After two years of waiting Zach Snyder’s long awaited movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been released. The movie is set to break records, usher in the DC Comics Cinematic Film Universe, and after much debate we finally get to see who would win in the ultimate battle between The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel.
Once again at the helm of a DC comic book movie adaption is Zach Snyder, giving it all he’s got. Which is a lot, maybe too much. The tone is much the same from Man of Steel; still way too dark and moody for a superhero movie. Snyder still hasn’t learned how to set pace or tone for his films. He’s getting better, but I bet that’s to do with the editor and not him. He’s still relying on his same lackluster direction style: all flash and no substance. It’s a shame that someone who could very well be talented has been given a chance time and time again to show us something different, but never gets past his own tropes. How many chances does one man get? Apparently more than we can count. As Kevin Smith once said In “Hollywood, you just kind of fail upwards.” Snyder is a prime example of that.
It’s not fair to compare the movie to the comics, because there is no comparison. If you love the portrayal of Batman and Superman pre-52 Universe, then you will most likely be disappointed from the start. If you’re a fan of The DC 52 and the much overused and unneeded darker tone they have taken in recent years, then you may enjoy this movie. But if you’re looking for a Batman/Superman movie where your heroes get together, putting aside their differences and fight a common enemy, this isn’t the movie you want. Yes, all that happens, but with such a lack of respect for these characters you kind of wonder if filmmaker Snyder, or the screenwriters David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio, even like these heroes.
Their use and mistreatment of Batman and Superman almost makes Tim Burton’s Batman more faithful, which isn’t saying much, believing as I do that Burton hasn’t ever read a Batman comic. If you’re ok with your heroes killing people indiscriminately and being generally asshats, then yay for you, these interpretations are going be right up your alley. I don’t know when it became acceptable for Batman to kill. Have we in society become so jaded that heroes have to always be antiheroes? Remember when Superman and Batman taught us right from wrong? I’m not saying change in characters isn’t needed, but taking something and having the pendulum swing so far the other way doesn’t always need to be the case.
No need to rehash the plot of the movie here, the trailer really did show you the entire plot: Superman bad, Batman mad, Luthor pits them against each other, they fight, Wonder Woman, more fighting, someone wins, we all lose. Now in between all that drama there are some decent key plot points happening: Lex Luthor’s attempt to make kryptonite weapons and his search for “metahumans,” which sets up the new characters to be introduced in Justice League. (The Flash, Aquaman, etc.) The Diana Prince c-plot is captivating. She remains a mystery throughout the movie, so when she dons her Wonder Woman costume you’re ready to welcome her into the movie.
The action beats and special effects are top notch for a superhero multimillion-dollar movie. But since he doesn’t seem to understand shot composition and basic filmmaking, Snyder once again leaves us wondering what is going on. His love affair with close ups are jarring and the handheld shaky cam thing does nothing but make you not know what’s going on. Is it so much to ask to put the damn camera on a dolly!
The CGI looks great, some places better than others, and the massive fight between Doomsday, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman is impressive. It’s loud, confusing and so full of lens flares that even JJ would be jealous. But over all, it’s a pretty great ending-battle. Sadly, what follows the fight is just utter crap. The movie ends on such a downer you have to wonder why we go back to these films. For a movie that keeps pounding into our heads how the Superman symbol means hope, their movies never have any: just dark depression and lack of fun.
Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman is wonderful. Not perfect, but still great. He is so believable and really does take chances on showing us Superman’s vulnerable side. His love for Lois in this movie is wonderful and you really see why these two love and belong together. Granted, Amy Adams as Lois Lane has little to do other than connecting the Luthor plot for the audience, but she’s great at doing that, so yay! It’s a damn shame that Cavill, being such a great Superman, has to show us that in these lack luster movies. It’s clear by the writing and filmmaking; the people in charge just don’t like Superman. Hence the whole movie just tears him down every chance it gets.
Then there’s Ben Affleck. The man’s name broke the Internet when it was announced he was going to be the Batman. Rest assured he’s good. Better than other Batmans that have come before, but never as good as you want. He’s a perfect Batman for the Snyder universe. The issue lies with what the filmmakers have him doing in the movie. Example: having him brand his victims, or the ones he didn’t kill. Why would he take the time to brand them? Not only is it waste of time for him to do, it’s a massive waste of time for us to watch. Overall there’s not much to complain about Affleck’s version of The Dark Knight. He’s a good and rather enjoyable Batman. His Bruce Wayne on the other hand, not so much.
Gal Gadot is fantastic! From the moment she walks on screen you feel the power that this woman has over everyone else in the movie. She makes subtle choices as an actor that are great. She is Wonder Woman. And when we finally get her in full gear and kicking ass, lets just say she’s the best part of the movie, but like all good divas she makes you wait for it. But oh is it worth the wait. Her solo movie next year is going to be just awesome!
A lot of Internet complaining has been given to Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor, and frankly, they should. It’s terrible. He is by far the worst thing in this movie. He’s making lot choices as an actor, unfortunately they’re all bad. He’s in a completely different movie! I don’t know what movie he’s in, but it’s not this one. The joke online as been made that he’s acting more like The Riddler than Luthor, and that’s fair. The filmmakers are going for an evil Steve Jobs kind of thing, I think. But it’s so muddled and without any direction. There are moments were he reminds you of the Luthor we all love, but then he’ll laugh maniacally and clap his hands together like a nutbar. He’s all over the map. Bottom-line: He makes Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor look genius and it’s terrible too.
The rest of the cast is fine for the little that they do. Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane basically do more of the same stuff they did in Man of Steel. Which is fine, they’re great at doing that. Jeremy Irons is a good Alfred, but not a great one. It’s hard to measure up to Michael Caine or the animated version voiced by Efrem Zimbalist; Jeremy Irons has the dry humor down, but it never reads as believable. He seems to be annoyed he’s in this movie.
It’s geek nature to want to compare DC’s films to Marvel’s, which by all accounts are better. The Marvel movies are fun, full of humor, life, great acting and hope. After watching a Marvel movie I feel like I can take on the world and nothing can stop me. Hell, even after Civil War in two months I’m sure, even though that movie will end on a downer, they’ll say or show something to make me feel a little better about what I just saw. With Batman v Superman it’s just not the case. The DC movies are trying so hard not to be Marvel that their movies fall under their own weight of dark sadness. Not once during this movie did I feel the urge to fight on. No one cheered in the theater. Wonder Woman got a little applause, but nothing like seeing Spider-Man grab Cap’s shield. I don’t know why this is the case, just is. All these movies should make people cheer and want to be Superman or Spider-Man. But they don’t. So even with not wanting to always compare Marvel and DC, it’s just hard not to when one is doing it right and the other doesn’t know their ass from a hole in the ground.
Overall the movie is good, but not great. The trailer and crappy marketing really did show all the big beats. There are a few DC “Easter eggs” throughout the movie, but not nearly enough to make sense to the average viewer. And much like the movie, I feel this review has become messy. The flick is certainly entertaining and at times there are sparks of greatness. There are just a lot of poor choices being made, and you have to assume it’s a “too many cooks in the kitchen” situation, where every power person at WB/DC has their input. All this leaves the movie with so many huge gaps in reason, plot and logic that it hurts the movie on a whole. And that’s a shame, but for the universe DC and WB want to build this is a solid foundation to start on; flawed, but solid.