If you are a superhero movie or comic book fan, you will know that Batman v Superman is the sequel to Man of Steel. The popular opinion with this movie has been to disparage it-and from what I think, that’s a flawed point of view.
This movie was amazing, it did things that we as DC fans have been waiting for a long time.
DC is not Marvel and this movie emphasizes the distinction between the two franchises.
Batman v Superman is not for the faint hearted. It is not a movie that needs to be explained and if you as a fan are not up to date with all that is going on in the DC universe be it comic books or animations , then you need to catch up.
This movie does no hand-holding of the audience whatsoever, it throws you right into the action and expects you to catch up. It is not your typically light hearted ‘throw in some punchlines and push a lot of brands’ superhero movie. It explores the humanity of the characters, moreso their flaws.
Batman is played by Ben Affleck who was so aptly named Batfleck by the internet. His character is gritty, has no remorse and is quite frankly physically intimidating. Ben Affleck clearly put in the work(out) required in order for him to play this role with the presence and gravitas it required.
Superman is played by the ever gorgeous ripped Henry Cavill. Again this depiction of Superman is not what fans are used to and judging by the general public’s reaction they were not expecting this. Zack Snyder’s (the director) Superman is a tortured, almost broken character, who wants to do good but is constantly plagued by the pressure the role his superhuman powers have cast him into and the fact that no matter how much good he does in the world there will always be evil.
Another lovely character in this movie is Lex Luthor played by Jesse Eisenberg - a choice that did not amuse many fans, myself included. I will admit I am not a fan of his acting and thought the character that is Lex Luthor might be too big for him. But I was pleasantly surprised, his character’s motivation seems to be the seeking of knowledge (which can be admirable) but Lex seeks this knowledge at all costs and without considering or caring about consequence. If he has to kill a few people and destroy a few families on the way, so be it. Eisenberg is a formidable foe for Superman and plays off the two heroes in this movie quite diabolically, taking advantage of their weaknesses to fit his agenda.
Eisenberg plays a beleaguered Luthor, one who feels the weight of his family name and overshadowed by his father’s accomplishments. He is a clearly brilliant but equally disturbed character, who feels that only he can put Superman in his place, playing off Batman against Superman is just an added bonus.
A welcome but kind of expected surprise in this movie was of course Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot. Wonder Woman is a breath of warrior air in this movie, her musical score and how Gadot just so wholly embodies the character resonated deeply with a multitude of fans including me.
Wonder Woman comes into the scene and steals it, and makes you wonder if it should’ve just been her movies from the get go. Thankfully we are getting a full feature Wonder Woman movie soon.
This depiction of Batman is quite dark and takes many fans a back with the most shocking factor being that he makes use of firearms in this movie, this is not Nolan’s Batman he is not torn between being good and what it takes to accomplish good. Batfleck mentions it to Alfred in the movie, “We’re criminals, Alfred. We’ve always been criminals.”
There is no pretence with this Batman in order to defeat the criminals sometimes you need to get your hands dirty. He is past the point of ‘redemption’.
This depiction of Superman is a tortured one, having lost the last of his kind in the Man Of Steel, he is torn between saving the human race and letting them destroy each other.
If you noticed the movie is titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (not versus but v) Many fans expected an epic and earth shattering bout between the two heroes at the end of the day this wasn’t what the movie was about, but was just a taste of what’s to come from the Justice League.
*Honourable Mention
Jason Momoa’s cameo as Aquaman was cleverly done. Fans of Aquaman may finally be getting the live action film the character deserves especially after the character’s revival by DC Animation.
