Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Major League

I want to start this review with the negatives, so I can attempt to not undercut my true feelings about this film. Three big things stand out to me: First, the pacing is really weird. Many scenes in the first two acts move at such a quick clip, that not many things get to properly breathe. Second, despite how much I like Jesse Eisenberg's energetic performance as Lex Luthor, they didn't delve enough into his character to make him anything but evil for evil's sake. I wouldn't be surprised to find a lot of his scenes on the cutting room floor. Third, some of the dialogue is pretty heavy handed. A lot of it was given to Eisenberg, so it makes it really hard to enjoy the character without a good backstory in a film that is a bit overcrowded.

That being said, the movie is passable, and it doesn't just feel like the two-and-a-half hour long "Justice League" trailer that many feared it would be. The plot was well constructed, even if the script was a little lacking. It ended up being the opposite of "Deadpool" in that way (great script, dumb plot). I can't think of anything that was a bad idea in the film, and all the character motivations made perfect sense (besides the aforementioned Luthor problems). The build to the marquee showdown is especially excellent. The action scenes are well done, and the fights have their own contained storylines that help drive the film forward better than any of the dialogue.

The characters are intriguing, and the performances carry the film so well, that it seems implausible anybody ever doubted them. Henry Cavill continues to be a soulfully tortured Superman trying to do his best in a world in need of saving. As Batman, and Bruce Wayne, Ben Affleck turns in what is possibly the best performance of his career. He is unhinged, untrusting, and unbelievably spot-on. His Batman committed a little more homicide than I would cared for, but I guess Keaton's Batman had quite a bit of Blood on his hands as well. Gal Gadot gave an incredible amount of depth to a character that didn't get a lot of screen time. It is rare that I appreciate a major character getting such a minimal amount to do, but after seeing the "Wonder Woman" footage, and knowing that we will get a full backstory on her later, it felt exciting to not get to know her better. Much like Rey in "The Force Awakens".

All in all there is way more positive about this film than anyone expected, and it outweighs the shaky problems that unmistakably plague it. It is a lot of fun to watch if you allow yourself to get lost in it, and serves as a great lead-in to a DC movie universe. If future films can improve on this structure, we may be in for a lot of fun in the future.

Grade: B-
Easter Egg: No
3D: If you can find it in 2D, see it that way.

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer
RT: 151 min
Rating: PG - 13 for intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality