Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) by Nickthebatfan — 17 Mar 2021

Zack Snyder is surely one of the most ambitious directors of all time, his previous films consisting of 2007's period-drama 300 and 2008's comic-book adaptation Watchmen. Zack has once again proved this ambition with the release of his 2016 film 'Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice'.

The film, while often regarded by critics as a disappointing attempt to revive DC's cinematic potential, is also a fan-favourite film, exceeding the expectations of those who were waiting in suspense for this 'once-in-a-lifetime' superhero epic.

Although audiences were in agony over the now tired 'Martha' scene, Snyder was able to successfully capture the will of man against the power of a God and the similarities between both, in a world plagued by evil.

Ben Affleck's performance as an older Batman, was very well done, capturing the aggression and and anger of a man who no longer shows mercy or remorse to his enemies. This older version of the character also serves as a justification for the absence of Batman's 'no-killing rule', which sparked controversy between fans and critics alike.

Henry Cavill's performance as Superman, while being harshly judged as lackluster and dull, was a brave attempt at humanising the character, trying it's best not to create the typical 'boy-scout' impression and keeping Zack's darker tone.

The character motivation of both heroes was both weak and idiotic, with only a small selection of flashback scenes to convince audiences to side with Batman's viewpoint on the Man of Steel and one terrible executed scene following the epic battle between the two, effectively ruining the narrative in it's entirety and defeating the purpose of the film's vision.

Combine these creative elements with only a select few performances and a rushed character introduction towards the end of the film and you've got what was one of the most magnificent attempts and bringing the comic-book genre to the big screen.

The Ultimate Edition which came out shortly after the initial release of the film, impressed audiences and gave the characters stronger motives and more development as a whole. Snyder's track record as a film-maker is not considered by many to be overly amazing, however this 2016 films made its way to the hearts of fans and showed Snyder's potential to create DC superhero films that will define our current generation.