As a fan of both DC and Marvel, the review seen before you comes from the most unbiased standpoint I can possibly take of not only I, a fan of both the current DC and Marvel movies, but the comics as well (from both publishers) due to this , I believe, I’ve granted myself an insight that many reviewers don’t seem to have.
That aside, the review below will CONTAIN SPOILERS for Batman v. Superman and, hopefully, will either convince you to see the movie, or potentially sway the opinion you currently hold of the movie. As aforesaid, I’ll be doing my best to remain unbiased – something numerous reviews ,more specifically the misguided few on Rotten Tomatoes, seem to struggle with (as they compare Batman v. Superman to Marvel movies time and time again).
Ever so surprisingly, Batman v. Superman currently holds a 31% (as of writing this) on Rotten Tomatoes and, in the “Age of Marvel Movies”, I honestly can’t say I’m surprised. Spectacular movies such as Man of Steel are constantly scrutinized for having a darker tone and more polarizing theme than the “typical” Marvel comic book film, and this is a notion I personally detest (Man of Steel holds a 56% of RT). Does this mean the movie is even remotely bad? I’d say it doesn’t, as Josh Wilding of ComicBookMovie stated:
To judge a movie by a picture of a tomato is madness, especially when there are many terrible movies which have been certified “Fresh” and several great ones left with a “Rotten” score. Now, there’s no denying that the percentage awarded to Batman v Superman could be perceived as an indication of its quality, but this feels like one of those movies the vast majority of critics never truly wanted to like and have since delighted in tearing apart as viciously as possible.
While may reviewers have provided some actual insight into what they feel didn’t work in the movie, most seem content with dismissing it because it’s not as humorous as a Marvel movie or the fact that it’s ultimately a love letter to DC Comics fans which doesn’t hold their hands the entire time by spelling out every little nuance to them. Regardless, while I can understand why the reviews may have put you off checking out Batman v Superman this weekend, I’m here to tell you that would be a huge mistake. Why though should you ignore the critics? Well, allow me to explain why this is a must-see movie…
Moreover, both Marvel and DC are spectacular publishing companies, and their movies are no different. While Marvel has capitalized on the comedic aspect of their movies, DC has chosen to go down a darker – yet still story and character driven – path; just as Marvel comics should not be compared to DC comics, Marvel movies should not be compared to DC movies (a notion Rotten Tomatoes reviewers don’t seem to understand). It is due to the notion that Marvel and DC have similar, comparable, films that review-bias is born, and unfortunately, Batman v. Superman has suffered from very serious review bias. I’ve taken the time to read [a great deal] most of the negative reviews of the movie that have been published, and while I see where some (the few that present valid, unbiased claims) of the reviewers are coming from (they present valid, unbiased claims), however many of the reviews claim that Batman v. Superman’s shortcomings are essentially due to lack of similarity to Marvel films (i.e. too dark, not enough comedic relief, etc.).
Ironically, one of the many critiques the movie has received is that Batman v. Superman – seemingly in comparison to Marvel’s films – falls short in the amount of fun it brings. Is the film Marvel-level packed full of jokes? Certainly not! But that doesn’t detract from the fact that the movie certainly has it’s gags, one liners, and fun relationships (i.e. Bruce and Alfred’s relationship, Lex Luthor’s public facade, Batman and Superman’s “I thought she was with you”, etc.) But I think it’s ludicrous to think that all movies, or more specifically comic book movies, need to be brimming with jokes.
Lastly – and I promise this is the end to a rant – CBM user said it best (and I then paraphrased it slightly…):
Excellent movie. Affleck was ridiculously great. To be fair to the critics, if I didn’t know what a Motherbox was, or who KGBeast was …or didn’t read The Dark Knight Returns, Death of Superman, Flashpoint, Justice League [Darkseid] War….I might not have enjoyed it to its fullest, but I would have enjoyed it none-the-less.
