Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice Review

Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice (Rated PG-13)

The going trend in cinema these days seems to be that it is far more fun to bash a film than to enjoy one. Batman  V Superman Dawn Of Justice is as entertaining as films come, the story is very fast paced which means it is rarely dull, while this  does cause it to feel a bit convoluted the film's faults are no more glaring than any other of it's kind.

If you pay attention to the most beloved films of all time, their success can often depend very little upon the plot. It is generally the films performances and characters that stay with a person. When you take a very well worn character such as batman, it is important to not change him totally, but we should see a slightly different version of that character. Ben Affleck's Batman is indeed different from past portrayals, but he is still Batman and holds true to the essence of the character. Now while Batman is indeed far more brutal and viscous than ever before in film, it is not out of character at this point in his life. Everyone starts jumping up and down about the fact that Batman does cause the deaths of many henchmen during the film. Yet, this issue is totally blown out of portion, every person that dies at the hands of the Bat could live.

That may not make total sense, but Batman never attempts a killing blow in the film. He does shoot from his Batmobile and Batplane but, he never aims to kill; Batman is well aware that his tactics will possibly result in their deaths, but he is only trying to take out each threat. Batman at this point in his life has been through enough that his methods have become more cruel and violent over time. Yet, this is a natural evolution of the character, and as it is portrayed in the film even Alfred disapproves of Bruce's new methods. In my opinion this shows that the character is human, we may not want to see that in our heroes, but I enjoy it. We are not all perfect, neither is Batman and it makes perfect sense, Batman is broken and past his breaking point.

I will not spoil the film, but the complaints directed towards this movie in regards to Batman's characterization clearly did not pay attention to the film. This is the first time we are seeing this Batman, by the end of the film the reasons for his actions are explained, and it gives him one of the better arcs that the character has had in live action cinema. This is also the first time that Batman finally fights the way he should, if you have read the comics or played the Arkham games, his fighting style is nearly identical. Jeremy Irons's Alfred is what most would expect, yet it was nice to see Alfred and Bruce at odds, while the father son dynamic is always apparent, it is at it's most captivating when showing how pivotal Alfred's opinion is. The character had a great role in the Nolan films, but I like that they went with a slightly dryer and more blunt Alfred than people may be used to.

Batman, Superman, Lex Luthor and Lois Lane, are the central characters of the story. I am still not loving Amy Adams as Lois, but I will say she is doing a much better job here; and I liked that they showed her as an extremely capable investigative journalist. Henry Cavil is doing a very good job as Superman, it is hard to take this role knowing it's massive legacy. The cinematic Superman had already been done so well by Christopher Revee, that they needed to go to the comics and take him in a darker direction, especially since people did not enjoy the lighter more classic Superman Returns which was a return to the style that made Revee's films so good. Personally that is my favorite Superman film, yet to most it is simply to slow, too sentimental and has too little action.

This new Superman is very accurate to his many runs in the comics, yet it is a departure from his cinematic legacy. The point of these films is to show the essence of the DC universe, while still giving it a different spin. None of the choices spat on the legacy of these wonderful characters, and seeing Wonder Woman finally show up in a film was a real treat. Gal Gadot owns the role and proves that she is more than capable as Wonder Woman. In fact my only complaint about Wonder Woman in this film, is that she was not in it enough. Still it is Superman and Batman's film, it is not about the plot, it is not about having the most mind blowing story of all time. It is about seeing these historic characters finally come to life on the big screen together.

The story that does tie the entire thing together is original; while still retaining classic elements from many great story lines in each characters history. Some people may ask why not just adapt one of the better stories from the comics, yet DC has never done this with their live action films. It may seem strange, but it allows them more creative freedom to have a fresh story, that retains the best elements of the best stories. Some people like this, others wont but, if you enjoyed the Nolan films you can't argue that sticking to the source material is a must. Those films were nothing like any of the comics, that was Nolan's adaption of Batman it got a good deal right, but it did not feel like a part of the DC universe to me. I was never a huge fan of that trilogy, yet I can see that they are solid films and they did interesting things with one of my favorite heroes. This film is no different.

Some people may not be fans of the stylized nature of the film, yet for me it felt the closet to the comics. Batman deals with some pretty fantastical shit, and for once a live action film shows this. And not in a campy bullshit way like Batman and Robin. The one thing that could be seen as a flaw is thirty whole minutes were left out of the film, which does cause the film to feel a bit over stuffed. I do not fault the film for the studio's poor decision to not release the real three hour R rated cut of the film. If you really see issues with this film, it is not from the writing or direction, the studio did not have faith in an R rated 3 hour comic film. Which is a shame, because the film we did get is very good, but it is clear that we did not get the full film.

Still I enjoyed seeing the film in the cinema, the action scenes were jaw dropping and I was smiling during the entire film. It delivered the experience I wanted, I had a ton of fun and got the film I mostly wanted. I say mostly due to the upcoming ultimate edition which will be the real version of the film. You can say that is letting the studio screw us, but is it really? I had fun at the theater, everyone else did and it was packed. It was a great experience that was worth seeing on the big screen. People today are so quick to complain, but if you live in America a double dip of a good film is the least of our worries. The movies were a place to escape the bullshit of life, the arguing and negativity and to just sit in a darkened room and be transported to another world, people have forgotten the magic of cinema and it is damn sad. No one can be satisfied by an entertaining and well made film anymore, no because they are too busy constructing the film they wanted to see in their head, and they never bother to actually just enjoy the thing they are watching.

This is a film that is packed to the brim with stunning and captivating imagery, intense, visceral and frenetic action that never disappointed. That in my book makes for a kick ass movie, but what do I know, maybe bitching about every movie that comes out will make the studios more creative. Surely it wouldn't cause them to play it safe and release the same tired shit over and over again... Ambition can hurt a film, but when it does so much right, that is an achievement that should be commended.