Despite the rumors flying around about how terrible it was, at the recommendation of a friend, I grabbed my stuff and headed to the theater to see Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. I knew not to expect much with DC films, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie.
The plot is a pretty standard superhero film, except instead of a hero fighting a villain, it’s a hero pitted against another hero. Then they decide they don’t need to fight, so they team up and destroy the actual villain. (Okay, that’s a spoiler, but come on guys, did you really expect Superman and Batman to fight to the death? Nah.) The action scenes are clearly where this film’s budget went. The explosions, the fight choreography, the CGI, it all came together to create epic entertainment. Seriously though, your adrenaline gets pumping.
In terms of characterization, the film had a great balance between DC’s general trend for angst and a more joking, light-hearted mood. Ben Affleck made an amazing Batman. I know everyone loves Christian Bale, and I agree, he’s great, but Affleck captured the sense of both billionaire Bruce Wayne and his just superhero persona. He played a Batman past his prime of life, who has lost almost everything, and is doing what he can to resolve that loss. Not to mention he actually hid from alien attacks because he’s the only human superhero who fights in the film.
Henry Cavill also worked the duel persona well. He gave a real sense of Superman’s inner conflict of whether to keep saving everyone despite their anger toward him or to go hide away with his love. I’m not even going to get started on Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. She was amazing. She kept up with Superman and Batman on both a physical and intellectual level. She was a great female role model, and I can’t wait for her movie. Honestly, props to all of the actors. I thought their portrayal of each character was great and innovative. They made the film interesting.
Admittedly, the film takes a while to get going. They take a long time building up why Batman is upset with Superman and how he plans to find him and take him out, while Superman is investigating who Batman is because he doesn’t like his crime fighting methods. Lots of scenes with very little action, most of which don’t affect the overall trajectory of the film. It is also ridiculously long, like two and a half hours long, so be ready to sit. Hey, at least you’re really getting your money’s worth.
But seriously, don’t believe everything the critics are saying. It’s a fun, entertaining film that you’ll probably enjoy if you have any interest in action or superheroes. So go see it.
Also, for you DC fans who haven’t seen the film: we get previews for Justice League and the other DC movies set to come out. (Seriously though, Aquaman is going to be great.)
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