One of the most awaited films of 2016 will finally be released in the UK today, Friday 25th of March, which is why you can think of it as an Easter treat if you want to. Brought to us by Zack Snyder, the same man who directed Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice presents us with the same god like superhero, played by Henry Cavill, who this time has to defend himself against a very furious and well known man of the night – Batman, played by Ben Affleck.
For a shorter and straight forward opinion, together with the trailer, check out the vlog below:
The action of the film starts 2 years after Superman reveals himself to the world, however we get glimpses of the past every now and then which aim to give a bit of context and better underline what is it that motivates the characters. On one hand we have Clark Kent aka Superman who seems to be settling nicely in his new life with his girlfriend and colleague journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams). On the other side we have a very frustrated and angry Bruce Wayne aka Batman who seems unstoppable when it comes to punishing the one who took so much from him.
This boiling conflict is fuelled constantly by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) whose only purpose and life goal seems to be bringing the loved Superman down, by any means possible. And as villains tend to do, he doesn’t stop at just plotting and using high tech equipment to achieve his goal. No, he decides to breed an anti-superhero of his own. Using the remains of Zod, he brings Doomsday, a Kryptonian monster, to this world, so adding yet another challenge to the initial conflict.
Luckily for Batman and Superman, their friends are also around and willing to help. If Clark Kent has Lois constantly trying to help, Batman has his loyal, yet very straight forward as only a good friend or parent could be, Alfred (Jeremy Irons). Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) also makes a proper appearance eventually and comes to the aid of them both, working for the greater good as well. All that is left is for them is to fight those fights and see who will come on top.
When it comes to the cast, I can say that I truly believe they’ve done an amazing job. Henry Cavill, already attached in a way to the part, showed us a stronger version and also a vulnerable one. He is Superman and proves this over and over again. It’s the way he’s built, his attitude and the strong yet elegant movements he makes.
Ben Affleck presents us with a very different version of Batman, but clearly one that brakes boundaries in a good way. He is probably the most brutal and ferocious Batman we get to witness up to date. There was a lot of pressure and curiosity in regards to how he will settle in the role and I dare say he has owned it, raising the bar for any future actors who might play the superhero from our childhood. Also, him and Jeremy Irons as Alfred work very well together. There is this undertone of sarcasm between the two of them, more appropriate to the struggles Bruce Wayne seems be going through.
We only get to see Wonder Woman briefly as the story develops, but when she does appear, in a brand new costume, she shines. Gal Godot is quite a tall woman, which obviously helps, but she also has a confidence which someone like her character needs to get through and be taken seriously.
The overall villain, Lex Luthor, is portrayed almost in a scary way by Jesse Eisenberg. The lost look of madness, the loss of words mid-idea and the creepy laugh, all make Eisenberg an incredibly twisted character.
Visually speaking the film looks fabulous and that was expected as Snyder is well known for this aspect. The fighting scenes are very well filmed, from angles which allow you to feel part of their struggle. Plus, since we are talking fights, I have to add that the ones in this film are probably the best both superheroes have had up to this point.
There is however a big minus about this otherwise fun film and that is the way it’s written. The potential for a great story is right there, you can see glimpses of it at times, however, they weren’t cultivated properly, which causes confusion more than once. Also, because of some lines, the actors might deliver a few very stiff lines, which does annoy a bit as you have a very robotic feeling about it.
Ultimately, with pros and cons, Batman v Superman is an entertaining film. It might start a bit slow, but as the story develops it will get into the right speed and it becomes captivating. They eventually get down to business! The film manages to bring good characters to the table and to dazzle with its visual universe. It’s a battle of superheroes and seems to set the scenes for future DC Comics films. However, those will need a bit of improvement if they really want to take on Marvel.
