Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice - movie review
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Plot: Fearing that the actions of Superman are left
unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what
kind of a hero it really needs.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams
Director: Zack Snyder
Rating: 12A
Runtime: 2hrs 31 mins
Release Date: Friday 25th March 2016
“I want you to
remember, Clark. In all the years to come. In all your most private moments. I
want you to remember… my hand… at your throat. I want you to remember… the one
man… who beat you.” Those were the immortal words crafted by Frank Miller
in The Dark Knight Returns as Batman stands over a defeated Superman after
their colossal fight. And it was in 2013, during San Diego Comic Con, in Hall H
where Harry Lennix uttered those words revealing that Batman will finally join
Superman in a live action motion picture. I wasn’t there in Hall H but after
watching that moment via YouTube, fans lost their minds. Two of the greatest
superheroes would actually appear together on film for the first time ever.
Three years of anticipation later, my most anticipated movie of 2016 has
arrived and I left the film feeling satisfied. How this review will work is
that the first half will consist of my usual review without any spoilers and
just discuss my thoughts and feelings. And then I will briefly cover some
spoiler talk because this film has a lot to talk about.
Returning as Superman’s true love is Amy Adams. One of my only complaints with Man of Steel and especially with Lois Lane was that she was only featured as a character for Superman to save. Unfortunately, Snyder does dabble back into that aspect of her character with the third act being a clear example of this but there are times where Lois Lane does begin to have great moments and I think her character shines during the conversations she has with Superman and during her work in the Daily Planet. Adams has great chemistry with Cavill and she is certainly better than Margot Kidder in the older Superman films. But I would like to see Snyder or maybe even another director do something different with Lois Lane rather than make her just the damsel in distress. Moving onto the villain of the piece, we have Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Whilst Ben Affleck’s casting may have shook fans the wrong way, Eisenberg’s casting simply angered them. I was very sceptical of how this version of Lex Luthor would play out. From the trailers, it didn’t fill me with confidence that this was the true Lex Luthor and it turns out that I was right to be sceptical. I think Eisenberg gave a good performance of what he was told to do, but it was his direction that really threw me off the bandwagon for liking Lex. Instead of the sinister and constantly plotting nature that Lex possesses, I was watching a socially awkward young man with daddy issues fumble and scream now and again in order to assert his dominance. Because of this, I still contend that Bryan Cranston would have been a more suitable choice of Lex with Eisenberg being an even better Riddler. The motives for his character are also never truly explained and because DC prides themselves on having the best villains, I didn’t think that they brought their A-game here. But who knows, Eisenberg may switch his performance up for future films and then impress us all however just from Batman v Superman, I’m not overly impressed. Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne and Holly Hunter all feature as well in much more supporting roles. Irons was great as Alfred and he actually provides some wit to the role. I still do slightly prefer Michael Caine as the faithful butler but what I liked about Irons’ portrayal of Alfred was that he provided the sense of reason for Bruce Wayne to listen to. Caine did this in The Dark Knight trilogy but that was usually with the addition of him collapsing into a fit of tears talking about how he had failed Bruce’s parents. Irons remains stern but I would have liked to see him feature a little more than he actually did but if rumours can be trusted, he may be more prevalent in a Ben Affleck directed solo Batman film. I would love that to be true.
Diane Lane doesn’t enter Batman v Superman until later into the film and she is then utilised very well. Her character does fall into some clichés that didn’t surprise me but Lane adds warmth and care to a sombre and mostly joyless film. Fishburne also provides some wit as he once again returns as Perry White. He hasn’t got as large of a role as he did during Man of Steel but his screentime is used effectively. Another welcome addition that Batman v Superman provided us with was Holly Hunter as a main campaigner against Superman. Not once did I even recollect the fact that she voiced Mrs. Incredible as her performance was so convincing, but there were some added twists and revelations regarding her character that I did not expect. But as you may have noticed, there is one particular character that I have purposefully missed out thus far and that is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. As would seem to be the norm for this film, the casting of Gadot resulted in a fair bit of controversy raised. I was extremely unsure of how Gadot would fair because the only work I had seen her in were a couple of the Fast and Furious films which didn’t really showcase her talent all that well. We only get a few scenes with Gadot featured and most of them consist of interactions with Bruce Wayne and in those scenes, I found her to be extremely good. She didn’t blow my mind with her acting talent and she didn’t really give me a chance to be impressed with limited screen time. However, from the moment she enters the film as Wonder Woman and fights alongside Batman and Superman against Doomsday, she steals the show. Whenever Gadot was onscreen in her getup as the Amazonian warrior, I had goosebumps and the comic book fan that I am was overjoyed to see her character finally given the recognition she deserves. I honestly cannot stress enough how phenomenal Gadot was during these action scenes and I am now eagerly anticipating her solo movie. As far as the performances are concerned though, everyone is good with some better than others. Affleck is amazing as Batman and Gal Gadot rivals him as the best character featured but Eisenberg just didn’t seem to gel as well as I would have hoped.
