Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (M)Director: Zack SnyderShowing: In wide releaseStarring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Gal Gadot, Diane LaneRunning time: 153 minutesVerdict: ★★½
REVIEW by SHIVÉ PREMA
Zack Snyder’s second foray into the DC cinematic universe does not do its biggest heroes justice in this ambitious but messy sequel to its 2013 predecessor Man of Steel.
Man of Steel told a familiar origin story set against a bleak and hopeless world, which, despite its flaws, was a focused and engaging film.
Batman v Superman lacks such focus, with too many complications happening at once. Snyder explores the conflict between Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill), setting the stage for future Justice League films, while shoving Wonder Woman into the scene and entertaining Lex Luthor’s (Jesse Eisenberg) evil schemes.
The result is a film that feels half-baked, one that suffers from choppy pacing, constantly changing between the plethora of characters and plot threads in motion. It feels rushed, especially when compared to Marvel’s gradual approach to crafting a cinematic universe.
The film opens with a flashback to the final fight in Man of Steel. The destruction that Superman and General Zod (Michael Shannon) inflict on Metropolis is shown from the perspective of Batman’s alter ego, Bruce Wayne, as he witnesses his Wayne Enterprise building being razed to the ground.
Seeing Superman as a threat, Batman gets caught up with Lex Luthor in a kryptonite arms race to put an end to the “false god”. Meanwhile, the moral and political consequences of Superman’s actions are at the forefront of public and media criticism, manifesting itself in a superhero senate hearing.
When Superman and Batman aren’t facing off against each other, they are teaming up with Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) in a sequence that rivals Man of Steel’s final showdown in terms of mass destruction and CGI overkill.
The addition of Wonder Woman feels extremely forced in an already overcrowded and congested affair. Likewise, supporting cast members Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and Clark Kent’s mean boss Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) struggle to stay relevant amid the chaos and rapidly developing action.
Affleck excels as Bruce Wayne/Batman, playing an older, more experienced vigilante while proving that he is still a pro at the brooding stare. What is sure to be a bone of contention among Batman fans is that Affleck’s Batman breaks his "one rule" and kills people. A lot.
Henry Cavill is acceptable as the furrowed-browed Clark Kent/Superman, although, between the heroics, he spends a solid amount of time being frustrated with his boss as Clark Kent and being upset that people don’t like him as Superman.
Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor is a caricature of man, a combination of Jim Carrey’s Riddler and Eisenberg’s own portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. The problem isn’t as much with Eisenberg as it is with script, with the actor cornered into bumbling his way through theological talk about about God v. Man and "Devils com[ing] from above".
It is a shame that the movie doesn’t have much more to say than its trailer. By the time credits roll, you can’t help but think you haven’t really seen anything new.
The central Batman v Superman conflict is bogged down by its Dawn of Justice ambitions, spending too much time artificially setting up the DC world instead of focusing on the events at hand.
Ultimately, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice promises more than it can deliver, trying to do a number of things — it is a jack of all trades, but master of none.