Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the second instalment in the DC Cinematic Universe after Man of Steel in 2013. Henry Cavill once again steps into the red and blue Superman leotard, and is now battling out with the other DC flagship hero Batman, with Ben Affleck filling those shoes after Christian Bales retirement from the character after 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. With an exciting premise that has two of the most interesting and iconic superheroes in popular culture duel it out in a battle of wits, honour, ideological perspective and a bare knuckled physical fight that explores what it means to be human and a hero, this manages to be one of the stupidest, humourless and most depressing movies of all time, with only small moments of brilliance managing to bring it out of the dirt. At the time of reviewing the film currently has a lower Rotten Tomatoes score than the absolutely fucking terrible Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and has dropped in sales of over 68% in the space of a week, one of the most dramatic falls in cinematic history. Over the course of this review I'm going to highlight firstly what I thought were the good parts of the film that really worked, and then the absolutely shit parts that made me want to tear my eyes out. I will probably reveal many spoilers throughout this review, so be warned.
Batman v Superman begins with the classic and iconic Bruce Wayne origin story, with the murder of both his parents. Whilst this scene is almost as tired and overused as the murder of Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man origin story, the event is integral to the development of Bruce Wayne as a character and the way that they handle the scene, silently with music over the top and using numerous interesting camera angles, is handled surpisingly well. The story then shifts to years later, where Bruce Wayne has been operating as Batman in Gotham for nearly 20 years. The planet-wide destruction from the Man of Steel finale is seen once more from Bruce's perspective on the ground as he desperately attempts to save the Wayne Enterprises employees from their building in the now decimated Metropolis. As he holds a recently orphaned girl in his arms and looks up at the two aliens battling it out in the sky, Ben Affleck shows all the characters fears, anger and hatred without having to say a word. This scene evokes a lot of 9/11 imagery in a way to incite emotion, but is still probably the best handled scene in the entire film. It is interesting to see one of these big scale action scenes that are common in big-budget, Roland Emerich style action sequences from the perspective of those on the ground, and you really get a sense of helplessness that Bruce Wayne feels in this moment despite his heroism. Even out of the cowl and cape, Bruce Wayne in this version is still the selfless hero and I really wish the rest of the film played out as simply, humanly and interestingly as this opening.
In fact almost all the way through the film the classic Batman character is very well portrayed. Whilst we don't get to see the character develop too much on screen, we as an audience understand his motives clearly (unlike almost everyone else in the film) and Affleck really taps into the character on an emotional and physical level, in a part he was born to play. The action scenes that he is involved in too are visceral, compelling and interesting. Even though this is a darker version of the dark knight, the older Batman is a far different take than is usually shown on screen and I can't wait to see the character become more rounded and developed in future films. Affleck's chemistry with Jeremy Iron's Alfred, now more of Quartermaster/partner in crime than subservient wise cracking butler, is one of the best parts of the film. It really is a shame that this second film in the franchise wasn't dedicated to developing the Bruce Wayne character, showing his heroics and vigilantism in Gotham City, his relationship with staple characters like Alfred, Robin and Jim Gordan, have Batman take on a member of his rogues gallery and have the finale take part during the big scale attack on Metropolis that was dedicated to the beginning of this film. This would have really set up the two characters initial differences and distrust of each other in a better way. Unless you are completely familiar with the characters story and origins you will be lost in this film, as Snyder leaves throws you into all the action in the middle and there are too many questions left unanswered than there should be in a film like this.
Another positive element of the film comes with the visual elements which are stunning and interesting; every frame looks gorgeous, the cinematography looks fantastic. One thing you can compliment Snyder on is his ability to visually tell a story, and Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman and the world they inhabit has never looked as rich and interesting. The music too, even though distracting in parts, is well constructed by the master Hans Zimmer. One of my favourite sequences in the film came in the weird, post apocalyptic nightmare where Batman, clad in a duster and goggles in what seems to be an apocalyptic wasteland, desperately searches for kryptonite to stop the now monstrous and evil Superman, who has destroyed the world after the death of Lois Lane. In a bloody and violent scene shopwing a battle between Batman and Superman's footsoldiers and parademons, Superman violently murders Batman. This is a visually interesting and unique scene, but it is such a shame that it comes from nowhere and is quickly discarded and forgotten about, a lot like almost every interesting scene in the film. Personally I would love to have seen a film as daring and interesting as this one scene.
