Never have I seen such a film so scorned by critics before the majority of the mainstream audience gets a shot to see it for themselves on opening weekend. The fact Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has roughly a score of 30% on Rottentomatoes.com is quite frankly, juvenile at best. Yes, films are a subjective viewing experience, and by all means, more power to any of you reading this who truly hated the film. But what I witnessed tonight on the big screen was in no way, shape, or form deserving of such an across the board slamming from critics. This was not only a well made film, it was indeed one of the best comic book films I’ve personally ever seen…..
Why? The layers. Much like its predecessor, Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder and his team of writers have a way of slipping in a ton of beef to the beautiful visuals people have become accustomed to with his films. In the case of Batman v Superman, I felt like the very first shots of the film, along with the focus on the backstory made this incarnation feel like it was a lot to take in on first glance. More importantly, I applaud the decision to show the battle over Metropolis from the last film from the perspective of Bruce Wayne. Not only did it connect this film perfectly to the last, it was important to see it through the eyes of Wayne to build his motivations throughout the first act. Nonetheless, blink and you’ll miss many nods to the comic book source material, along with the building blocks for the live action Justice league universe that’s finally coming together.
As far as the acting performances went, literally, there was not one single performance in this movie that held things back. And yes, that also means I’m tipping my cap to Jessie Eisenberg, who got to deliver HIS OWN version of Lex Luthor. It was a freaking breath of fresh air to finally see a live movie version of Luthor that wasn’t just Gene Hackman’s Lex (who I still loved), or Kevin Spacey pretending to be Gene Hackman’s version of Lex. Eisenberg did well.
Wonder Woman, played by the gorgeous Gal Gadot, convinced me in the somewhat limited screen-time she had that her own feature length film, due out next year, will most certainly be worth seeing. Her screen presence was not only there, but her physicality was equally convincing. Even Lois Lane (Amy Adams) had plenty to do within this story, and I must say her version of Lois is without a doubt the best that’s ever been seen in films or TV. And Ben Affleck not only kicked major ass as Batman/Bruce Wayne, but he managed to convince me all within one film that he’s as good as any actor that’s donned the cape before him. Last but not least, Jeremy Iron’s take on Alfred Penneyworth felt like the perfect hybrid between not just Alfred, but shades of Luscious Fox from the Christopher Nolan Batman films– In general, I felt as if there was a true intent to make Batman’s world here not feel too far off from the one from the last set of films. It was nice to see that general aura wasn’t just tossed in the dumpster, and was more or less being added onto….
Now, as far as the “pacing” issues some have identified as being too much early on in the film, again, what does one expect in order to properly setup not just the basis for this particular story, but also laying the foundation for a full-length Justice League film? Seeing the backstory and motivations for Batman, Superman’s moral dilemmas for how he fits into being accepted or not accepted in the world, along with Lex concocting his grand scheme was no easy feat for one film, and yet Snyder and co. made it work in my humble opinion. The slow build up allows for the third act’s climactic battle sequence to pay off in a very big way….
By the time the credits rolled, I was ready for more, and that’s all I would think anyone could ask for from DC’s first true answer to Marvel’s “The Avengers”…..
In the end, please, do yourselves a favor, don’t listen to the critics, go in with an open mind, and for those who have seen the film and disliked it for its use of flashbacks, realize there’s a method to that madness as much of the story-line to Batman v Superman was derived from some great comic book source material. Some of these flashbacks/dream sequences are teasing at what may be around the corner for future films. I suspect much like “Watchmen” taking awhile to find its audience, Batman v Superman will garner the same road towards some long-term admiration from suspecting movie goers, and critics alike. And if all else fails, the cinematography by Larry Fong on display is some of the best I’ve seen in modern cinema. Nuff said.
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