For this week’s movie review, things are going to be a little different. Rather than review the campus movie, I’ll be taking a look at one of the most anticipated films this year that will likely continue to top the box office for the next couple of weeks.
Over 75 years since their introduction to the world of DC Comics, Batman and Superman have finally met face to face on the big screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Despite the skepticisms a number of people had about the production of this film and the mixed reception to Man of Steel, audiences were beyond thrilled when it was announced that Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent would be in the same movie together.
To top it off, it would feature the cinematic debut of Wonder Woman, the first step towards the Justice League movie, and an epic duel between the world’s finest super heroes. Add some big name stars like Ben Affleck and we have a movie that has high risks for high rewards.
Just as the heroes in the film fight due to ideological differences, the critics and fans have been at it for the last couple of weeks over the film’s quality, with the critics lambasting the production and the fans claiming it has everything a DC fan could ever want. As a fan and a critic, which side did I lean towards?
Taking place nearly two years after Man of Steel, billionaire vigilante Bruce Wayne finds Superman not to be the savior of mankind, but a threat to humanity. He’s operated as Batman for over two decades and has never seen anyone as powerful as Superman. Likewise Clark Kent also finds Batman’s methods of taking down criminals eyebrow raising, and tries to look more into the problem while questioning his role in the world.
It doesn’t help that both of them are being manipulated by LexCorp CEO Lex Luthor, who has made some discoveries that could allow anyone to put the Kryptonian down for good.
While this happens, Bruce meets the mysterious antiques dealer Diana Prince and finds out that Superman’s not the only powerhouse this world has to offer.
The film’s story is unfocused and all over the place. The first two-thirds of the movie jumps fast between focusing on Bruce, Clark, and Lex with little to no establishing shots or proper transitions to make the flow feel more natural. It’s like a number of movies were crammed into this one, and when director Zack Snyder said there’s over 30 minutes of cut material, I don’t find it hard to believe.
Batman v Superman is a murky mess.
The sub-plots in here either feel incomplete or just not good. There’s little to no explanation of Lex’s reason for orchestrating this complex plan, and Clark’s isn’t fully realized. They pull a few stunts with Clark’s arc that I think they did too early which will damage his character in the long run (not that this version is that great to begin with).
There’s also some creative decisions hard to defend, like the reason why Batman stops fighting Superman as well as Lois’ role in the climax and the story as a whole. It felt like Snyder wanted to do a Batman movie more than a Superman one, and just threw in some shots with Superman performing more Jesus imagery to satisfy those who wanted a Man of Steel sequel.
Henry Cavill is forced to stand and grimace in the dark for most of his scenes and has some brutal and impulsive ways to take down criminals. Keep in mind that Cavill’s playing Superman.
After two films I think it’s fair to say Snyder doesn’t have a good grasp on what made Superman’s character and world timeless. For those that were upset with Superman’s decision to kill Zod in Man of Steel, Snyder found a way to make the problem even worse, as now Batman doesn’t hesitate to shoot some guns and break some necks in this installment.
Even if some aren’t completely set on Superman’s no-kill policy, Batman’s has been well-established for a while. Even if this version is more based on Frank Miller’s brutal Dark Knight Returns, that version still kept his one rule in check and despised guns. It’s fine if DC wants to be different from Marvel by making their films darker, but certain boundaries have to be set.
The movie also confirmed my fear of what the Dawn of Justice title meant. Warner Bros. didn’t learn from films like Iron Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on how too much world building can negatively affect the movie.
It’s fine if DC wants to be different from Marvel by making their films darker, but certain boundaries have to be set.
DC’s made it no secret that they want to catch up to Marvel’s amount of success with their cinematic universe. But whereas those Easter Eggs and foreshadowings were just in the background or waited until the movie was over, these ones take up an unnecessary amount of screen time and in some cases make the plot even more difficult to follow. Getting more excited for future DC films won’t enhance this one’s quality.
If there are some praises to be had, it’s primarily in the acting and action department.
Many were worried about Ben Affleck’s turn as the Dark Knight, but his turn is one of the closest instances of bringing the Caped Crusader straight from the comics, and perfectly balances out Bruce’s playboy persona with his intimidation as Batman, and thankfully there’s no overly raspy voice like Christian Bale’s to make fun of.
Gal Gadot’s appearance as Wonder Woman in the film’s final brawl may have not been necessary in the long run, but her enthusiasm in combat and finally giving the Amazonian Warrior the big-screen debut she’s needed for decades faithfully is a brief light in an otherwise bleak story. Even the music sounds excited when she shows up.
The only major fumble in the cast is Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, as his attempts to bring some form of humor is jarring and makes him look more like a cheap Joker knock off than the Man of Steel’s greatest foe.
Action is the one aspect few can deny Snyder of excelling at, as the last third of the film pays homage to some of the biggest battles in DC Comics, with the only major issue being how the monster known as Doomsday looks in the CGI department.
Batman v Superman is a murky mess. Even if I were to forgive the overcrowded plot, the overly dark tone, the story issues, and the focus more on building towards other films rather than making one good one, it just feels like Snyder doesn’t get these characters. He’s more concerned about replicating iconic imagery than capturing what these heroes mean. Superman’s supposed to be an icon representing hope, the light to counter Batman’s darkness, but currently it’s difficult to have that hope of a bright future for this franchise with Snyder’s involvement in upcoming productions. Good luck Suicide Squad.