Results 1 to 13 of 13
  1. #1
    Legendary Member daBronzeBomma's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Usually at the End of Time
    Posts
    4,586

    Default DCEU Lex Luthor Appreciation 2019

    I didn't think I'd ever start an appreciation on this particular version of my favorite super-villain.

    I'm referring to Live-Action Lex Luthor VIII (LALL 8), better known as Jesse Eisenberg's performances in the movie BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, and the end- credit scene in JUSTICE LEAGUE.



    Look, I know he's not an easy interpretation to appreciate. He lacks most of Lex's charm, most of his outward genius, most of his (increasingly better in the comics) physicality. His voice lacks the sinister gravitas I've come to expect from the character.

    But you know what?

    In terms of sheer villainy, Eisenberg's Luthor is also the most successful Live-Action Lex Luthor of them all. By far.

    His biggest accomplishment? Figuring out Superman's Secret all by himself.

    Lex is the absolute last person who should ever believe that Clark is Superman. In no other live-action version does he ever acquire this knowledge (not without immediately losing it). But LALL 8 does it, and boy is he devious about it. He immediately imperils both Lois and Martha, and literally brings Clark to his knees and forces him to confront the sociopathic Batman at his behest.

    Which brings us to LALL 8's next biggest accomplishment: figuring out Batman's secret and then playing him like a fiddle for months on end to turn him explicitly against Superman.

    This Luthor's next biggest accomplishment: setting the groundwork for the World's Finest to kill each other.
    He led PsychoBats right to the kryptonite, in the hopes that PsychoBats would do his dirty work for him. And if not for the unpredictable "Maaarthaa!" moment, this Lex would have absolutely succeeded.

    He also turned Zod's corpse into an effective Doomsday (which granted, did immediately try to kill him first). A Doomsday which technically succeeded in killing Superman.

    Finally, this Lex escaped prison and still had the resources to form the Legion of Doom (implied, anyway).

    So, to Jesse Eisenberg: a much-delayed thank you. You weren't the Lex we deserved, but in hindsight, you actually were the Lex we needed at the time.

    This will probably be the shortest appreciation thread on these boards.

    Anyone else appreciate what Jesse was trying to do? Or am I alone on LALL 8 Island?

  2. #2
    Incredible Member Thomas Crown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Posts
    587

    Default

    Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is my favorite live action version of the character. The only one who could take his spot is Michael Rosenbaum, but I don't have a definite opinion about his version yet because I still didn't watch enough Smallville. But the others? Gene Hackman, John Shea, Kevin Spacey, etc. Not a chance. And don't get me started on Alan Harper...

    P.S.: All those comparisons to the Joker and the Riddler are preposterous.
    "Longtime fans will read the book and bitch about it NO MATTER WHAT."

    - Grant Morrison

  3. #3
    Astonishing Member stargazer01's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    California
    Posts
    2,963

    Default

    I liked him a lot. I remember the first time I saw him in BvS, I loved a lot of his performance. Jesse seemed to really enjoy playing the role. In fact, he said he loved playing Lex and wanted to do it again. He really made Superman bend to his will when Lex showed him those pictures of Martha. Superman felt so powerless.

    Sure, he had a few moments when he acted too neurotic and I didn't like that, but for the most part, he did the role justice. The man can act. Period. And in the JL after credit cameo, he was awesome.




    He has a villain face, IMO.

    D1MTZjbW0AAYzMu.jpg
    Last edited by stargazer01; 03-09-2019 at 05:03 PM.

  4. #4
    Incredible Member Thomas Crown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Posts
    587

    Default

    The rooftop scene in BvS is on par with the Joker interrogation scene in "The Dark Knight".

    Last edited by Thomas Crown; 03-19-2019 at 08:25 AM.
    "Longtime fans will read the book and bitch about it NO MATTER WHAT."

