Batman Vs Superman Review

Back in 2013, Zack Snyder's Superman reboot Man Of Steel stirred up plenty of controversy with its gritty, dour take on one of the worlds most beloved superheros. The film's version of the man from Krypton, as played by Henry Cavill, is noble and powerful, but removed from the people he's protecting. He struggles with the memory of his adoptive father Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), who advises him to hide his abilities, then chooses to die rather than let Superman publicly save him. Snyder's Superman is haunted by his own powers, while simultaneously blind to the harm those powers cause. That comes to a head when he fights fellow Kryptonian General Zod (Michael Shannon) in the middle of downtown Metropolis, destroying half the city and undoubtedly killing untold numbers of civilians. And ultimately, to some fans' horror, he kills Zod to prevent him from doing further harm...

The Sequel Batman Vs Superman opens with a graphic and horrifying sequence showing the Superman/Zod fight from a ground's-eye view, confirming all the collateral terror it caused. But i cant help but feel Snyder has simply taken his criticism from Man of Steel and has instead doubled down on the grimness, the ugliness, and the indifference to human life. 

The script channels its Man Of Steel reactions through bratty rich kid Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) and sullen rich man Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), a.k.a. Batman, both of whom resent Superman's failures, envy his power, and fear his potential for destruction. It's unsettling how closely the supposed hero and the villain resemble each other in their thinking and their actions: Both decide that the only solution is to humble Superman, break his will, and then kill him. Meanwhile, the American government also reacts to the events of Man Of Steel, with memorials, hearings, and back-door deals with Lex. And as Superman continues to save lives, and to be blamed when lives are lost around him, both the public controversy and the private vendettas get more heated.

There are plenty of strong, specific themes running through Batman v Superman, about the responsibilities of power, who can be trusted with it, and whether it corrupts absolutely. Both titular heroes must resist a system that would tie their hands and end their usefulness, in the name of making everyone equal. 

One of the looser ends is Lex Luthor, Eisenberg plays as a manic, lighter version of Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, all nervy autistic tendencies, alarming tittering, and nihilistic challenges to the world. This Lex lacks the Joker's sense of menace, or even focus; his sneakers, shaggy hair, and squeaky voice are overtly non-threatening, even when he's in the middle of a threat. 
At the same time, he's meant to be a brilliant manipulator, Lex likes forcing other people into conflict to make his philosophical points. But the writers can't seem to settle on a motive or a method for him. Every scene feels like a roulette-wheel spin to decide which Lex we'll get: malicious or noble, power-hungry or anarchic, selfish or altruistic, xenophobically fearing Superman or desperately envying him. A far cry from the Lex that most people associate with. A mis-cast in my opinion. 

The film's Batman goes in the opposite direction. As Batman, he's a sadistic savage who tortures criminals by branding his bat symbol into their skins, and has no compunctions about mowing down adversaries en masse with high-powered artillery fire. The world's concerns over Superman are largely irrational responses to something they don't understand and can't control. Superman's concern over Batman, on the other hand, is a reasonable response to a psychopath with an endless supply of weaponry and rage.This is actually a great set-up with most people genuinely split down the middle on which side they support. I for one, am a big fan of the fresh approach Affleck has brought to the role, this has always been a dark saga from the outset. Why not make batman, the darkest, the most bad-ass version to date. I mean at some point in the future, this Batman is gonna have to go toe to toe with some of DC's most powerful villains. 

The frustrating thing about Gun-Wielding Torture Batman is that he's a match for Superman in combat, but no where else. Batman's strength has traditionally been his intellect, but here, he leaves the detective work to Lois, blunders into a broad and obvious trap, and lets himself be manipulated in clumsy ways. 

There are certainly some brilliant plot touches in the film, like the outcome of a Senate hearing on the Superman violence, which both brings morality and what it means to be a hero on that kind of scale. Or when Superman faces an enemy more powerful than Zod, and starts by taking him straight up into space, proving he actually did learn something from his final Man Of Steel battle. The film is largely humourless and airless, without any of the banter that has made so many of the recent Marvel-derived movies compelling. Once in a while, Batman v Superman makes a direct, clear, straightforward choice, and the results can be satisfying.

But the most satisfying part of the film is the one that expresses all the things it isn't, and should have been. When Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), finally turns up, abruptly and without back story, she becomes the film's highlight simply by being less miserable and morally compromised than anyone else onscreen. She, at least, maintains some mystery and dignity. And she's allowed to be the film's one pure hero, fighting solely on humanity's behalf, without questioning whether humanity is worthy, or how the fight might change her, or how it serves her own pathological needs. In a movie where too much of the conflict comes from anger and ignorance instead of necessity, she apparently has the wisdom and discernment everyone else is lacking: she only shows up for the battle that actually needs to be fought. Batman v Superman could have used much more of that heroism, and less of its grasping, sloppy, confused attempts to question what being a hero really means. 

Marvel 1: DC 0 

Overall Rating 7.5/10