It’s finally happened. After years of false starts, Batman and
Superman finally share the screen. Last night, I saw Batman v Superman:
Dawn of Justice, and I can report that it is far from a disaster, as
some have tried to put out there. Honestly, it’s a flawed yet very
interesting film, one that is as ambitious as any superhero flick to
date, but one that can only sometimes reach the goals it sets out for
itself. I liked the movie more than I didn’t, so I’m one of the
defenders, I suppose, though I definitely see the criticisms put forth
by my colleagues. It’s certainly worth seeing, but it’s a film that
won’t be evolving the comic book genre anytime soon. It comes out this
weekend, so with the embargo having been lifted, let us now discuss
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice a bit.
The film is both a sequel to Man of Steel, a prequel to the impending
Justice League movies, and also a re-introduction to Batman. The movie
actually picks up where Man of Steel left off (and during, essentially,
with Bruce Wayne witnessing the battle with Zod as it destroys a city),
with the citizens of Metropolis/the world debating the merits of
Superman (Henry Cavill) being a god among men. This escalates in the
wake of another incident involving Superman that results in loss of
life. This captures the attention of Batman (Ben Affleck) over in Gotham
City, who has been fighting crime there for years. He begins plotting
to take down the alien, and after a time they cross paths, with some
fighting to ensue before they get on the same page to overcome Jesse
Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). Luther has been manipulating
them the whole time, so their team up is necessary, along with a certain
other hero, to take down what we see eventually is his creation of
Doomsday. Man of Steel’s Zack Snyder returns to direct, with David S.
Goyer and Chris Terrio co-writing the script here. The cast, aside from
the aforementioned Affleck, Cavill, and Eisenberg includes Amy Adams,
Laurence Fishburne, Ray Fisher, Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons,
Diane Lane, Harry Lennix, Scoot McNairy, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa,
Michael Shannon (sort of), and many more (remember, Jena Malone was cut
from the flick). For those wondering, the score is done by the team of
Junkie XL as well as the great Hans Zimmer.
For me, what works here is the ambition, as well as the
cinematography by Larry Fong that’s on display. This is not a film that
plays it safe, for better or worse. There are bold choices all around,
and while not all of them work, there’s more than does than doesn’t.
There’s also a terrific handling of Batman, with Affleck making one of
the best Bruce Wayne’s ever. He’s a strong Dark Knight as well, so his
casting is a real boon, especially down the line. The failings here are
the combination of a script that really wants to be about moral dilemmas
but directed by a filmmaker in Snyder who doesn’t particularly see
shades of gray. It works enough to recommend, but just by the skin of
its teeth.
What does this mean for DC’s universe going forward? I’m sure we’ll
still get the two part Justice League movie, likely with Snyder helming
part one. Hopefully though someone else can come in for part two, as new
blood is needed. The spinoff films will likely happen as well, with
those being X factors for me, outside of a solo Batman outing, which I’m
now very excited for, especially if Affleck gets to direct as well.
Warner Brothers and DC are still trailing behind Marvel and their
cinematic universe, but it’s probably best not to compare. This is what
it is, so we just have to hope for the best now.
Overall, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a flawed blockbuster
that brings together two titans in a satisfying yet still slightly
underwhelming film that will be hotly debated all year long. There are
far reaching choices made here, so it’ll be interesting to see how the
powers that be handle it all. I recommend seeing this movie, especially
if you’re a fan and have been waiting to see this duo share the screen
your whole life, but definitely keep your expectations in check. It’s
not a disaster, but it’s no masterpiece either. It’s just big, loud, and
just exciting enough to give a recommendation to…
Be sure to check out Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in theaters everywhere on Friday!
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