Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) by Benskylerhill — 21 May 2018

(THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS FOR THE ULTIMATE EDITION, WHICH IS FAR SUPERIOR TO THE THEATRICAL CUT AND EXPANDS ON CERTAIN PLOT POINTS MORE FULLY.).

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition is most certainly not the bloated, stupid mess that it is often reviled as being. It's a dark, visually stunning, surprisingly smart epic that certainly isn't built for mainstream audiences.

Zack Snyder is a very under-appreciated director. Say what you will about his choice of bleak colors and themes, the man has talent. Batman v. Superman is a gorgeous-looking film. Every shot looks like there was a plethora of thought and care put into it to ensure that its purpose was served. Everything captured on screen has a deepness of color and texture that is seldom acknowledged by today's moviegoers. The visual effects--with the exception of a couple of brief moments--are seamless and blend naturally with everything caught naturally on camera. My mouth gaped with awe at every frame and I never wanted to take my eyes off of the screen.

Hans Zimmer's score here is absolutely brilliant. It flows so naturally, adding tension to tense scenes and adding heart to moving scenes. I can't say enough good things about it.

As for the far more important matters of story, writing, and character development, none of these fall flat either. There certainly are a lot of characters in Batman v. Superman, and that can be a glaring weakness for a film as development gets scattered and lost. But this movie knows which characters to focus on and which ones not to. The script is leaps and bounds more intelligent than it's given credit for. Sure, there are some cheesy lines that feel forced, but for the most part the dialogue doesn't deviate from plot development and nearly every line serves to reveal deep emotion buried in each character. This is not a lighthearted superhero movie. It's a gloomy tragedy and everyone involved in the story, both hero and villain, is battling internal demons as they're plagued by feelings of inadequacy and jealousy despite the wealth and power they possess.

This isn't a happy-go-lucky, let's go kill the bad guy Marvel film. DC has given us something so much deeper than that here. People often complain about the fact that Lex Luthor's plan here doesn't make any sense. (Oh, and Marvel villains' plans do?) Granted, it can seem convoluted as the story progresses and they could have done a better job at clearing up his intentions and logic. But once everything is understood, it really says something about Lex's personality and he becomes much more relatable as a character. Without spoiling anything, in the end, Lex is just as damaged inside as the heroes are. They're really not that different.

Batman v. Superman isn't a film without flaws. It's a bit too long and a little too ambiguous. There really aren't any standout performances, but there isn't a single bad performance, either. Everyone plays their roles very well and emotions run stunningly deep. It's the rare superhero movie that works on an intellectual level, raising thought-provoking moral questions and providing somber character arcs that stick with you after the credits roll.

Story: 7.

Acting: 7.5.

Script: 8.5.

Visuals/Sound: 10.

Entertainment Value: 8.

OVERALL SCORE: 8.