Now for the negatives.
One of the major fault in the film is in the characterisation of Superman, our hero, and the characterisation of most of the other characters in both supporting and antagonistic roles, which all seem off in their actions or behaviour due to shoddy writing. When we first catch up with Clark Kent, AKA Superman, it has been a few years since the events of Man of Steel and he is adapting to the mantle of Earth's saviour and life as a journalist with the Daily Planet. In his Superman life many people across the globe worship him like a God but many more members of the government and the public see him as a threat. As a journalist he is also trying to uncover dirt on the Bat vigilante from Gotham, who he hypocritically see's a threat as his actions are outside of the law. After the saving of the ever endangered Lois Lane from a group of radicalists causes the death of many innocent civilians, Superman is called to a hearing from the government. The rescuing of Lois scene is shockingly gritty and grim, more akin to something from American Sniper or Zero Dark Thirty than a superhero film, with a photographer (possibly Jimmy Olsen) shot point range in the face. From a Superman story you'd expect the man of steel to swoop in at the last second to save everyone, but like in Man of Steel this Superman has a worryingly casual disregard for human life.
This interpretation of Superman is unusual and disconcerting; instead of being presented as a genuinely good figure fighting for hope and justice and the American Way like he has done in the past 80 years, here Cavill's Superman is brooding and grim in a way to get past the campy, pants over leotard version of the character, but in taking the character dark it makes him seemingly more alien than any other iteration of the classic character. Even in moments that should be very human, like talking with his family and with Lois, it all seems weird and out of place as neither Clark or Superman are a hero to get behind as an audience and we never see either develop in the slightest. Throughout most of the film I thought Superman was a creepy, power crazed fiend and his gruesome threats to villainous characters really out of character for an omnipotent figure of good. This can be seen best during a long sequence in the film where Superman travels the globe saving people. This, like many moments in the film, could have been one of the most exciting scenes and really highlight the good that Superman brings to the world, but the sequence is shown in slow motion and isn't shown as exciting or heroic but more of a burden to the all powerful Kal-El. At no point does the character seem to want to be a hero who saves people, and this makes the character even less relatable or likeable, and the events at the very end (which I shall cover shortly) even less emotional. It is shocking how little the studio and Snyder understand these characters.
This is the major problem with this entire film, and also with Man of Steel too; the characterisation leave a lot to be desired and character developments are minor and superficial and amount to nothing in the grand scheme of thing. Here especially they just seem to re-enact even more superficial moments from its predecessor. Yet again we see Superman wandering the globe in what looked like a cut scene from Man of Steel and talking yet again to Jonathan Kent for guidance in one of the most sickeningly tripe and stupidly predictable scenes in cinematic history. At this point in the film I was already fed up, and as Superman wandered the mountains I whispered to my friend how fucking terrible and awful it would be if the ghost of Jonathan Kent turned up to offer advice; how lazy that would be. And as soon as those words left my mouth the always wise and insightful voice of Kevin Costner started a dull monologue and I died a little. As usual the message was all over the place, did Jonathan even want Clark to be a hero? Everyone in this film says so and yet most of the last film had Jonathan saying how he didn't want his adopted son to take that title, even dying needlessly in the process. Either way this was yet another unneeded and overlong scene in an already shoddily constructed film
Amy Adams as Lois Lane was just as terrible and boring as she was in the previous film, as she is lazily thrown into scenes so Superman has more of an emotional connection to the scene. Her investigation of unique bullets is boring and stupid, her involvement in the fight between Batman and Superman is boring and stupid, her actions whilst Doomsday is on screen are also boring and stupid. At the end I feel nothing for Lois and Clark as a pair as their chemistry is forced and non existent. Lex Luthor wasn't as terrible as I was expecting from other reviews, and Jesse Eisenberg does an alright if sometimes irritating and overplayed portrayal of the iconic villain. Yet again, the problems with the character stem from the writing and the confusing and stupid motives of the character. The character wants to create a deterrent to stop Superman, get Superman and Batman to fight, create a monster to make up for his own feelings of inadequacies and blow up the senate as revenge for them not supporting his projects, whilst also creating his own bullets for some radicals to get their hands on illegal kryptonite. I may have gotten a lot of that wrong or missed out some things as this character genuinely made no sense whatsoever. He doesn't act as a physical or mental threat too much to the ideals of Superman, so why was he in the film? Eisenberg tries very hard but the character is too much of a joke and his motives too confusing to make him a particularly interesting villain.
