Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons, Rebecca Buller, Amy Adams.
Director: Zack Snyder
Theatrical running time: 2hr 31min
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons, Rebecca Buller, Amy Adams.
Director: Zack Snyder
Theatrical running time: 2hr 31min
After 3 years of waiting, nerds and CBM lovers finally have BvS, the long-awaited if not, last-minute name-changed sequel to Man of Steel. Not just one universally recognised superhero icon, but 3 in the same picture with cameos sprinkled in for good measure, adding bang to your buck. But has it all paid off though...
It hasn't been an easy road for Dawn of Justice and the casting of Ben Affleck didn't ease the pain either (by now though, those idiots are begging for forgiveness or have gone into hiding). Man of Steel 2 was either being put on hold and awaiting George Miller from Mad Max fame or...hell, let's call BvS a sequel and introduce the Justice League! After all, Warner Bros/DC are sagging behind against Marvel, who have every right to be proud of the comic book universe they've created since Iron Man in 2008. Let us not forget that BvS has suffered immense backlash for THAT trailer which gave away too much about the villain and revealing the trinity of those darn Super Friends! It appeared WB had lost their nerve and wanted to show their movies aren't dark and can be funny (by that point, their marketing staff were hopefully fired). In the end, I've watched a movie that was dark, brutal and a mess.
The opening credits/scenes of BvS are just gorgeous, marred by the fact we have to be reminded again about Bruce Wayne, whose fate is quickly established after the death of his parents, recalled in flashback, as played (almost) in silence by Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, aka Maggie and Negan from The Walking Dead; which then segues into the destruction of Metropolis and Bruce Wayne witnessing the death of his many employers, who were collateral from Zod and Superman's fight. At this point it's clear that Bruce holds Supes accountable and vows to get vengeance; a parallel to America's actions after 911. So far, on point.
In the meantime, our good old farmer's boy from Kansas is somewhat of a lost soul and refusing to acknowledge he had nothing to to with the death of thousands of people. He's loved-up with Lois Lame (still horribly miscast in my opinion and maintain Malin Ackerman was the better choice). No fault of Cavill's but he has zero chemistry with Adams and seems the writers weren't sure what to do with them as a couple. I'm not convinced by their quickly-established romance and felt it should have been a more natural progression. Whilst it's not clear if Clark Kent is actually bonking Lane, he's been summoned to appear before a committee headed by Senator Finch (a welcome return by Hunter) to answer for his crimes. Unfortunately, the writing talents of Chris Terrio (overrated) and David Goyer just gets thrown out and that's part of the film's many problems.
Lex Luthor is introduced as a Steve Jobs on drugs with many annoying ticks and quirks, which made sense to cast the eccentric but talented Eisenberg. It's a unique take on such an iconic part, played best by Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville, and since I've had to watch BvS twice, I've grown to loathe (not love) Jesse's take. His evil motivations are unclear and at times diabolical, but will cause a divide with fans. He's not complex at all and just seems hellbent on being megalomaniacal. Worst. Villain. Ever.
Herein lies the problems that have beset BvS: We have a sequel to Man of Steel that also wants to be a Batman movie; or is going to be Wonder Woman taking over? I'll say this much, had Snyder been given free reign to make a standalone Batman film, it would be the best ever, but as this is a catalyst for the Justice League, I get why we're being treated like school kids who've done well in geek 1 on 1.
Should you go and see BvS? Yes and no. Ben Affleck IS the quintessential Bruce Wayne, a lady-loving louche with a penchant for being a detective and when those options run out, becomes the unapologetic Dark Knight whose appearance of hiding on ceilings and running across them is enough to give anyone the bat-shits! He is brutal, merciless and at long last, fans get the Batman they deserve, via the Arkham video game series. If the combat looks slow, it's in keeping with Wayne's 20 years of ass-kicking in Gotham, and as Alfred reminds Master Bruce: "Even you've got too old to die young, not for lack of trying!" The writers were fully invested in how their Batman would look and act (adding a bulletproof cowl is a nice touch) and evoking Year One imagery so blatantly. And don't get me started on Affleck's routines in the workout montage (guess that's where the nudity came into play with the MPPA!) Give Ben his solo Bat movie. Like today, this very minute. Jeremy Irons as Wayne's long suffering but loyal butler is a joy to behold and one forgets how his delivery of sarcastic put-downs at the expense of Bruce are a welcome addition to the film's darker themes.