Moving on from an ever-so-slight rant, please enjoy the review below (I definitely suggest checkout out some of the hyperlinked images!):
THE PLOT
Batman v. Superman opens with what has to be the greatest take on the Thomas and Martha Wayne’s death’s that has ever graced the big screen. Not only are the deaths beautiful executed, but the construction of the sequence stays integral to the rest of the film and the death themselves are meaningful; Thomas dies because his pride as a father refuses to let the offender hurt his family/prompts him to protect his family. Thomas Wayne’s last word of “Martha” rings loud, echoing throughout the rest of the film. The construction of the following scene, which showcases Bruce being lifted to the skies by bats, as a pseudo-dream/nightmare also helps to establish that this movie, the “Dawn of Justice” will (and it stays true to it’s promise) establish the beginnings of the Justice League, whether it be in real time, or through more pseudo-nightmares.
Following this scene, the movie takes an even more interesting turn as it shows Bruce Wayne’s point of view of the events that occurred in Metropolis (Man of Steel) 18 months prior to the events of Batman v. Superman. It was at this moment that the crowd clapped, the crowd was excited for this new and true take on Batman; as Bruce Wayne ran into the rubble of Wayne Tower – a scene featured in trailers – the tone was set, and Bruce Wayne’s anti-Superman motivations were immediately both understandable andevident.
From this point we’re taken to the desert, one of the weaker scenes of the movie, in which we see Jimmy Olsen killed (more on this below), and Lois Lane saved by Superman, who seemingly kills the one man holding her, Lois, hostage and no one else [Let’s clarify this is the only death Superman may have ’caused’ in the real world].
The movie then switches back to our first and brief look at Ben Affleck’s Batman, the movie does an excellent, albeit slow, job of building up the two characters beliefs, ideals, and the true difference in the pursuit of justice each character takes. In particular, the aforementioned scene establishes Batman’s new “bat brand of justice”, a mark that indicates that putting criminals in jail isn’t punishment enough criminals in jail should be punished; I’ll touch on this below, but this Batman is broken.
The movie’s interesting – but slow – first act culminates with the incredible introduction of Gal Gadot’s elusive (and screen stealing) Diana Prince, whose chemistry with Ben Affleck isn’t exactly “romantic”, per say, but certainly interesting and existent.
“Batman v. Superman” aside, director Zack Snyder proves that this movie truly is “[The] Dawn of Justice” as it sets up, almost perfectly, future DC-based films. Many fans nervous of the film’s potential “overcrowding” of heroes will be pleased to hear that each character, with exception to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, is cameoed in the perfect amount; not too much that it feels like they’re roles are lacking, but just enough to keep comic fans, and the general audience alike, excited for the future of the D.C. Expanded Universe.
Briefly fast forwarding to the title fight of the movie, Batman fighting Superman, the motivations for the fight between the heroes are done well enough, with one of my few gripes being the “damsel in distress” situation that leads to the two heroes exchange blows, but even then the somewhat cliched story plays to the films advantage as it illustrates just how decisive and brilliant Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor truly is. Some reviews have been as bold as to claim that the fight was a small portion of the movie that wasn’t worth waiting for and, dare I say, those reviews lack perspective and are flat out wrong. Snyder’s unique and intense cinematographic vision comes into play, the battle between The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel is not only visually spectacular to watch, but the entire experience wouldn’t even be done justice if described as “amazing”. The movie also, quite quickly, clears any premature thoughts that the trailers gave away “too much” as the sea of well-worked and well-written twists and turns reveal Batman v. Superman is much more complex, in a good way, than the trailers reveal. As for my aforementioned gripe, the damsel in distress, Snyder even manages to make the mere thought of “saving Martha” (what pulls Batman out of his “kill Superman” rant) a spectacle to watch; making the scene both heartfelt, raw, emotional and tying it into the beginning of the movie.
For those unconvinced by the concept of a mere name, Martha, pulling Batman out of his ‘trance’, it does stand to reason that Bruce – previous – states that Clark “brought the war to us“, and it’s a common comic book theme (see Captain America) that it can take only one person to change the tide of a war and in Batman v. Superman – although in more of a figurative sense – that one person is Martha Kent. In fact, the figurative sense takes an almost euphoric tone when Batman promises that THIS Martha will not die. Batman’s promise soon evolves into what has to be the best fight scene of the movie (the one featured in the trailers where Alfred drops Bruce on the second floor of a building) and this scene, above all, displays Batman’s newfound realization of his previous brutality. Yes, Batman is still brutal, but he’s no longer blinded by a potential rage.
