Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens with an origin story we should all know by now. We watch as a young Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) walks alongside his parents’ coffins. It's clear that he’s burying them both today. Overwhelmed with loss, he understandably freaks out and takes off running into some nearby woods. As he’s running, he falls into a cave and has that famed encounter with a mess of bats.
Bruce awakens from his recurring nightmare terrified, at the same time it seems like he’s gotten used to this scenario and it’s taken its toll. Looking worn and angry, he settles into what appears to be his daily ritual. However, today will be different.
Just as Bruce is about to board his private jet, he’s alerted to a problem. It’s something huge because he stops what he’s doing, immediately commandeers a security vehicle and proceeds to speed like a lunatic through downtown. It turns out Bruce is racing to Wayne Enterprises because Superman (Henry Cavill) is fighting Zod (Michael Shannon) nearby. Unfortunately for everyone, this super battle is causing more than just a commotion; it’s wreaking havoc on Metropolis.
As we all know, Superman defeats Zod, but not without creating some serious collateral damage. Buildings are destroyed, streets are ripped up and chaos is unleashed, but for Bruce it’s much more than that. His skyscraper crumbles beneath this super-sized scuffle, taking many lives with it. Unfortunately despite his best efforts and reckless driving, he is unable save anyone. By the time he gets to Wayne Enterprises, there’s nothing left for him to do but brood. At lest that’s what he thinks until he sees a young girl about to be crushed by falling debris. Fortunately and in the nick of time, he’s able to get her out of harm’s way. As the dust settles around them, Bruce asks the frightened girl where to find her mother. In shock and unable to speak, she points to Wayne Enterprises. Batman v. Superman is the story of Bruce Wayne’s journey to right some wrongs and make the world a better place, even if that means getting rid of Superman.
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I don’t know if you’ve heard, but this movie got some pretty nasty reviews. It was called a train wreck, an abomination and a disappointment. I’m not sure what all that fuss is about because I rather enjoyed it. There, I said it. Go ahead. Throw your stones, but that’s not going to change the fact that I liked this movie.
It turns out Sad Affleck needn’t look so glum. Ben Affleck brings us a Bruce Wayne who has had enough. He’s seen it all and at this point resents living to tell the tale. In addition to that, he delivers a perpetually agitated, alluring and enormous Batman. He had me rooting for him to beat the perfectly chiseled smirk off Superman’s face right from the start. Affleck’s Batman reminds me of the cartoons from the 90s. He throws it back just enough to keep things interesting in this new iteration.
In addition to just plain looking like Superman, Henry Cavill delivers in the fight scenes. His portrayal of our favorite idealistic super do-gooder is self-assured and somewhat noble. Amy Adams as Lois Lane is confident, vulnerable and uninhibited. Adams once again brings us the best Lois Lane to date. Jeremy Irons was enjoyable and refined as Alfred, but he never had me fully convinced. Sadly, Irons almost feels miscast. Ironically, I thought Jesse Eisenberg was grand as Lex Luthor. He brought us a villain that’s not only despicable but also annoying. His portrayal explodes with nervous energy and it’s delightfully condescending. Unfortunately, there were moments when that same energy became overwhelming, but it never lingered too long in that agitating state. Eisenberg was an interesting choice for the part and I can’t wait to see what he will do with it down the line.
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Zack Snyder (Director) makes Batman v Superman fun. He delivers a superhero movie packed with explosions, CGI, epic battles and some awe-inspiring shots. Unfortunately though, he only gave us seven minutes of the badassery incarnate that is Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). With a 151-minute running time, there is no excuse for that sort of nonsense, unless of course you take into consideration that this is a movie about Batman and Superman. What I do know for sure is that he running time felt a bit long, regardless of Wonder Woman’s limited screen time. Batman v Superman is the superhero tale I expected. It included all the familiar names and faces, but injected a different kind of energy into the franchise. Could I have done without the goofy animatronic bat in Bruce’s nightmares? Yes. Might I have liked this more if I would have gotten an extra does of Wonder Woman? Probably. Were there entirely too many cameos for my liking? Absolutely. Was this movie an affront to all superhero flicks? Nope. Maybe I can say that because I'm not a diehard comic book fan. I don't know. However, I went into the theater expecting to have a lighthearted, good time and I left smiling. In the end, that was enough for me.
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Batman v. Superman – B-
B- =This is a pretty good time and you should give it a whirl. You never know, you might enjoy it more than you think going in. It has its pitfalls, but overall worth your time.