One of the main things the character does is help set up the future DC Cinematic Universe, where it is revealed like an evil Nick Fury he has been keeping tabs on the 'meta-humans' of Earth, that are then uncovered by Batman. In one of the dumbest, cringiest, overplayed, overused and just fucking offensive moments in the film Batman and Wonder Woman open some files on Lex's emails where he has kept details on Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg and Wonder Woman, with the logos from the comics even attached to them which makes no sense. Did he design logos himself? Is he so passionate about fast man and frankenrobot and the mermaid that he designed them little logos? The lazy branding is actually one of the less stupid moments of this sequence, as in the files are HD quality images and video footage of the future Justice League members, which make up the most forced cameos I've ever seen in film that made me roll my eyes in pain. What would have worked better would have been case files without logos, and having grainy video footage hinting towards these future characters. The reason Lex has looked into these characters is unexplained and this moment just seems like a lazy teaser trailer for future films and. like almost every scene in the film, appears from absolutely fucking nowhere, and actually stops any excitement for the battle between Batman and Superman by appearing right in the middle of the build up. Whilst Marvel has had name checks or small cameos to incite excitement in fans in a lot of their films, this is a dumb piece of obnoxious marketing in an already dumb film.
And this is just yet another moment in which the structure of the film is shoddy and all over the place and helps remove any drama or intrigue from unfolding naturally. I can't help but compare the film to 10 Cloverfield Lane, the last film I watched at the cinema before this. Each little moment in that film lead to something; the main characters fashion aspirations, certain characters feelings towards one another, a photograph, a memory. They are all just small pieces of a puzzle to something genuinely interesting that got me emotionally invested in the story and characters. Here it is just disjointed random scene after disjointed random scene, with nothing adding up as it just evokes a depressing feeling whilst you watch the story unfold on screen.
The fight is actually quite exciting and interesting, playing out like a bar brawl between the two. But it is cut short in a really stupid way. Both Batman and Superman's mother have the same first name, and in what could have been an interesting angle to humanise Superman in Batman's eyes is overplayed and cringey, as we have to sit through watching Bruce's parents die again. TWICE. In the same film. As Snyder and Warner Brothers think their audience are complete idiots they have to show this scene again to confirm his mother was also called Martha, before Batman in the present says his mother was called Martha. All the build up to the fight ends and Batman changes his stance quickly with this new information. Batman then saves Martha Kent in a thoroughly entertaining and bloody way, before the final villain emerges.
Doomsday looks like shit and is one of the most wasted characters in the film. He looks like a Cave Troll from Lord of the Rings crossed with Mr Hankey the Christmas Poo from South Park, and is nothing but a big CGI mess for our 'heroes' to battle. Whilst this scene really highlights Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and her powers, it's all pretty by the books, hackneyed and boring. And after a kryptonite spear is thrown around a while the inevitable happens, Superman dies. Two years ago I watched a superhero film and I cried at the death of a tree that had three lines in the entire film. Last year I watched a superhero film and I cried at the death of a flying ant that had no lines. Here one of the most iconic and inspiring hero's from popular culture of the last 80 years who I have seen in numerous films and books dies and I felt absolutely nothing. Then the film refuses to end as everyone unites under the death of the fallen hero, but of course there's a hint that he may still be alive which removes any sadness or drama or controversy that may have come from the heroes death. Never have I seen a film this heartless, under developed and completely unable to evoke any sort of emotion in its audience.
This film is baffling. There are far, far worse films, and there are moments that are genuinely interesting and exciting, but with the amount of money and talent and aptitude that went into the production, and with material of the two lead characters spanning back almost 80 years, I just don't get how a film like this could be even slightly bad. Luckily many of the problems are self contained to this one story, which despite rushing and wasting several interesting storylines in order to make money hasn't completely destroyed the DC Universe. Film has never felt this depressingly manufactured, and I hope someone with an understanding of the characters and material can step in to save the sequels
Summary: This film is a weird, dark, disjointed and incoherent mess improved by impressive visuals and one of the best Batman's seen in film. Watch with incredibly low expectations
4/10
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