Zack Snyder Puts Final Nail In ‘Batman V Superman’ Coffin With Underwhelming Trailer

Zack Snyder, it must be known upfront, is someone I truly admire. Anyone who can reach the levels of success he has on so little talent and ability is worthy of at least some recognition no matter how jaded of a moviegoer you are.

Filmmakers are supposed to improve over time, but it was only when producers could keep a tight leash on Snyder that he was able to turn in something worth watching — his inaugural feature film, the Dawn of the Dead remake.

Even then, he was working with tremendous source material and had enough cooks in the kitchen to keep him focused on storytelling rather than the bright, shiny things that have ruined every one of his efforts since then.

First, there was 300, a movie that substituted setting, special effects and the natural ability of actors for CGI so intense that word is even some of the abs were computer generated.

Watchmen was another example of Zack Snyder going out of his way to turn his films into video games.

Legend of the Guardians? At least with this one he dropped all pretenses of being a filmmaker.

Man of Steel? Fair, until Christopher Nolan unwisely turned him loose on the last 45 minutes with a “do your worst” nod of approval.

And Snyder did. His worst, I mean. So long as you’re not considering Sucker Punch, which shouldn’t even be mentioned in a civilized society.

Ever since 300, there has been one takeaway surrounding Snyder’s work. If you’re a fan of what he does behind the camera, then you no longer have the right to criticize Michael Bay for anything, ever.

Unfortunately, this Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer that was just leaked online has done nothing to alleviate my fears, which began with the third act of Man of Steel.

Hardly anything in the two-minute clip looks real. There is no substance to any of the characters, zero sense of suspense or anticipation as to what the “final confrontation” between Bats and Supes will bring.

When viewing this up against a trailer that actually captures everything audiences love about a franchise — see Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens trailer from earlier this week — the whole thing lacks a soul.

Nothing about the new Batman V. Superman trailer makes me want to see the film, and that’s saying something since we’re getting the two most popular comic book characters of all time going head-to-head, live-action, for the first time in the history of cinema.

Confirmed 4.20.15 #BatmanvSuperman @IMAX special teaser screening events. Limited space. RSVP http://t.co/TasYGlJGig https://t.co/fnxFIERUlv

— ZackSnyder (@ZackSnyder) April 16, 2015

The only thing I “know” by watching this, is that Batman and Superman are going to destroy a lot of digitally rendered property, smack each other around, end up as unwilling allies, and not a second of it will look or feel credible.

Inevitably some of you Zack Snyder fans will probably curse me for judging a film based on a trailer, but here’s where you’re all wrong.

I’m not judging it based solely on that.

I’m judging it based on the fact that Zack Snyder has never made a good movie when he’s calling the shots. I’m judging based on the fact that Man of Steel (the first in this series) was an utter waste of time. I’m judging based on the fact that Snyder and WB had two-plus hours of final footage they could use to make a compelling trailer for Dawn of Justice, and all we got was garbage.

How many times do you have to burn your hand on the stove before you realize it’s hot?

But maybe it’s just me. I’m sure the film will be successful monetarily. It’s Batman and Superman for goodness sake. It’s hard to screw that up from a commercial standpoint. But a high-grossing film is a far cry from a good one, and that’s something Zack Snyder has proven time after time after time.