"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" PG 13
Zack Snyder's stylized sequel to Man of Steel reintroduced Batman, played by Affleck, and Superman, played by Cavill, and Lex Luthor's son, played by Einsenberg. Two years after the world engine nearly blew up Metropolis, Kent/Superman is in a relationship with Lois and working at the Daily Planet, while Batman/Wayne, is brooding around because Superman's presence annoys him, and so does crime. Gadot played Wonder Woman who dons the costume in the last half.
The movie looks very stylish and pretty, as the director is able to make comic book images come to life well. Some of the story lines work about half the time. The chemistry of the leads is shaky but Batman works and Affleck is spot on as Wayne, with the right amount of one percent rich cat, and the rest is detective and watchman.
The Martha angle though is some weird cathartic presence in the film, and has to do with both super heroes having a Mom named that.
The romance between Lane and Kent doesn't work, but the equal chemistry with Wayne and Wonder Woman kind of does.
The weird version of Lex does work, because you figure if the older Lex had sex, he would do so with a mad woman, who would probably produce a kid that acts like that. I was not affronted by him playing it like a kind of Riddler. Also if you consider the early Donner movies, the Lex Luther character was kind of manic, but for different reasons.
It seems they added too much into this and could have just done the fight, similar to the Dark Knight Returns comic in the 1980s, not done that bullet story, and not done also Doomsday and Death of Superman. Save that for part 3.
Doomsday looks like a Hulk villain mated with an Orc from Lord of the Rings.
Wonder Woman's music is better than the music for the two men. The only drawback to her is she is a bit skinny, not merely toned, and should have a slightly muscled build in the cat suit. Oh well. It still works.
I did a video review giving it about a 45 to 50 percent score, well over what RT gave it, but it ould have been better.
As a DC and Marvel fan, I know they do show and cartoons way better at DC than they do movies. It's a toss up with them. Marvel cartoons and movies usually work.
Snyder does not understand Superman and it's not that hard to get him. Superman is not like Batman. He is not brooding and tormented. He is an every man boy scout hero. If he is not a hero, he is an antihero, like Batman.
When they get to the fight, they even toss in the kitchen sink, but it is confusing as to whom is fighting. The conclusion with the Martha bit is silly, which is surprising considering the rest of the flick is so joyless and dour.
Affleck actually did a very good Batman that at times was better than Bale's Batman.
They can do without the lens flares.
Having seen it twice, it's a bit less jumbled than the first time around. Still it should be seen in theaters.
Review by Adam Browne
