"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
Directed by Zack Snyder.
Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg
Background Check: a sequel to Zack Snyder's Superman epic "Man of Steel"... This is the bridge set-up for DC's big "anything you can do, we do too" team up movie... But can the DCU really capture the same lightning in a bottle that Marvel did? We will see.
Concept: Superman has been public for two years. Batman has been public for 20 years. What happens when the Dark Knight and Man of Steel finally lock horns? Well... Maybe something bigger is in the horizon.
Execution:
Cast: Cavill and Adams return. So does Cowboy Curtis(bonus for you if you get the reference). Badass Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Jesse Eisenberg going from Zuckerberg to Luthor... Not much of a stretch. But Batfleck... How did they all do? Score: 10/10
Characters: Affleck is the best Batman overall(second to ONLY Kevin Conroy)...experienced, grizzled, and extremely pissed off at Supes. Irons pulled off the first "badass" Alfred. Not the nurturing butler this time. Lex Luthor stole the show. Not the Lex we all know just yet... But he got there toward the end. And Superman stepped up to the plate. Shouldering the load of superheroing... While still trying to be a man. Looking away from the critics to still save the day. Score: 10/10
Story: mashing together parts of many comics stories, it transitions between those with ease. You get a clear, yet somber story that wasn't supposed to be "fun". It was to fill you hope. Plus, it set up the future on the DCU on film. Something big. Score: 9/10
Visual: overall, stunning. Issues with the CGI of Doomsday and tracking the Doomsday fight in 3D is nearly impossible. But dark tones, hopeful light, and contrasts of Gotham and Metropolis just across the bay from each other. Looked great, but not perfect. Score: 8/10
Sound: Simply put, the score is amazing. Go buy it. Hans Zimmer's last work. Score: 10/10
Flow: at first, the movie doesn't flow right. Zack Snyder has a history of flow issues with me(the dismal Sucker Punch is my example) and once again it has to do with balancing dream sequences. But this time, those sequences were necessary, and it was the balance of Superman in the movie. Anything to do with the Senator seemed like it broke the movie's stride... But once she is dead, the flow is great. But... Still feels weird. Score: 7/10
Substance: paid critics all say this movie isn't fun. I didn't know all superhero movies had to be... The fact that it isn't fun, that is what makes it great. If it had more levity, it would've killed the potential it used, the potential it has, and what we will see from it. It was two signs of the same coin. Light/Dark, Hope/Pain, Serenity/Shadows. Nothing was lacking... BUT most of the substance was ruined by the trailers. Doomsday might not have been the biggest part of the movie, but his reveal would've been more impactful if kept secret. Score: 8/10
Closure: I will save the ending for a different category, but aside from that, we end with foreshadowing of both a HUGE evil coming, and the need for the Justice League... Lex is in jail. But... What happened to Doomsday's body? We know in the comics he keeps coming back... Where is he? Score: 9/10
Legacy: as for Superman, Cavill plays a different kind, and that's okay. Best Batman yet, Affleck pulled it off...and keeps distance from the Nolanverse. A great sequel to Man of Steel, a wonderful starting point for Batman, and lays the foundation for Justice League and the DCU as a whole. Score: 9/10
Extra Oomph: I'm going to mention the Jesus Allegory first. Man of Steel likened Superman to Jesus. Snyder confirmed... And it worked. He continued it in this one... Praise for his commitment to that... But that is not what is really go here. The ending. Once Doomsday was revealed, I instantly thought what he is defined by: "Death and Return of Superman". I did not think they would actually kill Superman in the movie. No way, no how... And they fucking did it. It was shocking to me they did it, and it worked so well to further the story. Allows Bruce Wayne to be the one to get the band together. Because "The Death of Superman" WAS in it, I have to. Score: 10/10
Total Score: 90/100. A- overall
Conclusion: was it a perfect movie? No. Does it compete directly with the MCU? Yes. Imagine if "Thor" had a much serious tone... It would be equal to this movie. Which is a complement, because I loved Thor and it was directed by one of my favorite directors. We got a solid movie... Great performances, and as a Batman fan, Ben Affleck is MY new Batman.
It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... It's just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...
FINAL JUDGMENT: again, I stress that it is not the perfect movie, but it is a great movie. And if you haven't seen it yet, then don't wait any longer. We need to prove those asshat critics wrong... BUT as my Final Judgment, I do need to be honest... Do NOT go see it in 3D.
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So there you have it, I gave "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" a 90. Pretty good, in my opinion.
Stay tuned, next one I will do will be my very late Deadpool review.
Until then...
~The Master is Out
