Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) by Zweihander007 — 12 Apr 2016

I loved BVS, and am glad that Snyder and co. are creating these films that continue to push the envelope in the genre. I would give it a solid 8.5 for fans of the comics, and probably a 7.5 to the average viewer who may not catch or understand all the nods to the source material.

The amount of hate that this movie has received is infuriating to me, because it is turning into another Watchmen, which remains my favorite superhero movie of all time. BVS, like Watchmen, will likely be considered to be a misunderstood masterpiece, a film that expects the audience to think, feel, and be willing to understand a complex and nuanced narrative, with well-executed philosophical underpinnings and symbolism.

The movie is one of the most accurate comic book movies out there, and the way it is shot and delivered makes you feel as if an amazing graphic novel is being translated to film. For some, this may feel jumpy and disorienting, but if you have ever read a comic, you can clearly see how the style of shooting and transitions is so true to the look and feel of actual comics, which is an achievement; we should respect the talent of the amazing Zack Snyder.

This is something that the Marvel movies have failed to achieve, and are not interested in doing, which is fine. Another big problem is that people are comparing the movie to Marvel films, and that is not what this movie is.

Marvel films are action comedies, which almost completely lack any sense of gravitas or weight, but are very fun and entertaining, with just enough nods to the source material and great casting to make fans happy.

However, BVS is not like those films, it is serious, it demands that you think, and it does not coddle you. It is like Watchmen in this way, but, unfortunately, critics and many supposed "fans" are still not ready for truly serious and meaningful superhero films, and prefer the easily accessible (and very predictable) Saturday Morning cartoon style of films that Marvel presents (as in the studio and not including the Fox films).

Why can we not just enjoy both? Because, apparently, the cool thing to do is bash anything not Marvel and nitpick it to death, when you could actually just work out all of your supposed plotholes if you bothered to pay attention to the film.

The casting was spot on, and Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, and Jeremy Irons put on amazing performances as their respective characters, with returning stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and others continuing to put on stellar performances.

Jesse Eisenburg's performance will divide many, but as a fan of the graphic novel, Superman: Red Son, I really enjoyed his character and thought that he did an excellent job. Ben Affleck is the absolute best live-action Batman we've seen, and Henry Cavill continues to perform admirably as Superman.

For those who are not patient, and don't appreciate meaningful dialogue and a lack of one-liners, the first hour of the movie may bore you, because we actually get a good amount of character development and story that leads into the explosive latter half of the movie.

Now, the movie is not perfect, and there are certainly parts of the film that leave some questions unanswered, but, we all should have known going in that this is a prologue movie, so there should be things for us to discover in the next movie.

One part of the film that was maybe a little out of place was the apocalyptic dream-sequence, which only fans of the comics will truly understand and appreciate. The scene is not bad, but it's placement and delivery may be strange for some.

So the film does have some issues, but, overall, it is a masterfully shot, well-acted, and well-thought out film, that respects a viewers intelligence and ability to comprehend complex themes. On another note, the final 45 minutes of the movie is absolutely amazing, and the interweaving plots develop naturally and flow well.

Seeing the Trinity in action is an amazing sight, and will make DC fans giddy with delight. Also, and I won't spoil it, the final 20 minutes or so of the film had me on the verge of tears and the finale was truly amazing, but certainly not a "happy" ending.

No Marvel film has been able to get me even close to feeling particularly sad about a character or event, which again shows how much more emotional weight DC is willing to invest in their films. Anyway, I've gone on long enough, but I urge people to see the film for themselves and to be open to a different kind of superhero film.

The critics are being exceedingly harsh and the fanboys who want to hate on the film are out in droves, but to those who can ignore the hate, they will find an incredible film that truly is the Dawn of Justice.