Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

The collective superhero fanboy universe has been holding its breath with just one question in mind: Will Ben Affleck be a Christian Bale/Michael Keaton kind of Batman, or will he be a Val Kilmer/George Clooney kind of Batman? Notice I didn’t mention Adam West? Well, you’ll be happy to know that Affleck fills the cowl nicely, although it is definitely a different caped crusader than we’ve seen before.

Eighteen months after the events of “Man of Steel”, we have a world divided. Congress, spearheaded by Kentucky Senator Finch (Holly Hunter) is considering the possibility that Superman (Henry Cavill) may be untamable. They begin to realize the godlike power he commands, and it begins to scare them. He still has a good heart, but the doubt wears him down to the point where he questions his own morality. Batman (Ben Affleck) on the other hand, is convinced that Superman is a ticking time bomb, and he makes it his personal mission to rid the world of even a glimmer of a threat to the safety of humanity. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is capitalizing on the aftermath of “Man of Steel” and is doing his best Heath Ledger impersonation, and although entertaining, just isn’t convincing. The titans clash, Luthor stirs the pot, and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) makes a grand entrance in a battle with the indestructible Doomsday (CGI).

DC and Warner Brothers is in an arms race with Marvel and Disney for superhero supremacy, and DC has been losing despite the massive global (and critical) success of the recent Dark Knight trilogy. Batman has long been the most bankable of the legendary heroes, but the stakes are rising with the expanding Marvel universe. There’s only enough room for four or five superhero films per year, so DC needs to get more skin back in the game. There is a bloodthirst for superheroes like never before, and DC wants to get its movies made, pronto.

That’s the first problem I have with this film. They are in such a hurry to catch up with Avengers that they fast forward through the juicy character development. They even throw in some teasers for no less than three impending stand-alone films, in addition to the 2017 juggernaut, “Justice League Part One” which will follow “Wonder Woman”. As the opening credits rolled, we are treated to Bruce Wayne’s parents being murdered for maybe the fifth or sixth time on film or television, so I thought we were in for another reimagining of the origin stories. To my delight, we fast forward to a Batman on the decline. A man who has been jaded by Gotham for nearly twenty years, and he wears his bitterness on his face like a scar. Affleck nails the persona.

The second problem is something I’m more conflicted about. Zack Snyder. I can’t argue that he is a visionary director with “300” and “Watchmen” on his resume, but his best work to date has been “Dawn of the Dead.” His vision of the DC universe is just too metaphoric and ambitious. He would be an absolutely fantastic comic book writer, but for me, it just doesn’t translate to the screen.

My third gripe is that Superman is emasculated time and time again, which isn’t how the character rolls. He’s Superman. I’m sure the filmmakers realized this shortly into their endeavor and though they needed to even the playing field by making him more human, they made him a little too human. Lois Lane is his true Kryptonite, and his compassion for the innocent weakens him. Cavill is a terrific actor in the role, but his indomitable symbol of godly power is put into serious question here.

Did I like the film? Of course. Batfleck is a much more rugged, seasoned, and gritty than any of his predecessors, and he has evolved with the genre to a more violent and believable man; tormented by guilt and disdain for the wicked. He is a new breed of hero, like Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle (Punisher) on Netflix’s “Daredevil”. See it. My point is, Batman is the highlight, everything else is pedestrian. I appreciated the ending, but would have liked to have been treated to some sort of teaser after the credits. With so much material being divulged, it’s a letdown to not at least put something in play for the next round of films.

Written by Chris Terrio (“Argo”, “Justice League Parts 1, 2”), the plot is implausible, even for superhero fodder. There is an obvious attempt to recreate some of the emotional appeal of the Dark Knight trilogy, but with super powers involved, it falls flat on its face. Caught between Chris Nolan’s brilliant vision of Gotham, and “Avengers”, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is simply out of place. Is it awesome for fanboys and girls? Yes. Is it poorly done? Yes. It will do well regardless, and I will continue to see its spawn in spite of its flaws. 6/10.