What "Part Two" lacked in epic action it made up for with dramatic heft. Seriously, what an emotional wallop this episode was. A definite improvement over the previous instalment focus-wise.
Let's just get this out of the way first. Frickin' Brandon Routh as Kingdom Come Superman and frickin' Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne. Absolutely fabulous in every way. I thoroughly enjoyed the way they integrated Routh's Superman. From the costume, to his tragic backstory to his Clark Kent. It's perfect. And yes, I did enjoy the Batman twist. It's weird having Conroy's voice in live action, but a menacing exo-skeleton Bruce Wayne works fine in my opinion. Conroy is still the best Dark Knight there ever will be, so I'm happy he got his chance. His untimely demise and darker backstory may raise some eyebrows, but I personally appreciated the narrative choice. It worked in the context of the mains storyline. Also, having Tom Welling back in an extended cameo alongside Erica Durance was excellent. The dialogue between Welling and Cryer's Lex Luther amounted to a rarely compelling moment. The creators made the return of Smallville matter with a minor, yet moving touch to Welling's Clark Kent. It's no more than four minutes, but man is it thoughtful and empowering.
Kate (Ruby Rose) and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) were without a doubt the focus and they didn't disappoint. As much as I dislike the writing on Batwoman, I enjoy Rose's performance. She's eased into the American accent and nails those crucial emotional moments, especially when paired with Bruce or Kara. She was fantastic here and without a doubt the MVP.
In terms of action, the Superman vs Superman punch-out was nifty. If not as technically impressive as Elseworlds, it managed to channel some Man of Steel levels of destruction. Nothing else really on the fighting front. I get it. Big crossover, TV budget and the second episode needing to slow down to get everyone up to speed. But when you have a stellar action director like Laura Belsey on your hands, you better use her. Arrow made the same mistake in season four and season six. Crisis almost, kinda duplicated that fault here.
There was also the odd choice to bring Ollie back in a Lazarus Pit. You know, I'm fine with that as long as Oliver is back and kicking. Just please don't make this a meaningless subplot. I hope it turns out to be one last reflective, deep exploration of identity and heroism for the Green Arrow. Because that is how it should be, if nothing else.
"Part 2" of Crisis may not advance the plot by much, but it gets mileage out of its cast, strong cameos and sheer dramatic material. It's a contemplative episode that works amazingly well. That being said, it's light on action and some fans may find some storytelling choices either logically flawed or just plain odd. Whatever the case, the crossover is heating back up again with some clever twists and the reveal of the great threat. I'm happy with where this is going...
Let's just get this out of the way first. Frickin' Brandon Routh as Kingdom Come Superman and frickin' Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne. Absolutely fabulous in every way. I thoroughly enjoyed the way they integrated Routh's Superman. From the costume, to his tragic backstory to his Clark Kent. It's perfect. And yes, I did enjoy the Batman twist. It's weird having Conroy's voice in live action, but a menacing exo-skeleton Bruce Wayne works fine in my opinion. Conroy is still the best Dark Knight there ever will be, so I'm happy he got his chance. His untimely demise and darker backstory may raise some eyebrows, but I personally appreciated the narrative choice. It worked in the context of the mains storyline. Also, having Tom Welling back in an extended cameo alongside Erica Durance was excellent. The dialogue between Welling and Cryer's Lex Luther amounted to a rarely compelling moment. The creators made the return of Smallville matter with a minor, yet moving touch to Welling's Clark Kent. It's no more than four minutes, but man is it thoughtful and empowering.
Kate (Ruby Rose) and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) were without a doubt the focus and they didn't disappoint. As much as I dislike the writing on Batwoman, I enjoy Rose's performance. She's eased into the American accent and nails those crucial emotional moments, especially when paired with Bruce or Kara. She was fantastic here and without a doubt the MVP.
In terms of action, the Superman vs Superman punch-out was nifty. If not as technically impressive as Elseworlds, it managed to channel some Man of Steel levels of destruction. Nothing else really on the fighting front. I get it. Big crossover, TV budget and the second episode needing to slow down to get everyone up to speed. But when you have a stellar action director like Laura Belsey on your hands, you better use her. Arrow made the same mistake in season four and season six. Crisis almost, kinda duplicated that fault here.
There was also the odd choice to bring Ollie back in a Lazarus Pit. You know, I'm fine with that as long as Oliver is back and kicking. Just please don't make this a meaningless subplot. I hope it turns out to be one last reflective, deep exploration of identity and heroism for the Green Arrow. Because that is how it should be, if nothing else.
"Part 2" of Crisis may not advance the plot by much, but it gets mileage out of its cast, strong cameos and sheer dramatic material. It's a contemplative episode that works amazingly well. That being said, it's light on action and some fans may find some storytelling choices either logically flawed or just plain odd. Whatever the case, the crossover is heating back up again with some clever twists and the reveal of the great threat. I'm happy with where this is going...