I recently saw Batman V Superman, a movie whose major draw is two superhero titans fighting it out across both Gotham and Metropolis. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a Warner Bros film, has a visually stunning, and riveting start that is ultimately crippled by a disappointing third act.
The cinematography is shot gorgeously and compliments the emotional beats in the film so well that some viewers will have a difficult time holding back tears. A prime example of this is the very short origin story of Batman that is reiterated at the beginning of the movie. We have all seen the scene in which Martha and Thomas Wayne are murdered in Crime Alley but the technique used to film it added an extra level of emotion that is tragically absent in other Batman origin movies. When you see a young Bruce Wayne at the funeral juxtaposed with the death of his parents, coupled with the 3D effects, you are left breathless and sympathizing with the brooding hero.
Speaking of the brooding hero, Ben Affleck as Batman was spectacular. I wasn’t sure how much of the “The Dark Knight Returns” Batman would influence Batfleck but I am pleased to see that it is just enough to not only please comic book fans but make this Batman a worthwhile character to the average viewer. While there are some major differences, you can see a clear line between the two versions. Both are older men but Ben Affleck’s Batman is approximately 12 years younger. Both have a dark past that caused them to retire the cowl but after a major event, they returned to protect their city and that is where the similarities end. Ben Affleck’s Batman is the darkest one, on the big screen, to date. He is brutal in his punishments and he isn’t opposed to killing criminals. In one scene, Batman crashes into an occupied car, attaches it to the batman mobile, drags it throughout the city before tossing into another car full of criminals, causing both vehicles to explode. This Batman is deeply traumatized and possibly suffers from PTSD. In my opinion, he is the most interesting Batman to date.
Ben Affleck’s take on Batman’s alter-ego is done just as well. While he still has a brooding nature, he is a man who is aware of his financial status, power, and weakness for beautiful women. In one conversation between Clark and Bruce, you are able to observe all of these qualities.
Henry Cavill as Superman was great as well. He portrays Clark Kent as a super-powered individual who doesn’t know how to use his powers in a world that is easily destructible. He doesn’t fully understand the consequences of his actions either and is completely vulnerable when it comes to the women in his life. While the tone of the film was dark, there were a few moments of humor and one of the best is between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne in which Clark hears Alfred in Bruce’s ear, feeding him with instructions on how to break into a building. The expression on Henry Cavill’s face when he realizes what is happening is priceless.
One of the biggest gripes I have with this film is the character of Lois Lane, played by Amy Adams. She is the stereotypical damsel in distress that often means well but is in constant need of saving. There are a few times throughout this movie where Superman is in the middle of a battle and he drops everything to run to save Lois from herself. It is ridiculous how many times her life was in danger whether by her own hand or a nefarious character using Superman’s love for the journalist as leverage against the overpowered hero. On the positive side, I am glad that Lois was not written as a woman who only loves the hero, Superman, and not the man, Clark Kent but why did they have to write Lois so short sighted and naive? The constant breaks in the action to accommodate the many declarations of love between Clark/Superman and Lois, not only brought the film to a grinding halt but it is incredibly insulting to the viewer.
Lex Luthor Jr, played by Jesse Eisenberg, is an interesting character. He isn’t as intimidating as the actual Lex Luthor and he is definitely not as intelligent but he does hold a more awkward charm than what people are used to when it comes to the owner of Lex Corp. While he does orchestrate the mayhem that takes place in the movie, his plans were not, at all, clever. In the real world, Lex’s plans would have been ruined long before the 3rd act. In fact, the government was aware of what he was doing the entire time but did not stop him for reasons unbeknownst to me. What really bothered me, however, was Lex’s motivation for wanting to kill Superman. The movie doesn’t explain why we just know that he sees Superman as a threat to him in particular. A line about Lex believing that no being should have that much power except for him would have cleared things up for me. It is disappointing that I had to learn that information for a Jesse Eisenberg interview.
The third act was lacking. After all of the tension between Superman and Batman was abated, we are left with more Lois and Clark scenes. The epic feel in the final fight was not present, possibly because of the choices made by Superman in the middle of the battle. What I can say is the best part about the fight between the trinity and Doomsday is Wonder Woman. When she came on the screen, the theater erupted in applause and she did not disappoint.
Although Wonder Woman was only in the film for a short amount of time, Gal Gadot did a wonderful job as the famed heroine. Not only was she a fierce fighter that could handle her own in battle, unlike Lois, she also held an incredible grace and charming nature when interacting with other characters, unlike Lois. There is one scene between Diana Prince and Bruce Wayne where the chemistry is crackling off the pair. Bruce Wayne questions her with a mix of cockiness and intimidation in which Diana smiles coyly at Bruce before commenting on how boys do not like to share their toys.
One thing that needs to be mentioned is the editing between scenes that were flashbacks, dream sequences, etc. They were edited in a confusing way. There wasn’t a clear indication if you were viewing something in present time or a distorted reality. An Instagram filter would have been better than nothing but I guess Zack Snyder wanted to leave the audience guessing.
This movie has made me excited for the Justice League film. It was incredibly interesting how each of the Justice League characters was introduced to the audience on the big screen and I want to see more. I wished that they cut out some of the Lois and Clark scenes and added more Justice League scenes. I am extremely excited about the future of the DC extended universe. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, hits theaters March 25th, 2016.
