Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) by Jackcomerford — 25 Mar 2016

Batman V Superman is a great superhero movie. It isn't anything like the tried-and-tested Marvel formula, but it isn't, as I've read elsewhere, "completely devoid of all amusement". Don't get me wrong, the tone of the movie is certainly dour, and if you're a fan of that (like me) you'll probably enjoy the movie, but it's not as joyless as Man of Steel was at times, another movie I enjoyed greatly. This movie is a spectacle, it's grand and loud, and by the final action sequence I truly felt like these characters were closer to Gods than most other big name superheros; the scale, while not massive in actuality, seemed immense befitting the characters involved.

It's not without its issues, and the common complaint of off-pacing is something I agree with. It's obvious that there's so much to deal with here that some plot-lines get axed, to be restored in the Director's Cut, but almost to the detriment of the subsequent scenes, which seem to come from nowhere. These segments are few and far between, and they certainly didn't greatly impact my experience watching the movie, but they were noticeable.

Overall I feel like Snyder (who's not a director I can claim to have a great love for) did a pretty great job with fitting all the numerous pieces of this movie together into an action packed, enjoyable story with a solid cast, great visuals, and a reverence for the icons it sports. These are not the same Batman and Superman we've seen over the years, and I'm O.K. with that. Variety is the spice of life after all.