“Batman vs Superman” Review
This article contains spoilers for “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Please refrain from reading further if you haven’t seen the film for yourself or simply don’t mind. I’d rather you judge of your own accord.
Batman and Superman have been bros since 1952 though they’ve appeared together well before that. Their relationship has been such that each of them even have a key to each other’s secret hideout – the ultimate show of bromance. This lasted until 1986 when Frank Miller’s “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” hit shelves and pitted an aged Dark Knight vs the Man of Steel. Much of this plot has been used in Zach Snyder’s new film, but we’ll get to that shortly. The scene was awesome and exciting and one fans had been dying to see for quite awhile. It was fan service at it’s finest.
Fan service is what “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice” is and, unfortunately, it’s not at its finest. The characters are wonderful. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill do an amazing job in their respective roles and the supporting actors support the film as well. Even the cameos from the rest of the Justice League members are wonderfully crafted. Here’s the disconnect from this journalist’s point-of-view though: it doesn’t flow. Between dream sequences and scenes that just don’t make sense to be in the film, Dawn of Justice feels like it was simply filmed to set up the next film and as service to the fans. And while the plot is true to comic canon, I found the pacing somewhat laughable. At times when a segue would serve to transition into a scene, such as when Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman receives footage from Bruce Wayne, it’s just not there. The scenes were good, but the transition and sudden, “Here we go!” attitude of said transition wasn’t.
Despite all of its flaws, however, it is still a good movie. If you’re a die-hard fan, you will love it even more. Despite my heart holding sacred Grant Gustin’s performance as The Flash on the CW as a pillar of how The Flash should be, Ezra Miller’s cameo as The Flash was probably my favorite part of the film. That smirk honestly had me fist-pump the air in a cheer that I had to bite my tongue to prevent letting escape and interrupting my fellow movie-goers’ experience.
As the box office numbers roll in, however, I sincerely hope that DC sees this as a chance to improve their films. David Goyer said in 2005, “‘Batman Vs. Superman’ is where you go when you admit to yourself that you’ve exhausted all possibilities,” Goyer continues, “It’s like ‘Frankenstein meets Wolfman’ or ‘Freddy vs. Jason.’ It’s somewhat of an admission that this franchise is on its last gasp.” David Goyer is credited for writing the movie Batman v Superman. He is also credited as writer and producer on Man of Steel, the three recent Batman movies, the Blade movies, the Constantine TV show as well as the upcoming Krypton TV series. It’s safe to say he knows what he’s talking about, but that begs the question: Is this franchise on its last gasp so early in its lifespan?
I certainly hope not because I love this comic-turned-movie world we’re living in.
Go. See the movie if you haven’t and answer that question for yourself.