3.5 Out of 5 Stars
We really have become spoiled when it comes to our superhero films thanks to Marvel; we’ve grown accustomed to auteurs and Oscar winners crafting these visions of titans. These are directors who come to the table with a very clear understanding of what makes a good film and the vision to execute it. That’s why when I heard the keys to DC’s Cinematic Universe were being handed over to Zack Snyder, who in my opinion has only made one good movie, I honestly wasn’t expecting high art sitting down for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Given Zack’s previous track record and the trailers I had seen, I wanted three simple things from this film:
  1. I hoped for a good Batman from Affleck, because after Daredevil he kind of deserved it.
  1. I wanted the spectacle of an all out battle between Batman and Superman, but that didn’t look like it was cribbed from a DBZ episode like Man of Steel.
  1. And finally, I was praying, given the level of objectification of the women in Sucker Punch, Snyder learned a thing or two and Wonder Woman wasn’t simply there for eye candy and would hold her own with the boys.
That is what I wanted and its pretty much what I got.


Most of the film is through Batman’s point of view, while Bale’s Batman felt very sterile and controlled; Affleck’s Batman is a raging monster that wears his heart firmly sewn on his sleeve. It’s been 18 months since the events of Man of Steel and the Superman’s appearance has left the Bat feeling powerless. His methods have since become more aggressive going from roughing up a suspect from time to time to torturing those that come into his path, branding the few lucky enough to be left behind. Batman is currently on the hunt for a criminal who is attempting to bring a dirty bomb into Gotham and these new tactics are what brings him to the attention of Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. Superman hopes to stop Batman since the mark of the Bat has also become a death sentence to those who go to prison bearing it.

The world our characters inhabit seems to be divided between those that see the Superman as a god and those that feel no one on Earth should have that much power. It’s that thread that brings the Batman and also Lex Luthor into the fray played to maniacal perfection by Jessie Eisenberg who has been tracking down fragments of Kryptonite to hopefully level the playing field. It’s a rough balancing act, but Snyder pulls it off also working in Wonder Woman and bringing in Doomsday in for the CG heavy battle royal of the third act. Wonder Woman’s entrance into this matchup is everything a fan could want from this heroine and one of the best things about the film, my only complaint is it doesn’t happen sooner.

Its clear Zack Snyder hates Superman. I mean aside from Man of Steel, since the film is essentially about how both Batman and Lex Luthor are both trying to kill him. The film’s first act is a bit rough to get through, but on the positive side Snyder uses surreal dream sequences to feed us the well-treaded backstories of these characters while also giving us some relevant exposition going forward in the DC universe. I mean by now we should all know how Bruce Wayne came to be Batman and I really wished we had more time with him since Ben Affleck gives us the world weary Dark Knight we’ve always wanted. The second act still struggles a bit since you can see they are trying to give you enough action, while also still getting the stakes in place for the final battle. It still works, but it’s a precarious balancing act that will disappoint almost every comic book fan, since Snyder makes more than a few sacrifices character development-wise lining up the pieces.



It’s not an easy task for any director, but given how we’ve seen it play out in both Spiderman franchises, Snyder does the best he can getting the Justice League lineup together while still trying to give us a valid reason to pit the two against one another to justify that title. Its that battle that shows maybe Snyder should have started this universe with Batman instead, since this iteration feels less like a rich white guy with gadgets, that is usually the norm in the films and more like the brilliant and tortured detective he actually is. This is only exemplified by his final battle with Superman where he is more than able to hold his own with the Man of Steel thanks to always being three steps ahead much like he is in the comics. Of course the two set their grievances aside to fight Doomsday, but given how much I loathe Henry Cavill it was great to see Batfleck stick it to him.

Reading a few of the reviews, I honestly have to say while some probably had very unrealistic expectations going into this one, I tried to go in a bit grounded, after all this was Batman V Supermanby the same director that gave us that Dawn of the Dead remake that featured a zombie baby. But meeting the film on its own terms, it works and delivers on its promises while still laying out the groundwork for the next big bad of the DC universe. For me the film while still being a bit on the campy side compared to Nolan’s trilogy still managed to deliver that adult feel of the DC universe thanks to Snyder’s gritty, dark, semi-dated style. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is no Winter Soldier, but sometimes when you’re tired of having steak and you just want to eat a 20 piece chicken McNugget by yourself and not be judged.