, carrying an oil lamp that becomes engulfed in flames after flying through the fire. The band's arrival causes Metal Beak to distrust Allomere. Believing that he has been betrayed, Metal Beak orders a group of bats to viciously kill Allomere.

Soren plunges into the flecks' magnetic field to drop the flaming oil lamp on the mechanism which holds open the lids over the flecks. The fire spreads across the machine and burns through the ropes. The lids slam down, freeing the Guardians. With his plan disrupted, Metal Beak orders the Pure Ones to fight the Guardians. Ezylryb and Metal Beak square off, as do Soren and Kludd. Their fight leads to them ending up in the burning forest. Soren tries to talk some sense into Kludd, who tells his younger brother that the Pure Ones believed in him when no one else did. He attacks Soren with renewed vigor, sending them both tumbling over a fallen tree and causing Kludd to break a wing. He convinces Soren to save him, only to attempt to pull his younger brother into the flames. Soren dodges the attack, and Kludd falls into the flames instead.

Soren sees that Ezylryb, Metal Beak, and Nyra are engaged in fierce combat. Filled with rage, he snaps off a burning branch and flies off to help Ezylryb. He takes Metal Beak by surprise, arriving in time to save Ezylryb. Metal Beak easily overpowers Soren and throws his branch away. Soren regains his weapon, just as Metal Beak moves in for the kill. Metal Beak impales himself on the branch, and Nyra retreats with the remaining Pure Ones. Soren and his friends return to the Great Tree with the owlets, and Soren is greeted by Eglantine and his parents. Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger are made Guardians of Ga'Hoole. In the epilogue, Soren reveals that Kludd's body was never found and Nyra is still out there with a contingent of Pure Ones. Kludd is then shown to be alive, now with the glowing red eyes of the other Pure Ones. He walks around and stares down at Metal Beak's body and mask, hinting at a sequel with Kludd as the new Metal Beak. After being interrupted by an owlet ,Soren says he doesn't want to give him daymares. Ezylyryb insists on taking flight, so they all fly across the sea.

L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

This is a best animation which i have missed last year in cinema. The movie is great - storyline, graphic, music and the casting.... The owls are so cute... make me feel like i wanna get one for my hse too~ lol.

I believe there will be a sequence of this movie since they are grossing quite well last year. Hope to see it soon :)