Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review
By Carl Cottingham
The Greatest Gladiator Match in the History of the World
Day vs. Night
Son of Krypton vs. Bat of Gotham
As we are all aware, Marvel Studios has perfected the ‘shared universe’ concept as if it were second nature to them. To say they have been successful would be an understatement and the continued financial rewards have spurred other studios to attempt to replicate this simple yet seemingly elusive formula. Sony attempted to broaden the Spider-Man world only to see their efforts crash and burn, with a rebooted Spider-Man now appearing in Marvel’s films proper. Fox has been much more successful in their X-Men efforts though this is mostly coming off the back of Deadpool’s astonishing critical and financial success. It is no small wonder that Warner Bros, with its staple of DC Comics characters, would attempt to try and jump-start their own cinematic universe. The so-called DC Extended Universe began in earnest with the release of Man of Steel back in 2013 though not without split-opinion over the direction and tone of the Superman origin story. Yet it proved enough to be a financial success that a follow-up was commissioned.
There has been a sense of worry permeating over Batman v Superman: that there are too many characters, the tone is too dark, and other miscellaneous criticisms before people even saw the finished product. Zack Snyder had the job of not just handling the first theatrical crossover between the Batman and Superman characters, but also address and correct the narrative flaws of Man of Steel. I had my lingering doubts, but, as a fan of both characters since the Bruce Timm/Paul Dini days, I’ve been very excited for this film ever since its initial Comic Con announcement. Now that I’ve seen the finished film, I can say that we are in the midst of something truly special. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the film DC Comics fans have been waiting for.
Following the destructive events of Man of Steel, Superman has tried to prove he is not a threat to humanity, going out of his way to right the world’s wrongs anyway he can. Yet, controversy continues to dog him with a zealous senator, played by Holly Hunter, leading a congressional committee to hold Superman accountable for his inadvertent repercussions. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has begun formulating plans to effectively counteract against the Man of Steel, having seen the devastation Superman is capable of during the initial Metropolis fight with General Zod first hand. Clark Kent also holds dim views on the legendary Batman, viewing him as a brutal vigilante who strikes fear amidst the Gotham City populace. As the two men emerge on a collision course that will see them battle it out, Lex Luthor is making plans of his own that could prove even more disastrous.
There has been a vast amount of controversy of elements of the cast for this film. While many of the cast members of Man of Steel return to reprise their roles, and all do so remarkably well, much has been discussed over the additions of Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, and Jesse Eisenburg as Lex Luthor. Affleck in particular was not everyone’s first choice to portray a Frank Miller-influenced Dark Knight but I was personally on board from day one despite initial surprise at the decision. Eisenburg, however, I still possess mixed feelings toward. He is by no means miscast, but his portrayal of Lex Luthor harkens more toward a more maniacal Gene Hackman-Luthor who displays animosity towards Superman’s abilities over interest in real estate. If anything, he comes off more as a younger version of the Riddler, somewhat gleeful in public but vicious once he is alone.
Any fears about the former two actors, however, will be washed away quickly. Affleck’s Bruce Wayne is quite remarkable, displaying a somber worldview that comes with his advanced crime-fighting career that feeds on his distrust for Superman. He also possesses great chemistry with Jeremy Irons’ Alfred and is generally what you’d expect a true live-action Batman to act like. He looks exactly like Batman, fights like Batman, and speaks like Batman. As far as I’m concerned, Ben Affleck IS Batman. Gal Gadot also struck me as quite impressive. She only has a small amount of scenes but she is quite memorable both as Wonder Woman and as the mysterious Diana Prince. Her entrance into the film in full costume will have the most rousing audience response as audiences FINALLY see Wonder Woman appearing in a live-action movie.
The story is also rock-solid and a vast improvement over the story of Man of Steel. This can be attributed to writer Chris Terrio, who not only wrote Argo for Ben Affleck but also rewrote this film from an initial draft by David S. Goyer. The dialogue is crisp, the characters are well rounded and memorable, and the moral dilemmas facing both Superman and Batman are quite fascinating as they meet one another for the first time. In addition, the action sequences and cinematography are visually stunning, as to be expected from a Zack Snyder release. There is, however, a lingering sense that the film was meant to be much longer than it already is. Certain scenes feel as though they were cut too short or that complete scenes were cut entirely in order to manage a reasonable running time in the theater. The fact that there will be an extended cut on home video also plays well into this sense of incompleteness but the film as a whole is still well crafted as it stands now.
If you’re going into this film expecting a Marvel-like movie, throw away that assumption right now. While there is a relatively good amount of humor in the film, this is as a whole a serious and complex film with interesting moral questions following our main two leads. There are also a healthy amount of twists and surprises awaiting DC Comics fans, especially in terms of a solo Wonder Woman outing and the eventual formation of the Justice League. This would be for not if it weren’t for a solid direction, impressive casting, and, most importantly, a well-written story to tell. For the first time in many years of superhero movie releases, I can’t wait to see what comes next. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice truly is a comic book come to vivid life and is the movie I’ve been waiting years for.
8/10
