Score: **** out of ***** (A-)
Directed by Zach Snyder
Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, et. al.
Running time: 151 minutes
Rated PG-13
Long Story Short: Following on the success of Marvel's Avengers, DC has finally put the two biggest heroes in all of comics into one film: Batman and Superman. Ben Affleck debuts as Batman, joining Henry Cavill who reprises his role as Superman, and both have their fair share of glowering to do in a decidedly darker (but still PG-13) vision of these heroes. If you're looking for something lighter or you want a standalone film, you might listen to the critics and stay away. But it offers a lot, from the action to the story, for those willing to go along and stay for the ride.
Eighteen months after Superman's (Cavill) arrival on Earth, tension around this seemingly noble yet supremely powerful being is reaching a boiling point, both in public and in private. Many laud Superman as Metropolis' savior, but others - including Senator Finch (Hunter) - view him as a potential threat who must be held accountable. Across the bay in Gotham, Bruce Wayne (Affleck) also grapples with how to handle him; Wayne is personally driven by the collateral destruction of the Wayne Enterprises building during Superman's battle with another Kryptonian when he arrived. Still others have interest in the man of steel: wild-haired (and -brained) Lex Luthor (Eisenberg) obsessively seeks out remnants of the Kryptonians and their ship which had menaced the world.
Batman's anger and frustration with Superman's presence intensifies the brutality of his already less-sanitized crime fighting work. Clark Kent the reporter gets wind of some of these messy altercations, and before long he becomes determined to end the terror caused by the dark knight. It seems there isn't room for two superheroes in the world as Superman and Batman set their sights on each other, but they are far from the only interested parties.
Batman v Superman is stuffed with a cast of stars, most of them well-suited to their characters. Ben Affleck makes his debut as Batman/Bruce Wayne; despite my prior skepticism, he does a very good job in the role. This version of the dark knight is grumpier and grittier due to years of fighting; gray hair streaks and weary gazes emphasize his long experience. Affleck fits this brooding demeanor well, though he also gets to show his charisma occasionally through Wayne. Henry Cavill returns as Superman, having debuted this version of the character in Man of Steel. As in that film, Cavill is mostly asked to put a conflicted grimace on his face, although he gets one light-hearted scene here. I'll have more on the character itself later; as for Cavill, he's fine but unspectacular. The third major part is that of Lex Luthor, the villain played by Jesse Eisenberg. This Luthor reminds me of a brainier version of the Joker here; it's not very original, but at least interesting to watch. From what I've seen there is a wide variety of opinion on Eisenberg's performance, and I would say overall it's solidly positive. He definitely comes off effectively as both smart and mean.
There is a significant supporting cast as well, led by Amy Adams' Lois Lane. She's another returning player but while the part gets a good bit of screen time, it's underwritten; Adams' talent isn't utilized. If Superman gets Lois Lane, then Batman gets his support through butler Alfred, played here by Jeremy Irons. While Batman's a bit older than usual, Alfred seems significantly younger than other versions. Irons' Alfred is faithful and dry-humored as most are, but he is still a welcome addition. Other smaller roles include Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), shown just enough to give promise for future films; and Laurence Fishbourne, returning as Daily Planet editor Perry White (still a great choice).
Batman v Superman is a flawed film, but still a very entertaining and interesting one. The director, Zach Snyder, has built a reputation as a visual maestro who can't carry a quality story. In this film, he retains the former strength while improving significantly on the latter weakness. Snyder and his writers made the very smart move (IMO) of making Batman the main character and Superman - while crucial - largely symbolic. It makes sense: Batman is a human and thus more relatable - and frankly, more interesting - than Superman as a character. We mostly get Bruce Wayne/Batman's past through brief but effective moments, which is where Snyder's style and visuals really shine. The shooting of his parents is here yet again - but it actually comes back to play a direct role in the film, which is nice. The main theme is built around Superman: what responsibilities and accountability do heroes have to the people; does the collateral damage and their lack of oversight outweigh the good they do? While Marvel started this theme earlier (in film), there's really no better representative for it than Superman.
As an interlude, I want to say that the action is quite well done; well-choreographed, and purposeful within the story rather than just for its own sake. Although there are others, the three scenes that stand out to me the most are two featuring Batman, and then of course the titular hero duel. The first, chronologically, is nearly as cool a Batmobile chase as the one in The Dark Knight; this one doesn't have the incredible tension, but it's visually spectacular and has a great ending. The second Batman scene is a pretty ordinary setup but features great choreography as Batman beats the hell out of some bad guys by hand. And while I had serious doubts about how an actual fight between Batman and Superman could be plausible, this manages it pretty darn well. The final fight is in some ways another monster mash, but once again, fits well with the story (and introduces Wonder Woman!).
The last element is that which DC is somewhat shamelessly - but effectively - ripping off from Marvel, in building a multi-character world from which to spin off many million (or billion) dollar films. Is this financially motivated? Sure. But it still has very compelling storytelling potential. Man of Steel, a "solo" film (i.e. Superman's the only hero), kicked off this world, and its final battle - particularly the consequences of it - set the entire stage for Batman v Superman. There are only a few minutes of flashbacks from the earlier film (from different perspectives this time), but BvS takes what was a weak movie and turns its resolution into a fascinating take off point. BvS itself carries hints of next chapters but not over much. The ending - which I won't spoil here - leaves the door wide open, but the exact direction uncertain. DC may have stolen some of Marvel's ideas, but it has already done even better with several of them.
***
Batman v Superman is very much a popcorn blockbuster, but both the film itself and the reactions to it lead to a lot of interesting thought and discussion; this itself is a victory, I would argue. Now to address the drubbing BvS has received. In pure film terms, it's not hard to find flaws; the ones that stand out most to me being continued overuse of moral(e) speeches told to Superman (though they are fewer and not nearly as bad as those in Man of Steel); awkward and/or poor use of Lois Lane; and some deus ex machina. Still, to me the good elements of the film were more than enough to minimize the impact of the bad. Others complain that it's another big, loud, overlong slog. I would counter that it's quite well paced and for crying out loud, it's Batman vs. Superman - of course it's going to be big! But I think the most underrated element of the film is how well it uses previous material (Man of Steel) to create more compelling ideas and story, and concludes its own chapter while allowing a bigger adventure to grow from it. Clearly, most critics don't have the patience to discern that or the interest to try; and no one is forced to. However, if you are looking for a big, fun action movie that asks you to see it in the context of an extended franchise (read: see Man of Steel first), this film has great rewards.
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41557090
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