Despite uniting as allies, Batman and Superman soon split as Batman (as stated above) goes to save Martha Kent and Superman confronts Lex Luthor and his newly born creation, Doomsday. A fight between the Man of Steel and Doomsday soon follows with Clark desperately trying to take the fight and the creature off world; allowing for a scene very similar to The Dark Knight Returns in which both Superman and Doomsday are struck by a nuclear blast; Superman is presumed dead and Doomsday falls back to Earth (evolving for the first time). Soon it becomes evident that Superman – as he is in TDKR – is merely in need of a recharge as his lifeless form is soon regenerated by the direct rays of the sun.
The Trinity soon unites too take down Doomsday, prompting a scene that reviewers have called “more destruction p*rn”, but those who actually listened and watched would certainly disagree with. Not only do Batman and Superman actively attempt to bring the monster that is Doomsday to unpopulated areas, but the movie itself takes – yet again – another realistic view on the destruction these types of events would cause. Movies such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Captain America: The Winter Solider, while good, don’t truly take a realistic point of view of the destruction the conflicts within each movie would cause. Age of Ultron featured an entirecity being dropped from the sky, it simply wasn’t highlighted.
Proving that the movie is willing to take risks Zack Snyder chose to complete his adaptation of the Death of Superman storyline in, not only killing Doomsday, but ‘killing’ Superman as well. As aforesaid the sequence harkens back to the Dark of Supermanstoryline, but the final shot of the film speaks to how ambiguous the death truly is. ScreenRant best described the death as follows:
Like the “Death of Superman,” a funeral is held for Superman; however, Snyder takes the idea one step further – with humanity mourning the Man of Steel in different ways. The people of Metropolis gather for a candlelight vigil at Superman’s monument in the city, the U.S army buries an empty black and silver casket (bearing a striking resemblance to the Man of Steel’s rebirth suit in “The Death of Superman”) in Arlington Cemetery, while Clark Kent’s friends and family gather for a funeral procession and bury Superman/Clark Kent’s body in a plain pine casket in Smallville Cemetery (next to his adopted father, Johnathan Kent).
As Lois Lane says her goodbye, with Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince watching from afar, she throws a hand full of dirt on the casket – and walks away. Moments later, the dirt begins to rattle and levitate, just like the ice particles that surround Superman’s fist prior to his first flight in Man of Steel. In certain versions of the Superman mythology, levitation of surrounding objects is explained as a byproduct of the Man of Steel’s bioelectric aura (more on that in our breakdown of Superman’s powers) which can manipulate the effect of gravitational forces in the hero’s near-vicinity. That’s all to say, the presence of gravitational anomalies means that Superman is not dead – he’s just in a hibernation state (until his body can fully repair itself). After all, there’s only thing that actually tells the audience that Superman is dead: Batman, Wonder Woman, and Lois Lane’s assumption that Superman is dead.
Following the climatic battle a series of (almost) concurrent montage shots establish that Superman is indeed dead as is Clark Kentand that Lex Luthor is in jail and is spared the “bat brand of justice”.Interesting the movie seems to imply two things from this point onward; the first, that Darkseid – or some higher power – is coming, as Lex refers to the coming of “he” and “him” after he refers to other un-Earthly beings. The second thing implied is that even if Superman were to return – which he likely will – that Clark Kent is dead and that the public knows full well of his double life. While this second thing may be a minor gripe for some movie goers, it truly shows Snyder’s deeper understanding for the character’s true philosophy, that Superman is Clark Kent’s secret identity and notthe other way around.
Josh Wilding of ComicBookMovie said it best, “This is why That’s what Batman v Superman ultimately is; a movie made by a comic book fan for comic book fans.”, the general audience should and will enjoy the movie, but this movie speaks to comic book fans above all.