The other voice of objection was the casting of Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Cries of "too skinny" and "can't act!" Which thespian hasn't had this torrent of abuse? Gadot has gracefully accepted being a supporting cast member for the Fast & Furious series and lesser known movies, and whilst WW isn't Shakespeare in the Park, why can't she be feminine and still kick some ass? Her rapport with Affleck is spot-on, at one time reminding Wayne what men are really like. Gal has definitely worked-out and it's clear her legs and delicate frame are thicker, even causing my friend to confirm who he thought she was, because: "She looked Amazonian". Job done, nice one. Gadot isn't in BvS for long but is subject to some iconic if at times, wobbly introductions of the JLA.
Adams just plods through the film and at times I wish Lois Lane would just STFU and die already (truly horrific casting). Margot Kidder nailed that part, as did Erica Durance but somehow, Adams lacks that sexy-meets-sassy the role deserves. God, Kate Bosworth was far better in Superman Returns which, if it hadn't been a love-letter to Richard Donner (thanks Bryan Singer!) might have played out differently for that character's future.
When Christopher Nolan made his Dark Knight trilogy, it appeared he was allowed to do what he wanted and re-established the look and appropriate tone for Batman. Yes, Chris gave us a more realistic hero and broke away from comic book conventions, in some ways, relieving the pressure for himself. Hack Snyder on the other hand, hasn't had it so easy and seems to be the boy who jumps when he's told to by Warner Bros. I'm skeptical he's made a 3-hour plus unrated cut for a future DVD/Blu-Ray release (Deadpool needs to rip this to shreds in his sequel), but feel the theatrical version's backlash from critics is well-deserved. The third act suffers in places and Doomsday reminds me of a Lord of the Rings reject; a newborn baby who balls too much and not at all scary (Christ, I've faced-off with worse bosses in Splinter Cell). When it comes to showdowns, Marvel may have a simplistic approach, but at least you can take a breath and enjoy; BvS has strange edits all over the place and its final set piece relied too much on CGI. Also, this is Batman v Superman and while that confrontation was almost worth the price of admission, it appears Bruce's quest for vengeance was forgotten about. If he was so pissed at Supes for his unintentional killing spree eighteen months earlier, why not just pursue him more? Look at the recent season of Daredevil and how often Punisher kicked and punched "Red" for getting in his way? That element was sorely missing here and whilst I'm not confused at the title, it seems that audiences are miffed and don't blame them.
BvS is far from perfect and whilst Superman isn't entirely forgettable (Cavill gets to play with some real emotions), things really come alive when Affleck and Gadot are on screen and are such perfect specimens on the IMAX in 70MM. But for the sake of this franchise, WB should just let Snyder go and find a fresh pair of glowing eyes. Civil War, your turn!
A non super-heroic: 5 out of 10
It hasn't been an easy road for Dawn of Justice and the casting of Ben Affleck didn't ease the pain either (by now though, those idiots are begging for forgiveness or have gone into hiding). Man of Steel 2 was either being put on hold and awaiting George Miller from Mad Max fame or...hell, let's call BvS a sequel and introduce the Justice League! After all, Warner Bros/DC are sagging behind against Marvel, who have every right to be proud of the comic book universe they've created since Iron Man in 2008. Let us not forget that BvS has suffered immense backlash for THAT trailer which gave away too much about the villain and revealing the trinity of those darn Super Friends! It appeared WB had lost their nerve and wanted to show their movies aren't dark and can be funny (by that point, their marketing staff were hopefully fired). In the end, I've watched a movie that was dark, brutal and a mess.
The opening credits/scenes of BvS are just gorgeous, marred by the fact we have to be reminded again about Bruce Wayne, whose fate is quickly established after the death of his parents, recalled in flashback, as played (almost) in silence by Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, aka Maggie and Negan from The Walking Dead; which then segues into the destruction of Metropolis and Bruce Wayne witnessing the death of his many employers, who were collateral from Zod and Superman's fight. At this point it's clear that Bruce holds Supes accountable and vows to get vengeance; a parallel to America's actions after 911. So far, on point.
In the meantime, our good old farmer's boy from Kansas is somewhat of a lost soul and refusing to acknowledge he had nothing to to with the death of thousands of people. He's loved-up with Lois Lame (still horribly miscast in my opinion and maintain Malin Ackerman was the better choice). No fault of Cavill's but he has zero chemistry with Adams and seems the writers weren't sure what to do with them as a couple. I'm not convinced by their quickly-established romance and felt it should have been a more natural progression. Whilst it's not clear if Clark Kent is actually bonking Lane, he's been summoned to appear before a committee headed by Senator Finch (a welcome return by Hunter) to answer for his crimes. Unfortunately, the writing talents of Chris Terrio (overrated) and David Goyer just gets thrown out and that's part of the film's many problems.
