Cindy Prascik's Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Dearest Blog: With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opening worldwide this weekend, it's a fair bet I'll be spending most of my holiday break at Marquee Cinemas. 

 

As goes the Bat, so go I. Probably the biggest spoiler here is that I loved this movie, otherwise nothing you wouldn't know from the many trailers and clips making the rounds. 

 

As the world wrestles with the pros and cons of Superman's protection versus his unchecked power, Gotham's most famous resident weighs in. 

 

 Dear Reader(s), if you have access to a computer or a tablet or a smartphone or a TV, you've probably already heard somebody say something bad about Dawn of Justice. I am here to tell you why the naysayers are wrong, and, though it may surprise you, I have more (if not better) reasons than: "Batman. Duh." Batman v Superman is an epic tale, crafted by a fan for fans. 

 

This picture is setting the table for what's to come, and, as such, it's got a lot of balls in the air, and plenty of appearances that earned applause from the crowd each of the three times I've seen the movie so far. Ben Affleck is not only a great Batman/Bruce Wayne, he is ideal for where the DC cinematic universe now finds itself. 

 

He's older and more jaded, but no less strong or purposeful (some might say pig-headed!). I was a little stunned by the vitriol directed at Affleck's casting--the guy's always seemed a bit benign to inspire such passion--but I confess, seeing him in the Batsuit gave me a mad crush that went from zero to Renner in exactly two hours and 31 minutes. 

 

Most of the supporting cast is equally terrific, with Jesse Eisenberg unsurprisingly the standout as super-villain Lex Luthor. Gal Gadot makes a fantastic Wonder Woman, and from the young men's reactions at Thursday night's sneak-peek...well...let's just say I'm glad I don't have to clean that theatre. Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, and Laurence Fishburne all contribute more than their fair share towards elevating the movie from good to great. Batman v Superman boasts sweet fight choreography, nice effects, some intense battles between good and good as well as good and evil, and a fair few chuckles, too. 

 

Dawn of Justice does have some flaws, and, lest I be accused of too much fangirling, it's only fair I mention those. Like so many movies these days, this one could have used a trim. Coming in at two hours or even two-fifteen wouldn't have cost the picture any massive cuts, just an edit here and there on those lengthy battles, chases, and flashbacks/dream sequences. 

 

The titular faceoff, in particular, though any fanboy's dream, strays a bit into overkill. Holly Hunter is a great actress, but listening to her speak is like nails on a blackboard; by her third line I'd have given anything to have ANY other actress in her role (except maybe Carey Mulligan, because we all know how I feel about that one). 

 

And then there's Henry Cavill, bless his perfect, perfect self. Cavill attempting to cob together memorized dialogue with the appropriate facial expression is nearly as difficult to watch as Charlie Hunnam desperately trying to cling to an accent for more than five minutes. 

 

I adore Cavill, and I think he's about as perfect a Superman as a person could want, but his acting chops could use some work. Truly, those are the only problems I had with Batman v. Superman. My bottom line on Dawn of Justice is this: Many people were determined to hate this movie before they ever saw it; that is the unfortunate reality of the Internet age. 

 

Many people are determined to compare the movie to Marvel in general, and to the upcoming Captain America movie in particular, but DC is DC; it is not trying to be Marvel (nor should it), and I'd rather enjoy each for what it is than pick either apart for what it isn't. 

 

At last check, there was about a fifty-percentage-point difference between critics' and fans' ratings of Batman v Superman over at Rotten Tomatoes, so I guess, you, dear Reader(s), can let somebody else tell you what to think about this movie, or you can go and see for yourself. If you go with an open mind, I think you'll enjoy what you see. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice clocks in at a whopping 151 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality." 

 

While it's not *quite* as magnificent as The Dark Knight or Watchmen (each of which holds a spot in my top ten movies of all time), Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is an entertaining epic and a perfect launchpad for DC's next phase. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice gets eight and a half. 

 

Oh, and, for the record, I've got a milestone birthday coming up this year, so somebody be a dear and get me Affleck in that Batsuit, won't you? 

 

Please and thank you. 

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) share the screen in this Warner Bros./DC Entertainment co-production penned by David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio, and directed by Zack Snyder. Amy Adams and Diane Lane return as Lois Lane and Martha Kent, respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne

Release Date: Mar 25, 2016 

Rated: Rated pg-13 Intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality.

Runtime: 2 hr. 31 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a movie that’s got a lot going on both on screen and behind it.  Setting up an expanded DC movieverse along with being accessible to the general public and pleasing fans is an incredibly tricky thing to accomplish.  Needless to say, this film is an undertaking in every sense of the word and according to the professional critics it fails.  I went in expecting the worst and left scratching my head.  Not because the movie was awful, I was preparing for Sucker Punch level of Snyder bombast, but because I really don’t understand where most of the critics are coming from.    It’s a massive sprawling story appropriate for the icons on hand.  It isn’t perfect but it’s an impressive film that’s got some heft to it.  Since Snyder is a comic book fan so some of the fan service, particularly the dream sequences, will leave the uninitiated a tad lost.  It’s far from overkill but I can see how the complaint would be lodged against the story’s structure since some of the sequences feel abrupt.  As for the story itself, it feels like a traditional comic book narrative with nefarious plans at work to get our heroes to the titular battle.  There’s not a ton of surprises since the big turns are telegraphed in a fairly obvious manner along with all the oversharing via the prerelease trailers spoiling some of better reveals.  The cast does make the entire thing enjoyable even if the lofty themes can be a bit overbearing at times.  Henry Cavill seems far more comfortable in his role this time around.  Cavill gives the character some much need layers even though there is only so much room to maneuver given the characters traits.  Ben Affleck though has much more room to deliver a much more vicious, exacting and world weary Batman.  I had my doubts about Affleck when he was cast but he delivers the goods.  The biggest question mark, for me at least, was Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.  On the surface his Luthor feels different that past iterations, especially on film, but once you get past all the ticks and speed talking, you’re left with an amalgam of the comic versions of Lex Luthor, the businessman and mad scientist. Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter both have interesting supporting roles with each begging for more screen time, Irons in particular.  Gal Gadot leaves the biggest impression in her supporting role as Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman.  Gadot fits the role much better than expected and plays the character with a perfect mix of mystery, strength and confidence.  It’s impressive enough that it’ll leave you anticipating the solo Wonder Woman film even more.  Aside, some of the quibbles mentioned previously, there is a sense that the story needs some wrangling in.  A good 20 to 30 minutes could have been trimmed to make it a sleeker more effective film.  Its lack of focus is felt most in the final act where the film has built a massive head of steam leading to a massive showdown only to be bogged down by other secondary story threads.  It’s not fatal but noticeable.  As is, I find it hard to believe that comic fans especially DC fans wouldn’t find a lot to like here.  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice doesn’t quite hit it out of the park but its pretty damn close.  

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