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Batman!(Co-starring Superman)

A Film Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

By Lawrence Napoli

Not even one day released to the American viewing public and the only headlines regarding this film revolve around poor receptions and dreadful reviews.  Ouch!  Is this film really that bad?  Are the fanboys being too critical?  Are the trolls having too much fun?  Is it being unfairly judged for not being absolutely spectacular?  I’d be lying to you if I didn’t admit just a hint of glee over this project’s initial, global reaction for a number of reasons: poor casting choices, using The Dark Knight Returns plot for introducing a Justice League cinematic universe and Batman upstaging Superman’s sequel (to list a few).  The details of this production had me shaking my head in absurdity light years beyond the casting of Mr. Mom as Tim Burton’s Batman back in 1989 so much so that its present day difficulties seem a foregone conclusion. 

Rather than rubbing salt into open wounds, this review will be more concerned with simply critiquing what we have on the screen, and it begins with this film being Batman’s movie from the very first second to its very last.  In a way, it makes sense for the story to be so Bat-centric because “this” version of the Dark Knight has not yet been established in this particular cinematic universe.  It is more than just the plot featuring Batman or its themes, framework or even the outcome that makes it so.  The feel, sound and look of this entire film are “Batman” through and through.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this tactic outside of the cost of sacrificing every other character and their subplots as window dressing to Batman’s mission.  As such, Superman is all but designated as a formal antagonist if the story weren’t also interested in introducing the audience to the Justice League as well as a major tease for a destined conflict against one of DC’s Ultimate Evils in subsequent films.  The fact is that this story is so much more than just Batman and Superman that it crumbles under the weight of its own lofty ambitions.  This leads to a bit of distraction and incoherence which requires the viewer to make frequent leaps of faith to traverse the plot holes. 

Then there’s the pacing of this movie which does a fine job at mimicking the overall flow and tenor of Man of Steel.  We start off pretty slow as Zack Snyder clearly makes conscious efforts at establishing intrigue.  But then, the film stays at that same tempo because we need a ton of exposition fed to us in order to appreciate what is going on thanks to advancing the plot more than a year past the destruction of Metropolis at the hands of Zod.  With little screen time left to build upon any drama or suspense, the burden falls squarely on action sequences to break things up and sometimes they get the job done.  It’s neat seeing Batman drive his car, fly his plane and beat up (and kill) bad guys.  [Yes, this Batman kills – more on that later]  Unfortunately, Batman isn’t Superman; meaning those awesome Dragonball Z live-action combat sequences from Man of Steel are nowhere to be found in this film, not even during the climactic battle against a conveniently placed plot device. 

I understand that Zack Snyder is essentially doing the same thing as the competition, but trying so desperately to differentiate by doubling down on the gravitas.  These films may not be taking place in a Chris Nolan reality, but there is no denying the tone of seriousness here.  I for one am all for making these blockbusters as poignant as any art house, indie obscurity.  However, the fun factor should not be hunted down and eradicated like some Thanagarian Snare Beast.  No one needs to tell this production staff about the importance of finding the right balance between gravity and levity so you can all be assured that the next DC film, Suicide Squad, will be layered with silliness as a counterweight, but hopefully not too much.    

“Moving” = 18/33

“Picture” = 23/33

“Story” = 13/34

Overall MPS Rating:  54/100

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is an average blockbuster.  It wasn’t atrocious, nor was it anything spectacular, but apparently that’s enough for its crucifixion.  An unfocused story combined with questionable casting and inconsistent performances demonstrate major weaknesses for perhaps one of the most hyped and anticipated film fictions of all time.  The expectations were clearly impossible to satisfy, but one film attempting to do so much in a mere 2.5 hours was all but inviting disaster.  A simpler story focusing on an introduction between Batman and Superman and how their credos differ in almost every way would have been more than enough to fill out a full time slot.  Then again, what made this plot work in The Dark Knight Returns is the fact that these two characters had a long history of conflict and disagreement that built up to a direct physical confrontation which clearly doesn’t fit in Batman v Superman.  Simply put, this was not the fiction to rip-off to launch this new generation of heroes, and that is Zack Snyder’s fault.  Taking a risk by inventing a brand new framework for licensed characters is not something indicative of a Snyder production.  His history is adaptation through emulation and that brief stint with originality gifted us all with Sucker Punch.  Need I say more?