Even though the performances are great, they are nothing if the screenplay written by David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio isn’t all that great. Regrettably, a major reason as to why I left Batman v Superman satisfied and not ecstatic as I had hoped, was the story. It felt contrived and messy in places. A main complaint that I found myself noticing was that this film felt like five separate movies all compiled into one. Firstly, we have a Man of Steel sequel focusing on Superman dealing with the repercussions of his fight with Zod and then him clashing with Lex Luthor. This was treated like a political thriller and I did enjoy watching this. But I think that when coming up for ideas for a Man of Steel 2, Snyder wanted a heavy dose of action so he decided to include Batman within the story and then they could face off. That leads into the second film featured which is the Batman v Superman film that we were promised. Watching Bruce react as Superman destroys Metropolis was a tense and heart-pounding sequence, and in that small space of time, I immediately knew Batman’s motives for wanting to stop Superman. However, they don’t confront each other until at least over an hour into the film and their fight doesn’t even happen until the final act. To say the trailers are misleading is an understatement and for a film titled ‘Batman v Superman’ the lack of fighting between them is quite substantial. That isn’t to say that what the film does supply isn’t terrific because parts of it are, but I found myself waiting a fair bit until I got what I had been hoping for. Yet what was really underwhelming was the reason for Batman and Superman’s reconciliation. I’ll cover this more in the spoiler segment of the review but I did think it was a cheap and silly way to make them team up.
We also have a solo Batman film throughout the first hour and a half which was truly fantastic. I have already commented on how spectacular Affleck was as Batman but his story seemed as if it was ripped straight out of a comic book. It had elements of your typical Batman movies as he used his detective skills and brute force to beat up the criminals but is also quite similar to a James Bond film as Batman tracks down the various leads to solve his case. The problem was that I found myself completely enthralled by the Batman scenes and then only entertained during the other scenes. What I have concluded, is that Zack Snyder would have been a good director for a solo Batman film and it would have made more sense to make that first and then combine them together for this film. But there are even more films crammed into this as Snyder and his writers use fragments of what could be a Wonder Woman film and a Justice League film. All of these aspects work really well, but together, they just created an incredibly convoluted and confusing film that didn’t really know when to stop. It’s like Snyder was given free reign by the studio and he decided to throw everything including the kitchen sink (literally) at this film. I think the main problem and why this film has received so much criticism which I don’t understand, is that it tries to do too much within one film. If we compare this to Marvel and their films, it took them four years to set up an Avengers film. In this DC universe, we are given just two and a half hours for the audience to prepare for Justice League next year. So even though I really enjoyed most of this film, I cannot hide the fact that it had some serious structural problems that left me slightly disappointed as I had hoped for this film to be one of the best of the year and because of the incoherent storytelling, I severely doubt that this film will make my top ten list for this year. But what it does do well is world building. This film has only heightened my excitement for the upcoming DC movies such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Suicide Squad released later this year. My only wish is that they focus more on telling a compelling and effective story rather than setting up future films.
A main weakness of Zack Snyder is his storytelling ability
but what he shines in, is his visual palate. With beautiful films in his repertoire
such as 300 and Watchmen, Snyder uses all of his talent in creating a stunning
and beautiful film to look at. The film is shot with precision and care and the
cinematography was simply excellent. As far as the action scenes are concerned,
they are some of the best in any superhero film. Superman only has a few fight
scenes as his main struggle is against the American public but those that he is
featured in are adrenaline fuelled awesomeness. But perhaps my favourite action
sequences included Batman. As I mentioned before, Batman kills people in this
film which goes against many of his rules that had been set down in other films
but in this, it works. This film is really dark and for me, it only makes sense
for Batman to match the brutality of the criminals he is facing. One scene in
particular where Batman is against a group of thugs is just a sight to behold.
It was exactly like something out of the Batman video games with the character
beating the living hell out of each thug. His gadgets and vehicles are just
like that in the comics and his Batcave is very impressive. The only issue with
this scene was that it features very late into the movie and when the motives
for his raid are explained, it doesn’t feel as impactful. But of course, the
main event is the Batman and Superman fight. Taking many liberties from Frank
Miller’s comic, this was a fight that I had been anticipating for years even
before this film was announced. And even though it may appear in the final act
after a fair amount of hype, it does not disappoint. To watch these comic book
legends finally face off against each other will make any comic book fan giddy
with excitement. Batman fights dirty which I didn’t expect but am pleased that
Snyder and his team ventured down that route. The fight is contained and doesn’t
have the catastrophic destruction that Superman’s fight with Zod did, but it
becomes very personal and both characters do not let up throughout that fight.