THE CHARACTERS
HENRY CAVILL’S CLARK KENT AKA SUPERMAN (CAVILLMAN)
The Character: The world needs to accept that the days of Christopher Reeve’s Superman are long gone; Superman and the world have evolved, something that Henry Cavill and Zack Snyder clearly understand, but a notion many moviegoers seems to forget. Cavill has been called wooden, bland, and numerous names as his performances in both Man of Steel and BvS are described. To say that Zack Snyder doesn’t understand Superman is a statement I find more than mind-blowing, Batman v. Superman perfectly displays the true struggle of Superman’s want to be accepted by humanity and the potential tolls it takes on him when he isn’t. Cavill’s performance is, while not the best of the film, certainly amazing in it’s own unique way. He, Cavill, brings a unique and almost loving perspective to the roll of an outsider, the roll of Superman.
UPDATE: Here is a comment I posted in reply to someone defending Superman's portrayal in the film:
Couldn't agree more with this comment. The fact that people claim Snyder "doesn't know Superman" baffles me. The claim that Superman is a "boyscout" is a draw used by DC to bring in viewers looking for a comic book that is SLIGHTLY more light-hearted that Batman, Justice League, etc.: he hasn't been a fluffy-boyscout in probably 40+ years...
That said, Superman isn't really a boyscout at his core, Superman's struggle is being a GOD among men and how he deals with being said god.
That's why Superman is the secret identity and Clark Kent is the facade, not the other way around. Anyone who has read Superman comic (since the 80's, even before) knows that Superman is SO much more complex - as SNYDER portrays him - than the all-smilies, all happiness guy portrayed in the Reeve movies.
Point Being: Superman is MUCH more complex.
The Costume: While only minor changes were made between the Batman v. Superman and Man of Steel costume’s I’d certainly say they were for the better; the smaller “S” is clearly the standout change as it’s new lower location on the suit and smaller design truly just make the chest area “pop”. Furthermore, the claims that the movie (and it’s predecessor) are devoid of color are a littleludicrous, but I’d certainly agree that Superman’s costume could use more color (not in the sense that the saturation needs to be upped in the movie, in the sense that there’s too much blue). Regardless, there’s a chance Batman v. Superman is the last time we see this iteration of the Superman suit and that Superman will don a new red and blue suit in Justice League: Part One as well as his black and silver solar suit (as I discuss below).
BEN AFFLECK’S BRUCE WAYNE AKA BATMAN (THE BATFLECK)
The Character: While I was never a fan of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films as Batman films, I did enjoy them as action movies and I could understand why some fans, unfamiliar with Batman, could enjoy them as Batman films. That said, Zack Snyder’s Batman should whip the notion of Nolan’s Batman out of the minds of the audience; not only does Ben Affleck give a spectacular performance as the character, but he’s the first actor to every truly embody both Bruce Wayne and Batman.
This movie does give us a Batman who kills, another theme pulled from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and something Snyder has already justified in the claim below:
“I tried to do it in a technical way. There’s a great YouTube video that shows all the kills in the Christopher Nolan movies even though we would perceive them as movies where he doesn’t kill anyone. I think there’s 42 potential kills that Batman does! Also, it goes back and includes even the Tim Burton Batman movies where this reputation as a guy that doesn’t kill comes from.
So, I tried to do it by proxy. Shoot the car they’re in, the car blows up or the grenade would go off in the guy’s hand, or when he shoots the tank and the guy pretty much lights the tank [himself]. I perceive it as him not killing directly, but if the bad guy’s are associated with a thing that happens to blow up, he would say that that’s not really my problem.
A little more like manslaughter than murder, although I would say that in the Frank Miller comic book that I reference, he kills all the time. There’s a scene from the graphic novel where he busts through a wall, takes the guy’s machine gun… I took that little vignette from a scene in The Dark Knight Returns, and at the end of that, he shoots the guy right between the eyes with the machine gun. One shot. Of course, I went to the gas tank, and all of the guys I work with were like, ‘You’ve gotta shoot him in the head’ because they’re all comic book dorks, and I was like, ‘I’m not gonna be the guy that does that!’”
