Finally comes time to find out. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice sets out to give fans answers to the question we’ve all wanted answered since the dawn of time. Does it succeed?
Note: this review is completely spoiler free. You’re safe.
Straight from the beginning, Batman v. Superman is a excellent piece of fan service, albeit a very slow one. Setting out to establish not only a movie’s backstory but also the backstory of an entire cinematic universe is no easy feat, and this shows during the first act of the film. This portion of the film very much drags quite a bit, although this very well could be simply because I already know much of the backstory they are trying to illustrate to us. It makes sense though that this portion of the movie would be sacrificed, as Batman is quite a big character and not having to waste an entire movie simply telling us who he is shows a great bit of foresight by DC.
It’s very apparent as the film progresses that DC realizes they have quite a bit of catching up to do in the movie space.
Aside from the slow first act, the movies pacing is stellar. Constantly interweaving three separate storylines – Batman’s, Superman’s, and Lex Luthor’s – let’s you piece together things as they happen instead of simply having to lay it out for you.
The fight scenes are excellently choreographed and Batman’s fighting feels new, different, yet much of the same – exactly what we wanted from Batman. Bruce Wayne is cocky, arrogant, and quite himself, while Batman is calculated, tactical, and very much the Bat we know and love.
Aside from just Batman, all of the acting is stellar and surprisingly believable. Henry Cavill’s Superman remains excellent, and watching him deal with his morality – or lack thereof – is a surprisingly super and certainly a step up from Man of Steel. Jeremy Iron’s take on Alfred is fresh new look to the typically old and run-down character we normally be portrayed and it’s certainly representative of DC’s stance on their new cinematic universe: fresh, new, and different.
Gal Gladot absolutely steals the show with her performance as Wonder Woman, and that’s coming from someone who had absolutely zero interest in the character beforehand. I’d be hard pressed to name a movie I’m more excited for than the upcoming Wonder Woman film.
Jesse Eisenberg was certainly someone people were worried about, but his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg Lex Luthor, Jr., is just as creepy as you want it to be, in a shockingly genius way. His psychopathic monologues and general aura of “I’m better than you,” makes him come across as the best type of asshole.
Musically, Batman v. Superman soars. The creative genius flowing between Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, peaking during some of the adrenaline filled fights towards the end of the movie. With the exception of Mad Max: Fury Road, I’m not normally one to pay great attention to a movies score, so it speaks volume to both Junkie XL and Dawn of Justice that it managed to grab my attention so notably.
Cinematographically, Batman v. Superman was a masterpiece. Editing was tight and the pacing of the second act was wonderful. The tenseness of the film was contrasted with beautiful sights and sweeping vistas that deserve to be seen in nothing less than the glory of IMAX.
It’s hard to speak about Batman v. Superman as much as I’d like to, simply because watching it at 10p.m. on a Monday night after driving over an hour isn’t the best way to watch a movie for review, and with the movie not releasing until Thursday and having not seen it as press there’s no real way for me to clarify anything. That being said, I still cannot recommend Batman v. Superman any higher. Not only is it an amazing superhero film, but it’s one of the best films of any genre i’ve ever seen.
If you had any doubt that DC was going to catch up to Marvel’s cinematic universe, dispel them now. This is a huge step towards closing the gap Marvel has had so long to build. If anything, this is DC’s way of telling Marvel to watch out.
Of course, if you don’t want to wait until Thursday, you can check out our absolutely spoiler-filled write up of all the big plot twists in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Must Watch. 9.5/10
If asked to compare to Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, I’ll say this: The Dark Knight was a series of movies about Batman villains in which Batman played the hero. This is a movie about Batman where the villains show up.
It’s worth clarifying that I did not see Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice as a member of the press. I watched it as a fan attending the “See it First” event that WB held for those who watched the IMAX trailer last year.
