Monday, December 19, 2016

Movie review: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Superman is happily protecting humanity from his home in Metropolis while Batman fights crime in Gotham City. But when Batman realizes Superman comes from the same world as beings who have tried to exterminate humans the two must come to terms.

Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman), Amy Adams (Lois), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Jeremy Irons (Alfred), Holly Hunter (Senator Finch), Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman), Scoot McNairy (Wallace), Tao Okamoto (Mercy).

We all know Superman comes from the same planet as those who have tried to destroy humanity, but that he is now our protector. Batman however, fears that the actions of Superman are unchecked and he could at any moment decide to destroy us. Superman, now believing Batman is a vigilante, is happy to engage in a superhero fight. In the meantime, Lex Luthor begins plotting against Superman while Wonder Woman shows up for the fun as well.

While this all sounds fine and dandy, it is actually a superhero mess. Aside from the repetitive history lessons showing us how both Batman and Superman came to be, the plot is a hot mess that seems to create more inconsistencies with franchise than anything else. The result is a confusing and frustrating film that somewhat betrays the quality of the franchise.

Affleck was okay as Batman, though he felt stiff in the action scenes. Cavill felt overly brooding and dark as Superman and inconsistent with the character. While Gadot did well as Wonder Woman she also raised questions of consistency. Eisenberg was enjoyable with good quirky energy while Irons, Adams, Lane and the remainder of the cast did nicely.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were heavily integrated with CGI which was fairly well done. Action scenes were decent but unable to overcome the storyline. Dialogue was mediocre, and Cavill's lack of lines was simply disappointing. Sound and soundtrack were okay.

Overall Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice feels like a miss. The film takes a dark approach, lacks clarity and story consistency, and even alters character background. While younger viewers may enjoy this one, older franchise fans will likely be disappointed.

With some mild nudity and sexuality, plenty of violence, some foul language, and potentially disturbing images, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 11.28.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comic Book Superheroes, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action, Blockbusters, Action Thriller

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel
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