While this might not be enough justification for some general audience members for seeing their favorite night-bound vigilante kill, it should be noted that the movie does delve further into Batman’s [initial] hatred of guns due to the death of his parents by said weapon and just why Bruce has become the Batman he is. This character is clearly tortured by his past, and not just the past as a child (the death of his parents), but his past as Batman. Not only has Affleck’s Batman lost a Robin at the hands of what seems to be the most sadistic and psychotic Joker yet, but – as he did in both normal comic canon and The Dark Knight Returns – Bruce failed to save his ward; it wasn’t only the fault of the Clown Prince of Crime, this Dark Knight was at fault as well; in the words of Batman: Under the Red Hood, “my soldier, my fault”. Even I, someone who isn’t a huge fan of Bat’s killing people didn’t see the issue with how this movie portrayed the character; Snyder was correct in stating that you never actually see Batman shoot someone, or kill someone (minus the [K]nightmare sequences), mere sequences where people certainly would have died were featured.
The Costume: No words quite honestly, Michael Wilkinson’s Batman costume is just stunning. If you believed the costume looked amazing in photos and in the trailers for Batman v. Superman, just wait until you see it on the big screen. I’ll admit, I’d prefer one of the smaller logos Batman has donned over the years, but even with this larger Dark Knight Returns logo the suit still looks spectacular; a step high and above that worn by Christian Bale a mere few years ago.
JESSE EISENBERG’S LEX LUTHOR
The Character: “Oh but he doesn’t look like Lex Luthor, he’s too small” – Lex Luthor isn’t defined by his physicality, that’s why he wears a power suit when doing battle, because the character’s physical shape isn’t what defines him as a fighter, his mind (i.e. Iron-Man) is what aids him when fighting. “Oh he’s too goofy! He’s more like The Joker!” – Eisenberg kills it in the role he’s given the character is not only maniacal, and twisted, but also vindictive; making his sinister take on the character a standout in a world that takes itself fairly seriously. It’s true, Eisenberg’s take on Lex isn’t for everyone, but those open to a different take on Lex, those familiar with Superman: Birthright, and earlier takes on the character will easily be open to the notion that this Lex Luthor stands on par with Marvel’s Loki (I know, I said no comparison!). That said, even if you hate the portrayal of the character there is no way you can deny the fact that his performance is both unforgettable and likely to stick in your mind far longer than those of most one-off movie villains.
GAL GADOT’S DIANA PRICE AKA WONDER WOMAN
The Character: If you’ve read reviews stating that Gadot’s character steals the show you can promise that is 100% true. The arrival of Wonder Woman, who suddenly appears in Gotham to aid Batman (and Superman) in fighting Doomsday is just an amazing scene as a whole, and those who dislike Wonder Woman (the character) would be hard put to say they dislike this version of Wonder Woman. While her character’s time on screen boils down to what can be equated to Black Widow’s time in Iron Man 2, it’s still interesting to watch and Gadot does an amazing job.
The Costume: I’ve never been one for the fact that Wonder Woman used to wear that swimsuit-like one piece, and so Michael Wilkinson’s more warrior-like approach to the costume is not only beautiful on screen, but beautiful in design as a whole.
AMY ADAM’S LOIS LANE
The Character: She is Clark’s humanity. Simply put, Adams does an amazing job with a character who is otherwise pretty generic (the go-get-em’ reporter who puts her job before her life). That aside, if you take a more philosophical stance, it’s interesting to see how writer, Chris Terio, and director Zack Snyder really emphasize that Lois (and Ma Kent) are Clark’s ties to humanities, they help make Kal-El, Clark Kent.
JEREMY IRONS’S ALFRED PENNYWORTH
The Character: Possibly my favorite part of the movie (which speaks to how interesting it was) is the new Batman:Earth One dynamic between Bruce and Alfred. The two are portrayed as friends (at this point), given the fact that they’ve been doing this ‘vigilante thing’ for years. Gone are the days of Alfred serving as a pseudo -father to Batman, especially seeing as Bruce says it himself, he has outlived his own father and so the pseudo-father figure it no longer even needed. Obviously, Iron’s does a spectacular job in the role, bringing back the “comedic” edge Alfred has in both the comics and Batman: The Animated Series.
CGI’S DOOMSDAY
The Character: While I’ve seen numerous reviews state that Doomsday would have been better saved for another, later, film I must say I really couldn’t agree less. Dawn of Justice needed a villain, who wasn’t as mentally adept as Lex Luthor (as to show off Luthor’s own prowess), and who could physically challenge the Trinity of heroes. Given the films ending, ala Death of Superman, I’d say Doomsday was a near ideal pick for ‘physical villain of the movie’.
