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    Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I was determined to see “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” again before it left the theatre. I’d heard some arguments for it, many against it and on top of that I was afraid that my familiarity and affinity for the characters might have given me an unfair bias towards the film. My conclusion? It’s not a great movie. It’s not terrible either. It’s too long, some elements are out of place and the ending is contrived, I’d even go so far as to say bad. On the upside, the action is exciting, there are great visuals and it’s an interesting story.

    Set eighteen months after Superman’s arrival in “Man of Steel”, the world has changed dramatically. Superman (Henry Cavill) is seen as a saviour to some, an imminent threat to others. Billionaire Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), who has been operating in Gotham City under the guise of costumed vigilante Batman, is particularly suspicious after witnessing first hand the destruction Superman’s powers can cause. Mad scientist and genius Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) proceeds to manipulate the two heroes against each other in order to destroy Superman.

    Let’s start with the flaws. This film is way too long. The bloated running time is due to the fact that there’s so much to set up. Sure Superman got his own movie, but he didn’t get to be the hero we know and love for much of it so plenty of time is spent fleshing him out here. Then there’s an introduction for Batman, for Lex Luthor and for many others. Plus a bunch of hallucinations/dream sequences thrown in (I would’ve cut some of those) Then the players need a plot and this one contains several mysteries, meaning they need extra time to be fully explored. This film could’ve easily been two movies if Batman had been given a villain to fight.

    When I say that there are elements that are out of place, I mean that there’s a key character that doesn’t belong. His name is Lex Luthor. This is a serious film. Way too serious. There’s talk of property damage, thousands dead, acts of terrorism, god complexes, post-traumatic stress and all of a sudden this character shows up. A barely functional eccentric who toys around with technology like he’s a modern-day doctor Frankenstein… except at least Mary Shelley’s creation had a clear and logical objective. This guy’s just nuts and his plans seem pretty half-baked for a so-called genius.

    That brings us to the worst part of this film, which is the title: “Batman v Superman”. The problem is that there’s not really a good reason for these two heroes to fight. To me, I feel like it’s not years of resentment or conflicting ideals that has pushed these two into an arena of death like in say… “The Dark Knight Returns”, a graphic novel this film takes a lot of its cues from. Really, it’s a big misunderstanding that Lex Luthor has manipulated and twisted. If these guys could just sit down and talk, they’d settle this business really quickly. It would’ve avoided some truly baffling developments towards the end of the film, decisions made both by the characters AND the director that should’ve been nixed.

    In it’s defense, “BvS” is not a smart movie, but it sure is cool to see. The special effects are awesome and when we get to see combat sequences, it’s terrific. Combine that with action that’s well shot and choreographed and a great performance by Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne and you’re invested in the movie. Sure, the ending is a mess but it’s watchable and everything that came before it is well done. I like the characters introduced and all of that setup for “Justice League” sometime in the near future? It’s got me downright giddy. “Man of Steel” had flaws but those flaws were addressed and put to rest with this film (although Jonathan Kent is still a huge jerk) a sequel could tidy up this franchise easily.

     Spoiler alert - click to reveal textI can’t talk about this film a second time and not mention Wonder Woman. Every second she’s on screen is delicious. If you’re like me and you love this character, one that’s been misunderstood and underused far too much, this is a dream come true. You get a sense of who she is both in and out of combat, they show off her powers, the casting of Gal Gadot as the Amazon Princess is spot-on. They give you a taste but leave plenty for her breakout movie. That’s the case for several of these characters (including Batman) so if you’re excited for a cinematic DC Universe, you’ll love that aspect.

    “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is not a great film, but it’s an enjoyable one. There’s more good than bad in it, at least I think so. Am I disappointed with it? Sometimes. I mean when it’s not even the best “Superheroes vs. Superheroes” movie of 2016, that’s a big letdown. Nonetheless, I think if you’re interested in the movie, you’ll have a good time. I’ve seen it twice now, just to be sure that I wasn’t blinded by enthusiasm and I feel that a 3/5 rating for this picture is fair. (Theatrical version on the big screen, May 24, 2016)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  25.5.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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