This stinks of something fishy going on. Someone high up at Warner Bros. or DC Entertainment had to have called writer/director Kevin Smith as he initially said BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE had no heart but now he said he found its heart in his second viewing.
Sure you can have a change of opinion when it comes to seeing a movie a second time. But the reason for Smith's 180-degree turnaround on his initial thoughts was to reference how he found heart in the eyes of his friend Jason Mewes.
Here's what Smith said on his Instagram post:
"I'd said the film didn't have any heart, but after the second viewing, I actually found the heart in #batmanvsuperman: it's in the viewer. And the viewer I watched the blockbuster with the second time was all agog, eyes as big as saucers. During the Knightmare sequence, we shared a moment that even elevated the flick for me: when the winged New Gods nasties attack #Batman and take him down, Jay (age 40) & I (age 45) simultaneously looked at one another and whispered reverently "ParaDemons." It was a beautiful moment shared by two lifelong fanboys who were delighted to see their childhood flash before their eyes."
His reasoning here needs to be called out. Suddenly, finding the "heart" of a movie within the eyes of someone else is a weak attempt at back-peddling. A kind gesture, for sure, but that doesn't wipe away a first impression which was to tear into BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. (See post link below.)
Is it possible to like a movie more the second or third time seeing it? Of course. But in most instances you'll have valid reasoning for changing your mind, not change your tune based on someone sitting next to you who apparently liked it more than you did. If that's the case then your seat next to someone who liked watching a movie while you didn't enjoy it would change your mind every time.
On the surface, this looks like some damage control since Smith has worked with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment throughout the years in comics, television and he most recently hosted The CW's Dawn of the Justice League 30-minute TV special previewing DC Film's upcoming lineup of movies. After helping to drive the hype train for BATMAN V. SUPERMAN since his friend Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman, someone at an executive level must have been upset with Smith's initial review and now we get some perceived back-peddling.
It's sad when you see one of the top personalities and supporters of comic books throughout the years be potentially compromised by the influence of higher-ups. If you're going to change your opinion, do it in a way that makes sense and has valid reasoning.
Related Post:
DC Comics Fanboy Extraordinaire Kevin Smith Felt Like BATMAN V. SUPERMAN Didn't Have Any Heart -- UPDATED