The Design: One thing I’ll honestly never understand about this character is the design backlash, and my reasoning for that is two fold. The first reason is that anyone familiar with Doomsday in any version of comic book canon knows that the character evolves, he adapts and changes his form to suit the potential threats around himself, something that Batman v. Superman clearly displays. The second, is that people claimed that this character looked “too much like Abomination from The Incredible Hulk and “too much like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles “, and yet…when both of those initial designs were announced, people voiced their dismay over the lack of accuracy of them as well. Abomination in The Incredible Hulk looks more like Doomsday than the character does Abomination, and the new Turtle designs from TMNT were heavily critiqued for looking nothing like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; due to this I see these comments not as insults, but actually as compliments of the characters pre-evolution design. Regardless, the character’s design and evolution were nearly perfectly executed (with exception to a few major face spikes missing…).
EZRA MILLER’S BARRY ALLEN AKA THE FLASH
The Character: I’ll be honest, this is the only DCEU casting I’ve ever had doubts about, and despite The Flash’s small role in this movie, my doubt still exist. Being completely honest my doubts aren’t based on the fact that I think Grant Gustin is a spectacular TV Flash, I understand DC’s choice to separate the movie and TV universe(s), I just think there are much better choices for the role of Barry Allen then Ezra Miller. As I write this review I currently have, on my desktop, a digital copy of every single Flash comic book and I’ve read most of them; I also watched nearly Ezra Miller film the second he was cast as Barry Allen due to my unfamiliarity with him as an actor. I won’t deny the fact that Miller is a great actor, his roles in both Perks of Being a Wallflower and Beware the Gonzo were both great and – for the former – inspiring, but I just don’t see him as Barry Allen. Even then I’ll reserve any judgments until next years Justice League: Part One. Actor aside, The Flash’s role cameo in this movie is exhilarating, his brief appearance in Bruce Wayne’s [K]nightmare sequence is extremely fun and Flash-like (although very brief) and his bearded appearance at the end of the film – while off putting to some – was a nice nod to the character’s New 52 origin.
The Costume: Again, this movie only gave us the briefest of glimpses of The Flash’s costume, but we also got a glimpse of the costume in a set photo for Justice League: Part One posted by Zack Snyder. In both the movie and the image the costume looks great, seemingly adapting the armored New 52 look that The Flash uses and leaving the PreNew 52 fabric and Speed Force approach for the TV show to use as they please. Even though the costume itself looks great, The Flash’s brief appearance – telling Bruce Wayne in a [K]nightmare sequence that he needs to unite them – is strange. Some reddit users commented on how the “speed effects looked better in the movie”, and yet, I didn’t even see any speed effects. In his [K]nightmare sequence appearance Barry appears wearing an Iron Man-like eco-suit over his Flash costume and he’s surrounded by shaky lighting, nothing special; on the other hand in his appearance in a security video (out of costume) the camera merely blurs, and no speed effects are really shown at all.
https://youtu.be/uoVTXYOy7-Q (Check out The Flash in Batman v. Superman here).
JASON MOMOA’S ARTHUR CURRY AKA AQUAMAN (AQUAMOMOA)
The Character: Not much to say about Momoa’s take as he’s featured for less than 10 seconds – as well as The Flash and Cyborg – in files being kept on Lex Luthor’s private server. Despite the fact that he doesn’t say anything, his mere appearance in the film proves (just via looks) how bada*s Aquamomoa will be.
RAY FISHER’S VICTOR STONE AKA CYBORG
The Character: Despite the fact that Zack Snyder stated that we would see a large-scale football scene seemingly involving Ray Fisher’s Victor Stone prior to being Cyborg, no such scene was shown in the theatrical version of the movie. Even then, set photos have proved that the scene has been shot and so it’s appearance in the R-rated 3 hour cut of the Batman v. Superman is extremely likely. It is due to the lack of Victor Stone (with exception to Batman viewing files on him) that I can’t really say neither here nor there how the character will [potentially] be portrayed come Justice League: Part One. Given the context however, it does seem that Cyborg’s origin will be that of the New 52 (in which his body is effected/destroyed by a mother box).
