Hello CBM!
I got to attend a pre-screening of BATMAN V SUPERMAN Last night for a special Dr. Pepper party. In addition, I got to speak with a Warner Brothers representative after the film was over to provide my thoughts and opinions. Below are my thoughts on the POSTIVE ASPECTS of the film. Part 2 of my review will dicuss the negatives!
PROS OF BATMAN V SUPERMAN
Batman
It’s been said many times in many reviews, but Ben Affleck truly shines as Bruce Wayne and Batman. He brings a true sense of weight and weariness as an older version of the character. You really feel like he’s been doing this a long time without him having to actually say it. His origin, while dealt with swiftly, is rather emotional, and really hones in on Martha Wayne as opposed to Thomas.Affleck’s Batman is exactly what we’ve been wanting…fast, shadowy, elusive, and absolutely punishing. But more on that later.
Lex Luthor
This is going to be a divisive issue in the film for sure, but I personally enjoyed Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex, for the most part. This Lex is younger than some wanted, and certainly a lot more eccentric than Lex might typically be, but it suited the direction of the film and it really felt like Lex to me. He carried an air of superiority about him, almost teetering right on the edge of a nervous insanity, and his speech to Superman on top of LexCorp tower was one of the highlights of the film for me. Unfortunately, his final conversation with Batman fell flat, as Jesse lets the insanity roll off a bit too heavy. All in all, this will not be a performance everyone will enjoy, but it surprised me in a very positive way.
Wonder Woman
To put it simply, I wish we saw more of her. Gal Gadot does a wonderful job with her minimal screen time, especially once she shows up in the final act to kick some ass. There’s not enough of her to write a detailed paragraph on, but needless to say, most will be anticipating the Wonder Woman solo film after this.
Visuals
Being a Zack Snyder film, this was expected, but the visuals are indeed stunning. Snyder’s flair and fandom are clearly present, and there are so many scenes that seem as they were ripped right off the pages of a comic book….and you haven’t seen them all in trailers.
Justice League setup
Despite the “Dawn of Justice” subtitle, this aspect of the film is not as forced as some might have you believe, and is also not as present as some might have you believe. It’s mostly limited to chatter about other metahumans, the video cameos of future Leaguers like Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg, and a brief chat between Batman and Wonder Woman at the film’s conclusion. We also get a quick scene of the Flash in-costume, but it’s not clear enough to make out, and Barry appears to be wearing a suit of armour over his Flash outfit. All in all it served to whet our appetite, and it did so without seeming overly-forced.
Stay tuned for part 2, where I will discuss the aspects that weighed the film down.