    - Grant Morrison

  5. #5
    Phantom Zone Escapee manofsteel1979's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Planet Houston
    Posts
    5,360

    Default

    Until Cryer came along, he was the only live action Lex to make you believe he is an off the charts genius. While I'm not necessarily a fan of the jittery nervous ticks and some of the over the top affectations , I can look past all that and see a Luthor that at least attempted to give us the brilliant devious sociopath of the comics. Rosenbaum came close and so did John Shea, but I can absolutely buy Eisenbergs Lex being a serious threat to Superman in a way I could never really take Gene Hackman's Lex seriously.

    To be fair I didn't really like his Lex first time watching BvS until the above rooftop scene . Then it all came together and what they were going for with the Lex/Supes dynamic. That scene is probably my favorite live action Superman/Lex confrontation scene to date.

    The closing after credits scene in JL shows that Eisenberg was on his way to be the classic bald, calm and collected Lex for future instalments. Sadly I doubt we will get a chance to see this version of Lex to evolve . I just hope he, Henry and Amy get one more shot at another film.
    Last edited by manofsteel1979; 03-19-2019 at 02:35 PM.
    When it comes to comics,one person's "fan-service" is another persons personal cannon. So by definition it's ALL fan service. Aren't we ALL fans?
    SUPERMAN is the greatest fictional character ever created.

  6. #6
    Incredible Member Thomas Crown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Posts
    587

    Default

    Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s Lex Luthor – An analysis on this Lexophile villain

    https://achintyavenkateshmeditations...phile-villain/
    "Longtime fans will read the book and bitch about it NO MATTER WHAT."

    - Grant Morrison

  7. #7
    Mighty Member
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    1,305

    Default

    I want to see DCEU Lex Luthor leading the Legion of Doom. Hope it happens somehow in someway.

  8. #8
    BANNED
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    6,868

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Crown View Post
    Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s Lex Luthor – An analysis on this Lexophile villain

    https://achintyavenkateshmeditations...phile-villain/
    Sometimes people tend to forget that comics and films are ESCAPISMS from the real world. In other words....sometimes being SIMPLE IS BETTER THAN COMPLEX.

    Also you forget one of the few reasons WHY Luthor never knew Clark's secret in the comics...his messed up Ego and/or arrogance is what prevented him from realizing it.
    Last edited by Cmbmool; 07-06-2019 at 04:49 AM.

  9. #9
    Astonishing Member Tzigone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Posts
    3,748

    Default

    I liked this version of Lex. I like the mental instability - calling back to Lex as a mad scientist type. I like Lex not always in control, smooth, answer for every problem, etc. And I like his pettiness, too. But in particular, I like a Lex not in constantly in control of his emotional reactions (really enjoyed some of the time Superman was dead for that in the comics). I don't like LexGod any better than BatGod, and I thought this did a good trick of having him (mostly) succeed in manipulations while using his attitude to keep him out of that character-space.

    I've rarely been interested in or swayed by a "sympathetic" Lex, either, so that factors. Smallville was the closest - for the first two or three years, I cheered when he did something good, and when he did something bad. Alas, after he did enough bad things, I no longer bought "I want to be good" since he chose bad actions so often, and basically found the woobification annoying and his internal struggle to be manufactured angst. Then I quit watching the show (for the third and last time) at the beginning of season 6, so I have no idea how he was characterized in the end. So a lack of that aspect is not a problem to me.


    I've only seen the extended version of the movie, though, so may have had a different opinion if I'd seen cut version. As I understand it, the theatrical version cut the part where the truth started to come out (right before hearing/explosion). Wow, would that change the emotional tone, completely. I loved that moment. The rising hope that he'll be taken down by regular people (that, of course, I knew would never happen), and the lost chance in the explosion. It wasn't only the horrific loss of life, but a lost chance of understanding how much people had been played and so forth.

  10. #10
    Last Son of Shaolin GreatKungLao's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Russia
    Posts
    1,364

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Cmbmool View Post
    Sometimes people tend to forget that comics and films are ESCAPISMS from the real world. In other words....sometimes being SIMPLE IS BETTER THAN COMPLEX.