Whilst this film may not go down in the history books as the greatest superhero film of all time, that fight in particular will become remembered for a long time to come. Completing the action sequences in Batman v Superman is the final fight against Doomsday. I won’t speak about this fight scene in too much detail as it will be reserved for my spoiler discussion later, but it is fulfilling to see the Trinity form and fight together. Wonder Woman did steal the show at this point and her fighting style was beautiful to watch. If this is a sign for action scenes to come during the Justice League and solo Wonder Woman film, then we should be in for a monumental treat. But it isn’t just the action scenes that are impressive. Hans Zimmer comes back to score alongside Junkie XL and whilst I don’t think it is as good as Zimmer’s Man of Steel score, I absolutely love Wonder Woman’s theme entitled ‘Is She With You?’. It’s badass and hardcore and suits the character of Wonder Woman perfectly. The other tracks featured are very good but none of them stick with me as much as that particular one did.
Whilst this film may not go down in the history books as the greatest superhero film of all time, that fight in particular will become remembered for a long time to come. Completing the action sequences in Batman v Superman is the final fight against Doomsday. I won’t speak about this fight scene in too much detail as it will be reserved for my spoiler discussion later, but it is fulfilling to see the Trinity form and fight together. Wonder Woman did steal the show at this point and her fighting style was beautiful to watch. If this is a sign for action scenes to come during the Justice League and solo Wonder Woman film, then we should be in for a monumental treat. But it isn’t just the action scenes that are impressive. Hans Zimmer comes back to score alongside Junkie XL and whilst I don’t think it is as good as Zimmer’s Man of Steel score, I absolutely love Wonder Woman’s theme entitled ‘Is She With You?’. It’s badass and hardcore and suits the character of Wonder Woman perfectly. The other tracks featured are very good but none of them stick with me as much as that particular one did.
In summary, after watching Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice, there was a lot for me to digest which is why it has taken me two days
to write this review. I partially understand the critical backlash that the
film is receiving due to the poor structure and various storylines running in
tandem with each other. But if I were to look at this from a fan’s perspective,
I simply cannot lie and say this was a perfect film nor can I say that it isn’t
good. There wasn’t a point in which I was bored and all the new additions
except Eisenberg were phenomenal and have caused me to become even more excited
about the prospect of future movies. Some are saying that Zack Snyder should
leave and not direct Justice League but I say that, as long as the story is
improved upon and it spends less time setting up other films, then I don’t see
a problem with Snyder continuing his work in the DC cinematic universe.
My Verdict: 8/10
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SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU ARE READING THIS FORTHCOMING SECTION THEN YOU MUST
UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL DELVE INTO MAJOR SPOILERS AND PLOT POINTS. IF YOU HAVE
NOT SEEN BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE AND DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ANY BIG
REVELATIONS SPOILED THEN DO NOT PROCEED WITH THIS SECTION.
With that warning out of the way, I assume that whoever is reading
this has either seen the film or does not care about learning these spoilers.
So, on with the spoiler talk.
The first major revelation we get is that Bruce Wayne
witnesses the fight between Superman and Zod and his building collapse amongst the
destruction. Watching Affleck race through the streets of Metropolis was
enjoyable and tense to say the least but the best part of that scene was the
sudden change in Bruce’s outlook in life. After entering the remnants of his
building, Bruce comes across Scoot McNairy’s character who he calls Wally.
Initially, I thought this might allude to McNairy becoming Wally West, but
after his surname is revealed and then his subsequent death, that theory flew
out of the window. But it was when Bruce embraces the young girl who explains
that her mother was trapped in the destroyed building that we see why Batman
has to fight Superman and for me, this provided an incredibly effective motive
for their conflict.
Another big plot point that most likely left those who do
not follow the comic books confused was the ‘Knightmare Batman’ sequence.
