Is it too dark and gloomy? Possibly. Is it sometimes silly? Certainly. Is it still enjoyable? Yes.
A sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the second film in the DC Extended Universe. DC was a little late establishing their stable of superheroes in a cinematic universe a la their rival, Marvel. By the time, Batman v Superman was released in 2016, Marvel had already released 12 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While Marvel took a more lighthearted approach to superheroes, DC decided to build off the success of Christopher Nolan’s gritty Dark Knight trilogy. Nolan’s films posited that Batman could actually exist in the real world. They also made boatloads of cash. As a result, Batman v Superman is dark, grim, and, in some respects, downright brutal compared to the Marvel films.
Without spoiling too much, the plot revolves around Bruce Wayne’s anger over Superman’s seemingly wanton destruction of Metropolis. (Which took place as Superman battled General Zod in the finale of Man of Steel.) Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) sees Superman (Henry Cavill) as a threat to humanity. Meanwhile, the diabolical Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is positioning himself as a defender of Metropolis, aiming to create a weapon that could be used against “meta-humans” like Superman. Superman finds that his great power is now the subject of much controversy among the humans he hopes to defend.
Batman v Superman rights most of the wrongs of Man of Steel. Not all of them, but most of them. The fight scenes are much improved and don’t go on forever as Man of Steel’s seemed to do. The major destruction at the end of Man of Steel is dealt with in about as satisfying a way as we could possibly expect. However, the non-linear exposition scenes and dream sequences are sometimes confusing just as they were in the previous film.
Henry Cavill looks the part of Superman but he tends to have the personality of a box of rocks compared to Christopher Reeve’s version. Maybe it’s me, but he seems pained all the time. You see it in his face and his furrowed brow. Gal Gadot proves the doubters wrong in her limited time onscreen as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Her casting was a great choice. However, she really didn’t need to be in the movie at all. Not yet, anyway.
The running time is a little excessive but that’s mainly because there is just too much going on plot-wise. Unfortunately, it also tries to set up Justice League on a foundation that is clumsily built in the remaining screen time. I think a standalone Wonder Woman movie, a standalone Batman movie and, hell, a second Superman movie would have set the stage for a Justice League feature in a much more satisfying fashion.
Jesse Eisenberg’s take on Lex Luthor is probably my biggest peeve about the casting/performances. He’s all over the place. He appears to be portraying Luthor as a maniacal genius but it comes off as Luthor having ADHD. I find it hard to believe he could concentrate on any task for longer than 5 minutes. Ultimately, though, he’s just annoying.
By far, my favorite thing about Batman v Superman is Affleck’s Batman. Affleck makes a badass Batman and a very convincing Bruce Wayne, albeit an older, more grizzled version. He’s not the carefree playboy we’ve seen in past movies. People may have doubted Affleck’s casting, especially after the awful reception Daredevil received in 2003, but those fears are allayed by a truly ass-kicking turn as The Dark Knight. He’s given the best action scene in the film by far. I couldn’t have been more pleased with his depiction in this movie.
Is it too dark and gloomy? Possibly. Is it sometimes silly? Certainly. Is it still enjoyable? Yes. Zack Snyder more than makes up for the quibbles I had with Man of Steel. My biggest complaint is that it feels like a set-up for Justice League. That makes some sequences feel somewhat shoe-horned in for no logical reason.
As a whole, Batman v Superman will anger some hardcore comic fans because some characters abandon some of well-worn behaviors from previous representations. I look at that as a necessary evil. If everything is by-the-numbers, there are no opportunities for surprises. As such, this film is full of quite a few surprises.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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