Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice review – two titans meet for the first time in a messy but enjoyable film

‘The epic showdown between Gotham’s Batman and Metropolis’s Superman.’

When first announced way back at Comic Con 2013 that the follow-up to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013) would introduce yet another incarnation of Batman. There seemed to be a collective groan around the world, that this was too soon to reboot the character yet again. Christopher Nolan had only just wrapped up his excellent, self-contained Dark Knight trilogy.

For many the announcement seemed to be more about imitating the success and competing with Marvel’s model of creating interconnected features. Where characters can pop in and out of each other’s movies, and creating a universe all these individuals are a part of. There was even more of an outcry when Ben Affleck was cast as Batman, to be honest though, whoever had to follow on from Christian Bale’s take of the Dark Knight was going to have it rough.

So after three years of anticipation. Saying it will even answer some of the criticisms the public had against Man of Steel we finally have Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It is the first of many films Warner Brothers have planned to create their own shared DC cinematic universe. After all this build up there was a lot of expectation on it to succeed. As a prelude to a Justice League film, and an introduction to all the other character’s that live in this world, has it delivered?

The rather convoluted plot starts with Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) perspective during that final battle in Man of Steel. Seeing from ground zero the carnage Superman (Henry Cavill) caused puts him on Wayne’s radar. The rest of the story is set 18 months later and after a series of events the world begins questioning whether Superman is actually a hero or a threat to the earth, and when a weakness is discovered Batman sees his chance to take him out.

That’s as much of the plot I can give without spoiling too much, but it’s fair to say there is a large amount of world building going on behind the main plot, setting up the future slate of films. We also have Jessie Eisenberg’s Luther manipulating events behind the scenes for nefarious reasons and Gal Godot’s debut of Wonder Woman sneaking around with her own agenda.

The film starts off strong and I found it entertaining and fun in its own way. Compared to Marvel’s breezy and light approach, it is a lot darker in tone and I felt it did take itself a bit too seriously, with moments of humour rare and far between. In fact some of the best lines and quotes were already familiar through the trailers released before the film, and lost some of their impact (another example of marketing going too far and revealing too much). Where it starts to lose focus is in its attempt at world building. It dishes out clues and introduces plot threads that won’t pay off until the upcoming Justice League film, and also has brief cameos of the upcoming League members. It over stuffs the narrative and distracts from the main plot. I got the sense that Snyder and co. are trying to rush and achieve in one film what Marvel did over four.

The cast all did a fine job with their roles. Affleck’s take on Batman I thought was particularly good, playing an older, world weary vigilante who tortures and brands the criminals he comes in contact with. It’s a stark contrast to the clean cut/boy scout portrayal of Cavill’s Superman. I did find his motivation in taking out Superman required some suspension of disbelief. Actually, many of the characters agenda’s and motivations didn’t make a lot of sense and were more there just to get them where they needed to be for the plot to move forward.

Jesse Eisenberg’s Luther will be divisive for many but I personally liked he’s portrayal of an over excited child who sees everything as his personal toy. I also liked the way he was shown as a master manipulator, working and playing people to his own end like an expert chess player. In a film like this a lot hinges on the special effects and the actions scenes, in which Batman v Superman has a fair few. The earlier set pieces were handled well, particularly those involving Batman using his arsenal of gadgets and skill as a fighter. Where the film does falter is in the final act with an overuse of CGI that really attacks the senses, it all kind of meshes into a giant light show and many will find it hard to follow. I found the action scenes worked better when the main characters were actually apart and utilised more practical effects.

‘Batman v Superman is a good film but certainly not great.’

Maybe after all that build up and anticipation there was too much expectation on it that it couldn’t live up to, it does feel somewhat anticlimactic. Maybe time will be kinder when the other DC universe films come out and it becomes part of something bigger. Either way, it is entertaining and any fan of these iconic characters will be compelled to see it and make up their own mind.

As a first of many films it does the job of setting things in motion for things to come and although overstuffed and overlong, is engaging enough to keep you watching till the end credits.