DAN AMBOYER’S “DRONE PILOT”
The Character: Unfortunately this potential Hal Jordan (he’s only referred to as “Drone Pilot on IMDB) was cut from the movies theatrical release. Some rumors however pointed to the fact that characters in the movie referred to him as “Highball”, the call sign of Hal Jordan.
MICHAEL CASSIDY’S JIMMY OLSEN
The Character: The choice to make the man who accompanied Lois Lane to Africa at the beginning of the film Jimmy Olsen is something I would have been perfectly fine if the movie had cut. I would have had no issue if Jimmy were never introduced into the movie universe at all – especially given the complains that Man of Steel’s supporting cast was underdeveloped (that would just make Jimmy ‘another one of them’). That said, Jimmy is one of the first casualties in Injustice , and seeing as a lot of this movie alluded to a potential Injustice scenario, it made sense in that regard.
MINOR GRIPE/CONFUSION
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Why did Wallace – an ex. Wayne Enterprises employee – have an issue with Bruce Wayne? Last we saw Wayne had not only helped him (during the events of Man of Steel) but had been paying him so he could get by in his day-to-day life as well. [UPDATE: Someone suggested that Lex had intercepted all of the check's Bruce had sent to Wallace, something I hadn't ever considered. If Wallace never got any checks from Bruce, I understand why his character might be mad.]
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The choice (as stated above) to make the man with the camera Jimmy Olsen; I would have been fine if it was just a random guy and Jimmy was never introduced into the movie universe – it just seemed like a strange choice. That said, Jimmy is one of the first casualties in Injustice , and seeing as a lot of this movie alluded to a potential Injustice scenario, it made sense in that regard.
THE [POTENTIAL] FUTURE
Batman v. Superman sets up the potential for a DC cinematic universe that will be widely and universally enjoyed. Even more interesting is the fact that the movie sets up tie-ins unlike any we’ve seen before, allowing for a new and unique cinematic universe building experience. These tie-ins include:
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The potential for The Flash to travel back to Dawn of Justice in the Justice League movie(s) – as was teased when we saw Barry in the film
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The potential for Wonder Woman’s reasoning for being in Gotham to be further expanded on in her own solo film
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And many more…
As I’ve mentioned, yes, this film does end with Superman dying, but also with potential hints that he’s actually in nothing more than a deep healing sleep. I would dare to say Snyder executed this feat simply to paint a picture and to prove a point. Not only does Superman’s heroic and sacrificial death prove to the world (and Batman) just how heroic the Man of Steel truly is, but it also teaches fans that this ‘God’, is far, far from over powered because it’s his humanity that makes him weak despite criticism this isSuperman. Furthermore, from a more speculative angle, Snyder posted the first set photo from the set of Justice League: Part One a few weeks ago; said photo featured The Flash’s costume, a new Aquaman costume, and an unfinished black costume that many fans speculated could belong to either DC hero Nightwing or Green Lantern. Now that the movie’s been released I, personally, believe there is a chance that Justice League: Part One could feature Kal-El donning the black and silver solar suit he wore in the comics after his return from the dead…could the unfinished black costume be that suit? Justice League: Part One should provide the answer to that question…
OVERALL GRADE
Overall, Batman v. Superman is a spectacular and surreal experience, especially for a comic book fan. As someone familiar with the source material being drawn upon (i.e. Death of Superman, Dark Knight Returns, Flashpoint, Justice League: [Darkseid] War, etc.), I’d be baffled if you didn’t love this movie. As far as the general audience goes, the movie is still just as enjoyable, but you’ll be left with a few more open-ended and unsure thoughts about various creative choices and plot-points taken and used, but the movie is still nothing short of cinematic gold and an excellent universe building block for DC. If opening night is any indication, where the Zack Snyder helmed film reaped in $27.7M ([Age of Ultron ($27.6M from 7PM shows), Avengers ($18.7M, midnight, Iron Man 3 ($15.6M, 9PM) and The Dark Knight ($18.5M)], this movie – despite its’ clearly polarizing nature – will remain a name-stay for years to come.