The moment of truth has finally arrived. Maybe more than
just to see what Superman stands for in this movie. Maybe to see if Batman V
Superman: Dawn of Justice is good.
Hey guys, I’m back for another movie review after being gone
for a legitimate month and a half. I seriously apologize, as me and Yanni have
so much to do, this has been a very busy term for the both of us.
I’m honestly happy to be back to review this movie. This is
probably my 2nd most anticipated movie of all time, the 1st
being Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I’m actually glad that I’m more excited
about TFA than BVS, because I’m not here to sound like one of the happiest man
alive after watching Batman V Superman. There’s a lot to talk about. Oh boy.
Before this review,
let me tell you something…
Ever since I was familiar with the idea that a Superman Vs
Batman theme exists, I am excited for a movie like this to come out someday.
Now it has happened, and here we are, with me sitting down writing this review.
I wanted to love this movie, and god knows why I’m now here discussing what I
like and what I didn’t like.
Yeah, this movie was a disappointment. Thankfully, it’s not
as bad as some DC Movies can go, it’s not Fant4stic kind of bad, it’s
definitely not Batman & Robin kind of bad. I think it’s important if I can discuss this movie before you look at
my rating. You need to see my opinion. I might have sounded too forceful,
I’m sorry, but really, please hear me out. I also wanted the people who made
this movie to know what I love and what I hated.
I mean, hell, I’m not recommending this movie to you; I’m
seriously just saying, don’t let the critics make you turn away from the movie,
unless it’s very bad. My opinions about this movie slightly differs from the
critics, and that’s why I’m only feeling that way. See it for yourself first.
Without further ado, let’s begin our review. This review
will have not have spoilers, as I hate spoiling things for people.
Film Synopsis -
Following his titanic struggle against General Zod, Metropolis has been razed
to the ground and Superman is the most controversial figure in the world. While
for many he is still an emblem of hope, a growing number of people consider him
a threat to humanity, seeking justice for the chaos he has brought to Earth. As
far as Bruce Wayne is concerned, Superman is clearly a danger to society. He
fears for the future of the world with such a reckless power left ungoverned,
and so he dons his mask and cape to right Superman's wrongs. The rivalry
between them is furious, fueled by bitterness and vengeance, and nothing can
dissuade them from waging this war. However, a dark new threat arises in the
form of a third man: one who has a power greater than either of them to
endanger the world and cause total destruction!
The Pros
Ben Affleck as Bruce
Wayne / Batman – This year is a year of redemption. We had Ryan Reynolds
playing as Deadpool, who was fantastic, and really pays off and redeemed his
original role as the X-Men Origins: Wolverine Deadpool and Green Lantern. This
year, we also have another person who redeemed himself from the original
Daredevil: Ben Affleck as Batman.
For this movie, Ben Affleck killed it as The Dark Knight in
almost every shape and form. He oozes cool. He stole every scene when he is
available. He felt like the Bruce Wayne and Batman from the comic books and
Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. He really killed it and gave us so much
to care about, and since we care about Bruce Wayne, we care about Batman as
well. Ben Affleck was so real in this movie, you really see his motivation on
why he wants to take out Superman. It makes sense, and Ben Affleck gave an
excellent performance as the Bat Vigilante.
Speaking of Batman, he’s just awesome. He felt like an
actual Devil that scares criminals around Gotham City. He also had the physique
Batman is supposed to have. The fight scenes though are well choreographed, and
the style Batman used to fight the criminals just felt like the Batman we all
wanted to see. While Michael Keaton used too many gadgets to get him around the
fight scenes, and the Christian Bale Batman fight scenes are poorly done, the
fight scenes in this movie just shows how well trained Batman actually is. They
were dirty, gritty and fast-paced violent combat filmed in multiple angles,
something else I will congratulate in a minute.
As much as I love this Batman, I honestly think Christian
Bale was characterized better. I still love the Ben Affleck though, but I would
have loved him even more as I am going to be talking about the one and only
flaw in his character.
Gal Gadot as Diana
Prince / Wonder Woman – I was worried about her for a minute, as I thought
she might not have a place in this movie just as the title suggests, and I have
no idea what she’s doing, maybe shoehorned in for the sake of randomized
action. Hell, I was very wrong about her. She was great.
Gal Gadot was everything I need her to be as Wonder Woman.
She had the sexiness and smart of this character, and her costume design and
her look made her belong in this DC Cinematic Universe. She definitely doesn’t
feel out of place, and she was also a very relevant character in this movie.
Although I would have wanted a bit more characterization from her, she’s
getting herself a standalone movie, so that’s fine with me.
You see, she doesn’t need a backstory in this movie; this
movie gave her some sort of shrouded mystery, giving us questions about this
mysterious female character. For those who didn’t catch up with movie trailers
and walked into this movie with no knowledge of it, her existence in this movie
can be such a great discovery. Her entrance in particular is really cool, and
very surprising. She also doesn’t feel like a Superman 2.0, as she uses her
weaponry in such a way that’s unique and puts her away from every female
superhero characters. A sword, a shield, and a lasso. That’s everything Wonder
Woman used that made her stand out among others. She’s amazing in this movie,
and I’m actually excited for a Wonder Woman standalone movie and see what Gal
Gadot has to offer.