Seeing Batman climb some stairs to see a city on fire with destruction around
him and a giant Omega symbol carved into the ground made me realise one thing
and one thing only. Darkseid is coming. For those of you who may not know,
Darkseid is the equivalent to Thanos from the Marvel comics. He is one of the
ultimate villains from the DC comics and this dream sequence highlighted to the
dedicated fans that he is on his way. After Batman witnesses the destruction,
he gets kidnapped by an army that seemingly supports Superman. And then when
Superman confronts Batman within the dream and then punches a whole through his
chest, I could only assume that this alludes to two possible storylines. One
follows along the same lines as the Injustice game to where Superman loses his
mind after Lois Lane’s death and turns evil. It could be that storyline or
possibly even The Death of Superman which follows Superman’s death at the hands
of Doomsday but then he returns more sinister than before. After watching the
events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I would assume that they would
follow along the same lines as both storylines. But then Snyder had to throw
another spanner in the works as Bruce wakes from his nightmare only to see Ezra
Miller as The Flash appearing through a portal attempting to give him a message
to be fearful of Superman and that Lois Lane is the key. Whilst I thought this
scene was cool and very unexpected, it did seem out of place setting up a future
Justice League movie. It also references another story, The Flashpoint Paradox.
My only hope is that Snyder doesn’t try to blend all of these big stories
together because that really will create a horrible mess.
Following that, Superman finally has his opportunity to
speak in court to defend himself from his actions in Man of Steel. But he isn’t
given that opportunity as Scoot McNairy’s wheelchair detonates resulting in a
beautiful yet tragic image of Superman surrounded by fire and death whilst he
stands alone crying in disappointment. Not only was this a nice little twist
that I didn’t see coming, but it was one of the only times that I truly felt
that Lex Luthor was a sinister villain. Apart from his kidnapping of Martha
Kent, Luthor’s actions in this scene actually demonstrate what he is capable of
when he isn’t stuttering and twitching like Eisenberg portrayed him.
Of course, I adored the Batman and Superman fight and Batman
clearly won. That was something that I didn’t expect from Snyder. Even though in
the comics Batman wins the fight, I would have thought it would be evenly
matched and result in a draw. That isn’t quite the case as Batman uses
underhand tactics with Kryptonite to weaken Superman and defeat him convincingly.
I mean, if Lois Lane hadn’t intervened, then I’m pretty sure that Batman would
have killed Superman. But many have complained that it is unrealistic for
Batman to beat an alien god. However, I argue that any fan of the comics would
not have doubted Batman due to his strategic planning and detective skills.
Whilst the fight was everything that I had hoped it would be, the culmination
of their battle was so dumb. Batman stopped fighting Superman simply because
their mother’s shared the same name. Some may look into it and explain how it
is effective because it reveals to Batman that Superman has humans that care
about him but in my opinion, it was a really ineffective way for them to reach
an agreement. I would have preferred a more authentic discussion about their
ideological differences rather than this mess of a reason that was formulated.
I’m sure that the main purpose of this revelation was just for Batman to have
another cool action scene to save Martha Kent (which is by no means a negative)
but it could have been handled in a more creative manner.
Just before the final fight against Doomsday, Bruce sends
Wonder Woman the information that she had been after. However, as well as her
personal photo that she recovered, we were also treated to archive footage of
The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. The Flash’s appearance was pretty cool but it wasn’t
too revealing. I much preferred the portal scene when he was warning Bruce. As
far as Aquaman’s reveal was concerned, I did mostly like it and to see him
break the sound barrier underwater was awesome but Jason Momoa seemed to be
holding his breath. That just goes against the character of Aquaman and I hope
that it was just a blunder on the actor’s behalf rather than a creative decision.
And finally, we see the origins of Cyborg as he is strapped to a wire rack
whilst a scientist activates a Mother Box to bring him to life. This small
selection of footage was very revealing as long as you understand what the mother
boxes represent. I won’t go into too much detail regarding what this means but
it will have massive effects upon the development of the DC cinematic universe.
My issue occurs however with how these scenes were revealed. The revelation themselves
was cool to see and all of them looked really good, but they felt forced. The
documents were sent via an email but the subject title might as well have been
titled ‘Justice League Set Up’. It felt very forced and these characters could
have been revealed in a more fluid way that links with the story rather than
just showcasing what is to come.
The final big plot point was the fight with Doomsday and the
subsequent death of Superman. The fight itself was mind-blowing but it didn’t hold
any surprises for me as I had seen it all in the trailer. The creation of
Doomsday was a little brief and I think it would have been better to dedicate a
film for him as the main antagonist but he works well and looks cool if a
little CGI-ish. But the main talking point is the death of Superman and that
was a pretty ballsy move by Snyder. I didn’t expect it to happen even though
Doomsday does kill him in the comics but that now will have a monumental effect
upon the story of Justice League. We see the dirt rise from his coffin so he
clearly isn’t dead but then I am unsure if he will return with evil intentions.
If so, how will Darkseid be incorporated into the film?
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