REVIEW: Batman V Superman (2016)

The long awaited dawn of the DC cinematic universe has finally arrived, in the form of Zack Snyder’s ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’. Despite a record breaking opening day box office, the film has been very divisive among fans and received poorly by critics, garnering a painfully low 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. Being a fan of Man of Steel, I was still highly anticipating Batman v Superman and luckily I can say that it delivered.

After a short prelude set alongside the finale of Man of Steel, we pick up the story 18 months after the destruction of Metropolis. In the wake of this cataclysmic event, many people are weary of Superman and his unchecked actions. Among these skeptics is Gotham’s own Batman, who takes it upon himself to see that the actions of Superman do not go unpunished. Sprinkled throughout this conflict of ideals are a litany of subplots with some leading to very rewarding places and others fizzling out unceremoniously.

There is a lot to enjoy in this film, and overall the things it gets right far outweigh the things it doesn’t. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are all handled perfectly (despite the latter only making a small appearance) and are arguably the best cinematic incarnations we’ve had to date. The performances are top notch across the board with Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Jeremy Irons being highlights in a very impressive cast. Affleck’s Batman is terrifying and delightfully brutal, and Cavill carries on his conflicted, yet earnest Superman, who is searching for his place in the world. Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Lex Luthor will divide audiences, and unfortunately, I fall on the negative side. That being said, while it didn’t particularly work for me, I do applaud screenwriters Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer for taking a chance with this character. And fortunately, he is left in a position at the end of the film where they will be able to retool him a little for the following films.

I’m not one to harp on about specific filmmaking techniques used in a film, however I’d be remiss not to mention the spectacular cinematography of Batman v Superman. It is no doubt subject to debate but I think this is the best-looking superhero film we’ve seen so far, rivalling even The Dark Knight trilogy. There are several sequences in the movie that from a visual standpoint, are utterly breathtaking. Only adding to this is the great score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, which boasts some beautifully heartfelt pieces and some exciting themes for new and returning characters.

The biggest weakness of Batman v Superman, is an uneven and often messy script, which is no doubt due to last minute rewrites and a rushed production schedule. The story takes some strange directions and wraps up several arcs in unsatisfying ways, however the dialogue itself is strong and thankfully carries us through some of the more lackluster scenes. I don’t want to point the finger at anyone, as I don’t fully know what the screen writing process was like. However, it feels like Terrio was trying to implement some tighter rewrites over the top of Goyer’s original script. The first two acts of the film are tightly put together and largely without fault, however from the beginning of the third act it starts to lose focus. Too many elements are brought into the fray in the last 45 minutes, which causes a lot of the drama to lose its impact. There are a handful redeeming moments in this finale, the lynchpin being the money shot of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman standing side by side, about to go into battle, which will give even the most cynical fanboy goosebumps. Unfortunately on the whole, motivations are quickly muddled and clever character moments are swapped out for over the top CGI fights. Thankfully, after the epic climax, the final moments of the film are a welcome return to form as the story is beautifully wrapped up giving a nice sense of closure for this story, but hinting at much more to come.

When Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice flies, it soars magnificently, and when it doesn’t, it still looks nice enough to keep you entertained until it gets back on track. This film isn’t on the level of The Dark Knight (what is?), however it was a welcome change of pace from the stale formula Marvel has been using for the past 8 years. It’s refreshing to see a film that takes chances, and even though a lot of them don’t pay off I think it’s something that we as an audience should encourage.

4/5

(Also a side note; if you have the chance to see Batman v Superman in IMAX, please do take advantage of it. The IMAX sequences were absolutely awesome and well worth the price of admission. It truly enhances the experience)