Jeremy Irons as
Alfred Pennyworth – Being the 3rd Alfred being put onto the
cinematic screen can be pressurizing for Jeremy Irons. But he’s a good actor,
and he doesn’t even need to try to be another excellent Alfred.
He was fantastic, and he really didn’t give a lot of new things about Alfred’s character, so I’m not going to talk a lot about Jeremy Irons. However, his conversation between him and Bruce are interesting, and he especially reminds me of Michael Caine’s Alfred character, where in The Dark Knight Rises, he didn’t want Bruce Wayne to go out and fight Bane, because he’s afraid to lose him. In this movie, Jeremy Irons doesn’t want Batman to go out, because he believes Superman is not their enemy, and what Batman is doing may go very far off, probably against Batman’s moral dilemma (which is a flaw I will be discussing later). Jeremy Irons is perfect as Alfred, and after watching this movie, like a lot of new characters being introduced, I can’t think of anyone playing as that character.
Action Sequences – Even though there’s not a lot of
action sequence (the movie focuses more on the political thriller theme) Zack
Snyder’s direction of the action are fantastic. He’s always been a very good
visual storyteller, and the action in this movie really paid off.
I’m also taken by surprise at one particular sequence
revolving Batman’s Batmobile, and I’ve never seen him taking on a practical
action sequence before. Usually it’s always him and his flashy special effects.
Yes, there are special effects used during the chase scene, but that’s not the
main focus. There’s real practical vehicles involved, and I really enjoyed it,
and something Zack Snyder tried probably for the first time in many years in
his filmmaking career.
The Zack Snyder visual vibe definitely exists in this movie,
and I am still impressed by them. I enjoyed it very much, and that’s a major
plus for this movie. There’s a lot of attention being paid on the details the
visual effect designers have put onto. There are some scenes where the special
effects don’t look as great, and sometimes felt overstuffed, but at times
it is a beautiful looking movie.
I think the only problem I have is that most of the action
sequences take place during the night, so with my 3D glasses which also shades
the movie a bit, I can’t see some scenes well, and it can be confusing. But I
can tell, it looks great already.
Cinematography – Zack
Snyder is also a great cinematographer, and there are beautiful and long wide
takes being used in this movie, with very good sound and scene editing on the
action sequences, and mainly on the takes they used to film this movie. It’s
really rare for a superhero movie to have good cinematography, and this is one
of them. Zack Snyder pays a lot of attention on how scenes should be filmed,
and it completely fits into this movie’s vibe.
Neutral
Henry Cavill as Clark
Kent / Superman – He didn’t give a lot in this movie. He’s fine. Not
excellent, not great (the type of great from Man of Steel, which is
disappointing) but fine. He didn’t give much, because this isn’t about him
anymore, at least not as much, because there are other characters to focus on.
There’s one particular scene in Batman’s dream sequence where you see a corrupt
Superman and his whole Regime of followers, and the Superman in that scene
reminded me so much of the plot of the DC Video Game Injustice, which is really
cool and gives a lot to why Batman wants to destroy Superman (and then realizes
that in order to stop that from happening was actually to help him). That’s
really it. Superman’s fine.
 | |||
| Henry Cavill: I thought this was my movie. Zack Snyder: I'm director, bitch, bow down. |
Jesse Eisenberg as
Lex Luthor – While some casting choices worked, this one wasn’t that great.
I have no idea why Zack Snyder casted him to be one of Superman’s most iconic
villain, it boggles me a bit.
 |
| How does he even know who they are? He knows Bruce Wayne, for sure, but Clark Kent? He's just a random reporter doing his job. And Jesse Eisenberg is acting like Clark Kent is a celebrity. What? |
I’m not saying he’s awful or anything; he gave an excellent
performances as a crazy dude with a motivation to destroy Superman, NOT as Lex
Luthor. He did not feel like the Lex Luthor I wanted to see from the comic
books, and he just isn’t Lex Luthor. The lines he said though can be very
conflicting, as those are the lines Lex Luthor would say, but Jesse Eisenberg
did not play the character well. He’s a psychopathic crazy jumpy person, and
that’s that.
I know what you’re thinking: He’s only playing the son of
Lex Luthor Sr., so don’t get so agitated about it. But honestly, that’s like
saying Jar Jar Binks is different from the Gungans, and that gives him an
excuse to be annoying as shit and have bad characterization. Yes, I’m going too
hard on this, but it’s true.
I’m not saying Jesse Eisenberg is awful; he gave an
excellent performance describing the motivations of a crazy psychotic person,
NOT Lex Luthor. He’s definitely not Lex Luthor to me. I also don’t see the
reason why they need Lex Luthor Jr., and not the original himself. Zack Snyder
should not have casted Jesse for this role, he could have played by anyone who
plays good villainous characters.
