Who will win?
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, produced by DC Entertainment, RatPac Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Cruel and Unusual Films, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is based on various DC comics. It stars Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill. The film was not nominated for any Academy Awards. This is the second film in the DC Extended Universe. It acts as a sequel to Man of Steel and is followed by Justice League.
"Devils don't come from hell beneath us. No, no, they come from the sky." -Lex Luthor
Plot
Two years after the destructive battle between Superman and General Zod, much of the world is feeling powerless and hopeless with Superman reigning over the world. Among these is Bruce Wayne, who is also the vigilante superhero Batman. After more colossal events lead to people dying, Batman decides that Superman is a threat, leading to an epic battle between two incredibly powerful heroes. Unbeknownst to the Kryptonian and Bat, Lex Luthor plans on launching his own evil plot against humanity.
Positive Aspects
The first thing that I have here is the Justice League setup. I thought that, while a lot of this movie was a mess, it worked very well as a setup for the Justice League. I thought that they wrote Wonder Woman into the script very nicely and they used the meta-human subplot in a clever way.
I also thought that some of the elements of the story were good. Lex Luthor's plan in the desert and with the wheelchair bomb are kind of cool. I thought that, as a character, he was a good villain. He was pure evil and kind of annoying, but his villainous plans were fun and cool.
I thought that some of the action in the film was cool. The warehouse fight between Luthor's henchmen and Batman was very cool. I also thought that some of the fight between Batman and Superman was interesting, with Batman using a lot of Kryptonite to try to fight off Superman. I also liked that Superman was clearly becoming angrier throughout the fight. Now, the ending of the fight is horrible, but I'll touch on that later.
The flash-forward scene with the Darkseid and Injustice tease was fun. I don't know if there's a plan for an Injustice movie, but I would love to see that. I also think that the Darkseid references are obvious, because his one of the main Justice League villains, but that doesn't make it any less exciting.
The final thing is the supporting cast. Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter are all good as the side characters. They all give performances that fit their characters, with the exception of Jesse Eisenberg. I think that his Lex Luthor is a different, weirder take on the character and I dug it. Gal Gadot isn't in a ton of it, but her performance is just really a tease for Wonder Woman. Amy Adams is good as Lois. She does an amazing job of feeling conflicted because Superman's first priority is her. Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter don't have big parts, but they are good. Jeremy Irons is a funnier Alfred then we've seen before, and Holly Hunter has a very good scene in the hearing with Superman.
Negative Aspects
The first thing is the script. The script is an absolute mess. There is no secure plot and it is filled with random dream sequences, flashbacks, futuristic setups and cameos, making the movie incredibly, incredibly confusing at certain points. The setup for Batman fighting Superman doesn't really make much sense, and I think that they tried to force their own version of Captain America: Civil War.
And, oh god, do not get me started on the "Save Martha" scene. I have seen a lot of movies with a lot of stupid things in them, but this is literally the dumbest thing that I have ever seen in any film. David S. Goyer, who wrote The Dark Knight, which is an incredibly written film, did this. It is cringy, stupid, and very lazy. It makes the end of a good fight just absolutely horrific.
I think that Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck are not fantastic in this film. They are emotionless and boring, showing nothing except some worry on their face. Superman isn't supposed to be this lifeless, dark, bad version that he is in this film. He is a symbol of hope and truth. He gives people a reason to live. I don't get any of that from this iteration of the Man of Steel. Batman has always been darker and more violent, but he doesn't brand people. The Bat Armor looks ridiculous, and Ben Affleck doesn't give Bruce Wayne any good personality traits. He is also lifeless and bad, which I don't want to see from one of my favorite superheroes.
This film also can't really decide what it wants to be. Is it a sequel to Man of Steel? Is it a Justice League setup movie? Do they want to introduce Wonder Woman? Do they want to establish Batman? Are they teasing Darkseid? Are they teasing Injustice? Are they setting up the Legion of Doom? There is way too much that is done in this film. They should've made two movies; a clear Man of Steel sequel and a clear Justice League setup film.
This movie is too dark. Both literally and figuratively. The actual visuals are a little bit too dark, but they made everybody in the movie sad, brooding, and upset. It wasn't fun to watch characters in a superhero movie be constantly negative and that dark, especially the man who is supposed to be the symbol of hope and hapiness.
Final Score
Despite being a good setup for the future of the DCEU and some good action, this movie has a very bad script, two meh leads, and turns Batman and Superman into these ugly characters that they aren't supposed to be.
I will give it a Sour rating. Age range is 13+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great)
Savory (Good)
Sour (Bad)
Moldy (Terrible)
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
Fun Factor: 3.5/10
Acting: 6.5/10
Story: 5/10
Characters: 3.5/10
Quality: 5/10
WHERE TO WATCH
HBO Max: Available with subscription
Amazon Prime Video: Available for rent
Apple TV+: Available for rent
Directed by Zack Snyder
Released on March 25, 2016
Rated PG-13 for superhero violence and action, scary images, disturbing themes
2 hours and 32 minutes
Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
Amy Adams as Lois Lane
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
Diane Lane as Martha Kent
Laurence Fishburne as Perry White
Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
Holly Hunter as Senator June Finch
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