"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" - A Review

Three years ago, Man of Steel hit theaters, and with its release came controversy. People were unhappy with the collateral damage - both in the destruction of property and life - insisting that Superman would never let so many people die. This weekend, Man of Steel's sequel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, hits theaters, but it is hard to tell sometimes if it is a continuation of the story or a response to Man of Steel's critics. That's because it is both. Set two years after the events of Man of Steel, the world is still debating whether or not Superman (Henry Cavill) can be trusted. Some see him as a hero who saved the human race from destruction. Others, such as Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), see Superman as a potential threat. The suspicions of the latter party are seemingly confirmed when Superman steps in to rescue Lois Lane (Amy Adams) from a bunch of thugs and no one (except of course for Superman and Lois) makes it out alive. Dialogue also indicates that some civilians died as well. Superman is dangerous and must be put in check. Or is he? Lois knows that Superman didn't kill all those people, and she even has proof.

While Lois runs her investigation, Bruce Wayne is running his own. As Batman, he's been taking down human traffickers and smugglers, all of whom have a connection to someone called "the white Portuguese." Both Lois's and Bruce's investigations find connections with a company called Lexcorp, which is run by the brilliant but somewhat crazy Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). Luthor has been very busy. His company is developing a weapon which, as he explains to a group of government officials, can be used to take down threats like Superman should the need arise.

If this is all starting to sound complicated, well, that's because this is a complicated movie. Seriously, for a superhero movie, this movie is amazingly complex. Batman v Superman is such a complex web of politics, manipulation, office politics, personal drama, and mystery (oh yeah, and a few action sequences), that it hardly qualifies as a superhero film - at least, as we know superhero films. Rather, Batman v Superman is more accurately described as a mystery thriller with some superheroics. And when I say "some" I really mean "some." This is the first superhero film I have seen that was more interested in the characters as people, the political atmosphere, and mystery then it was in superheroes doing superhero things. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing at all. It's a refreshing change of pace to see a superhero movie break the mold of stereotypical superhero movies. It's also nice to see a superhero movie rely more on the story that it is telling than on action sequences to hold the audience's attention. I enjoyed that aspect of the film.

The film, for all its complexities, is at its core a story about security, fear, and anger. Most of the characters in this film are primarily concerned with the safety of the population, and the whole plot of the movie revolves around the question of how much power must one have to keep others safe without crossing the line of having too much power. This question is dealt with with respect to both Batman and Superman. Clark Kent is very vocal in his disapproval of Batman's methods, believing that Batman needs to be put in check. Meanwhile, pretty much everyone thinks Superman is too powerful and needs to be held accountable by somebody. This is caused by both people's paranoia over Superman's power and the anger of those who lost something because of Superman's actions. The film frowns on this kind of behavior. Unfortunately, even though the film is pretty clear in its view on letting fear and anger blind us, it is less clear on the security and power issue as the film's ending leaves this issue unresolved.

I also enjoyed the performances, especially those of the cast members who were not in Man of Steel. Ben Affleck, despite the early skepticism that he could pull it off, is an excellent Batman/Bruce Wayne. This is a good thing since he is pretty much the main character of the film. Yes, the story revolves around Superman and we get to look into Superman's personal life from time to time, but Batman is definitely the character that is put front and center. If Affleck had failed to deliver, the movie would have been a trainwreck. Fortunately, he does not fail to deliver and the movie is fun to watch for it. Affleck's performance isn't the only one that makes this film fun to watch, however. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor steals the show in almost every scene he is in. Eisenberg is clearly having fun playing Luthor, pulling off the right blend of crazy and manipulative to make him entertaining to watch, but also very dangerous. This version of Luthor is definitely on my list of best movie villains.

Another good point in this film is the storyline that introduces us to Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). Even though her storyline amounts to little more than a method to set up the upcoming Justice League movie, it is so well executed that I honestly did not care. Some viewers may feel her storyline was shoehorned into the movie, but I think her appearance in the climactic battle and her interactions with Bruce Wayne make it worth it.

Despite how entertaining the movie is, it does have its flaws. My biggest complaint is that toward the beginning of the film we watch Lois take a bath. Obviously, since the movie is rated PG-13 there is no explicit nudity, but it is still an issue nonetheless. The thing that really annoys me about this scene is that it would have worked just as well with Lois sitting fully clothed in a chair or on a sofa. Plus, the film's dark tone and brutal violence alone would have ensured a PG-13 rating, so it's not like this is how the scene "needed" to be in order to get the rating the studio wanted. It's ultimately a totally unnecessary inappropriate element. Inappropriate content is bad enough, but inappropriate content just for inappropriate content's sake is even worse.

My other problem with this film (though it is much more minor than my previous complaint) is the film's title. The title is deceptive. Batman and Superman aren't even in the same scene together for most of the two and a half hour run of the movie, and when they do finally duke it out, the battle lasts less than ten minutes (I think. I wasn't exactly timing the action sequences.). A more accurate title would have been Batman & Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now I'm just nit-picking, so I'll just wrap up this paragraph with this: don't go into the movie expecting it to be all about Batman and Superman fighting each other as the title implies.

All in all, I would say this is a worthwhile film. It's well done and very entertaining, and it raises some interesting questions about security, fear, and anger. However, the film's dark tone, brutal violence, and Lois's bath scene are bad enough to give parents pause about letting their kids see this film (and it may do the same for sensitive viewers). However, if you can deal with these issues, this film is definitely worth your time.

If you would like further information about this film's content before making a decision, I recommend that you read Plugged In Online's review of this film, which you can read here.