The Cons
The Script - The
Script is a convoluted mess. If the writers are writing for a movie that’s
Batman V Superman, at least don’t have characters open an email to expose
everything.
The movie is very messy. The 1st half of this
movie is a political thriller, which really hooks us up and building up to the
big finale. The 2nd half immediately jumps into this Superhero
extravaganza, and really doesn’t have a place in this movie. It’s just a mess,
and Zack Snyder is well known to be a bad storyteller. He’s not that great.
The writers though. They were awful. There are some very
lazy writing in this movie, including one where a character opens an email
which contains all the information about other characters. I mean, really?
That’s it? The least I expected was have the main character to be there at the
scene with the person who had the documents and show her everything right at
the end of the movie, and that would have made more sense, and would have been
cooler. But really, they are going to reveal everything by an email. I hate how
they did that!
I also hated how on that particular scene, it literally
appeared out of nowhere. It really distracted the movie’s pacing and flow, and
feels very out of place.
The pacing – The
movie spends too much time talking about politics than jumping into the entire
main theme of this movie, where The Dark Knight fights The Man of Steel, but
that scene was very rushed. In fact, the pacing of this movie really lets me
discover that they can’t balance the movie well. Also, the entire movie was
marketed in a wrong way. This has nothing to do with Batman V Superman. I would
have appreciated it if they call this movie: Dawn of Justice, as this is the
whole theme of this movie, not Batman V Superman. There is so little action
revolving Batman V Superman, and it’s just awful and a huge disappointment
among Comic Book fans.
Lois Lane – This
is a con which has nothing to do with Amy Adams’ acting. She was still good in
this movie. The story, however, makes it so difficult for Lois Lane to feel
relevant in this movie. For most of the time, she’s a damsel in distress, and
it gets annoying. Also, the story just make her situations stupid. For example,
Lois Lane throws away something, and then literally 5 minutes later she rushes
to get it back again. And she’s in trouble, and she needs to be rescued, and
it’s repetitive. Lois Lane can play a small character, and that’s honestly fine
by us. You don’t need her in every scene. According to this story, she’s not
that important.
 |
| Zack Snyder: You're really not needed, but we'll make you as relevant as possible, because you're Lois Lane. |
Thinking about it, this feels more like a Batman movie than
a Superman movie.
Moral Dilemma of
Batman – The only thing missing about Batman’s character at this point is
his moral dilemma. I’m sure you all know it by now, but Batman does not kill
people. That stops him from being a criminal. In this movie, I’m sure he killed
at least a dozen.
WHAT? Why? I actually don’t get it! I mean, it gives a lot
to this Batman, and maybe they can have a scene where Alfred tells Bruce he’s
going too far with all the killing, but they never once have any confrontation
about the killings! It’s like natural! Something’s wrong with that, and the character
of Batman really loses from being one of the best Batman in cinema. When I
watched Batman kill people, I’m honestly a bit let-down by that.
Building up the DC Cinematic
Universe – I understand how this is the movie that starts the DC Cinematic
Universe. There’s a problem with that though.
Sidetracking from the movie’s main plot and time to develop
the world around the movie is just wasted potential. Filmmakers these days are
so determined to build up a universe for the next movie instead of making a
good movie now. That is what I believe Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has
been doing that suffers from all the negative criticism, and for that, I
actually I agree with a lot of people who watched this movie; it’s building up
the Justice League too much and forgot to make a good Batman V Superman movie.
That is also why the movie is 2 hours and a half, with sluggish and
occasionally rushed pacing and a terrible script.
Conclusion
I’m thankful that at least the good performances from the
newcomers of the DC Cinematic Universe, the brilliant cinematography and action
sequences didn’t waver my enjoyment from this movie. However, the script, Jesse
Eisenberg being really annoying, the missing moral dilemmas of Batman, and the
sidetracking from the movie’s plot and attempt to quickly build a good DC
Cinematic Universe, really gave me reasons why even blockbusters can be very
incoherent. If there’s a person in this world that wanted to love this movie,
it’s me. Count me in. However, I can’t be biased, and I’ll have to acknowledge
that this movie has noticeable flaws, and maybe flaws that filmmakers these
days can look out for in the future of the upcoming DC Movies.
The Pros – 5
Neutral – 2
The Cons – 5
Rating: RENT AWARD
(3/6)
I’ll see if Yanni wants to make a review on her own,
describing her personal opinions. Believe me, I wanted this movie to be good
and awesome and flawless. They screwed up big time with this movie. I’ll see in
the future if I can make the previous Batman and Superman Movies reviews (which
are loads better than this one, except for Batman & Robin) and a special
article about how to make Batman V Superman good, because I’ve been really
thinking about it, and there are some ways where Batman V Superman can be an
amazing movie. We’ll see if that can come up soon.
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