Lex Luthor is introduced as a Steve Jobs on drugs with many annoying ticks and quirks, which made sense to cast the eccentric but talented Eisenberg. It's a unique take on such an iconic part, played best by Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville, and since I've had to watch BvS twice, I've grown to loathe (not love) Jesse's take. His evil motivations are unclear and at times diabolical, but will cause a divide with fans. He's not complex at all and just seems hellbent on being megalomaniacal. Worst. Villain. Ever.
Herein lies the problems that have beset BvS: We have a sequel to Man of Steel that also wants to be a Batman movie; or is going to be Wonder Woman taking over? I'll say this much, had Snyder been given free reign to make a standalone Batman film, it would be the best ever, but as this is a catalyst for the Justice League, I get why we're being treated like school kids who've done well in geek 1 on 1.
Should you go and see BvS? Yes and no. Ben Affleck IS the quintessential Bruce Wayne, a lady-loving louche with a penchant for being a detective and when those options run out, becomes the unapologetic Dark Knight whose appearance of hiding on ceilings and running across them is enough to give anyone the bat-shits! He is brutal, merciless and at long last, fans get the Batman they deserve, via the Arkham video game series. If the combat looks slow, it's in keeping with Wayne's 20 years of ass-kicking in Gotham, and as Alfred reminds Master Bruce: "Even you've got too old to die young, not for lack of trying!" The writers were fully invested in how their Batman would look and act (adding a bulletproof cowl is a nice touch) and evoking Year One imagery so blatantly. And don't get me started on Affleck's routines in the workout montage (guess that's where the nudity came into play with the MPPA!) Give Ben his solo Bat movie. Like today, this very minute. Jeremy Irons as Wayne's long suffering but loyal butler is a joy to behold and one forgets how his delivery of sarcastic put-downs at the expense of Bruce are a welcome addition to the film's darker themes.
The other voice of objection was the casting of Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Cries of "too skinny" and "can't act!" Which thespian hasn't had this torrent of abuse? Gadot has gracefully accepted being a supporting cast member for the Fast & Furious series and lesser known movies, and whilst WW isn't Shakespeare in the Park, why can't she be feminine and still kick some ass? Her rapport with Affleck is spot-on, at one time reminding Wayne what men are really like. Gal has definitely worked-out and it's clear her legs and delicate frame are thicker, even causing my friend to confirm who he thought she was, because: "She looked Amazonian". Job done, nice one. Gadot isn't in BvS for long but is subject to some iconic if at times, wobbly introductions of the JLA.
Adams just plods through the film and at times I wish Lois Lane would just STFU and die already (truly horrific casting). Margot Kidder nailed that part, as did Erica Durance but somehow, Adams lacks that sexy-meets-sassy the role deserves. God, Kate Bosworth was far better in Superman Returns which, if it hadn't been a love-letter to Richard Donner (thanks Bryan Singer!) might have played out differently for that character's future.
When Christopher Nolan made his Dark Knight trilogy, it appeared he was allowed to do what he wanted and re-established the look and appropriate tone for Batman. Yes, Chris gave us a more realistic hero and broke away from comic book conventions, in some ways, relieving the pressure for himself. Hack Snyder on the other hand, hasn't had it so easy and seems to be the boy who jumps when he's told to by Warner Bros. I'm skeptical he's made a 3-hour plus unrated cut for a future DVD/Blu-Ray release (Deadpool needs to rip this to shreds in his sequel), but feel the theatrical version's backlash from critics is well-deserved. The third act suffers in places and Doomsday reminds me of a Lord of the Rings reject; a newborn baby who balls too much and not at all scary (Christ, I've faced-off with worse bosses in Splinter Cell). When it comes to showdowns, Marvel may have a simplistic approach, but at least you can take a breath and enjoy; BvS has strange edits all over the place and its final set piece relied too much on CGI. Also, this is Batman v Superman and while that confrontation was almost worth the price of admission, it appears Bruce's quest for vengeance was forgotten about. If he was so pissed at Supes for his unintentional killing spree eighteen months earlier, why not just pursue him more? Look at the recent season of Daredevil and how often Punisher kicked and punched "Red" for getting in his way? That element was sorely missing here and whilst I'm not confused at the title, it seems that audiences are miffed and don't blame them.
BvS is far from perfect and whilst Superman isn't entirely forgettable (Cavill gets to play with some real emotions), things really come alive when Affleck and Gadot are on screen and are such perfect specimens on the IMAX in 70MM. But for the sake of this franchise, WB should just let Snyder go and find a fresh pair of glowing eyes. Civil War, your turn!
A non super-heroic: 5 out of 10