    Also you forget one of the few reasons WHY Luthor never knew Clark's secret in the comics...his messed up Ego and/or arrogance is what prevented him from realizing it.
    Not necessarily. Fiction is also a way to confront real life issues through prism of another world. One of many reasons I enjoyed BvS is that it showed the fall of humanity and how we can lose faith in good and our ability to bring that faith back. That's what so great about Superman vs Batman conflict here is that they are both being brought down to their worst by Lex Luthor, but they found the capacity to look pass that because of having something in common - a mother, which humanized Clark in Bruce's eyes, while he also realized that he almost became what he swore to fight against. "I make you a promise. Martha won't die tonight" is such an amazing line, because of how much it means for him specifically, he got a chance at redemption by preventing what happened with him to happen with somebody else. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be manipulated by media and politics and see each other as enemies just because we live in different countires, but at the end of the day we all humans that can come together if we look beyond made up hate.

    Yes, comic books can be escapism too. It can be both. But I prefer real issues being worked out through fictional worlds and characters.

  11. #11
    Last Son of Shaolin GreatKungLao's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Russia
    Posts
    1,364

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Crown View Post
    The rooftop scene in BvS is on par with the Joker interrogation scene in "The Dark Knight".

    I really like how his motivation is a metaphor for Superman elitists and purists. Lex Luthor is emotionally harmed and upset by the fact that the world has a savior now and he didn't when he needed one. So he wants to force his point of view on the entire world that there is only way to see this Superman - as a fraud. Just like those elitists will tell you how you are wrong to like Zack Snyder's interpretation of the character and that there is only one way, their way, to write Superman, because somehow they know better how to do character who is 80 years old and has infinite versions of himself. God forbid for you to enjoy and Elseworld.

  12. #12
    Phantom Zone Escapee manofsteel1979's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Planet Houston
    Posts
    5,360

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Cmbmool View Post
    Sometimes people tend to forget that comics and films are ESCAPISMS from the real world. In other words....sometimes being SIMPLE IS BETTER THAN COMPLEX.

    Also you forget one of the few reasons WHY Luthor never knew Clark's secret in the comics...his messed up Ego and/or arrogance is what prevented him from realizing it.
    Nothing wrong with simple escapism,but if all comic book based movies were that the genre would get boring quickly. I know BvS wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I'm glad they tried to do something different even if everything didn't work as planned. I'm glad thaf the people in charge didn't do the easy thing and clone Marvel's approach, and I say that as someone who loved infinity war ,Endgame and Spider-Man far from home.

    They have their flaws, but Man of Steel and BvS Ultimate cut are in my opinion good movies and you'll never change my opinion otherwise,nor will I ever change yours. Neither of us are right or wrong.
    Last edited by manofsteel1979; 07-10-2019 at 02:30 PM.
    When it comes to comics,one person's "fan-service" is another persons personal cannon. So by definition it's ALL fan service. Aren't we ALL fans?
    SUPERMAN is the greatest fictional character ever created.

  13. #13
    Mighty Member Lokimaru's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    1,115

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by manofsteel1979 View Post
    Until Cryer came along, he was the only live action Lex to make you believe he is an off the charts genius. While I'm not necessarily a fan of the jittery nervous ticks and some of the over the top affectations , I can look past all that and see a Luthor that at least attempted to give us the brilliant devious sociopath of the comics. Rosenbaum came close and so did John Shea, but I can absolutely buy Eisenbergs Lex being a serious threat to Superman in a way I could never really take Gene Hackman's Lex seriously.

    To be fair I didn't really like his Lex first time watching BvS until the above rooftop scene . Then it all came together and what they were going for with the Lex/Supes dynamic. That scene is probably my favorite live action Superman/Lex confrontation scene to date.

    The closing after credits scene in JL shows that Eisenberg was on his way to be the classic bald, calm and collected Lex for future instalments. Sadly I doubt we will get a chance to see this version of Lex to evolve . I just hope he, Henry and Amy get one more shot at another film.
    I swear you guys talk about the neuroticness and jitteryness like it hits too close to home 😏.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •