Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

Well, holy batnipple Batman! We are finally here! It took us a while and a lot of complaining about actors and oversharing in the trailers, but Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is here! So is it any good?YESBefore we begin, we have basically had Zack Snyder begging at our feet that we don’t spoil the film and any of its twists and surprises. So being supportive to the film makers as we are, this is a Spoiler Free Review.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is the direct sequel slash spin-off to Man of Steel and is directed once again by Warner Brother’s man of the moment Zack Snyder. The film deals with the aftermath of the alien battle in Metropolis from the previous film. Can earth trust Superman? This god-like being from another planet, that could single handily destroy the world? Bruce Wayne thinks not! Batman is out for justice; he seeks to annihilate this threat to mankind and make him pay for what he did to this once bustling city.Batman-V-Superman-Trailer-Fight-Heat-VisionBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is really 3 stories in 1. It’s a Batman origin story, it’s a Superman sequel and it’s a Lex Luthor origin story. All of which see enough screen time to drive the story, but almost deserve their own film to further flesh out their ideas. There is a lot in this film that eludes to previous Batman battles (Robin’s costume for one, the burnt out Wayne Manor) but not really touched on here other than being used as set pieces. There is a lot going on in Batman V Superman, you can tell that DC and Warner are hot on the tails of Marvel’s success and that they are throwing all their pennies into this gigantic battle.

Let’s look at Batman. A lot of the internet said it. “Batfleck is a horrible choice” for the billionaire playboy and flying rodent. But as we all know Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms and he has come a long long way since his time in the red leather costume of Daredevil. I’m going to come out and say it, Batfleck is one hell of a Batman. He has the grit, the anger and determination to strike fear in his enemies. He is also the perfect Bruce Wayne, very charming and unsuspecting to the ordinary folk of Gotham, but within a split second he can turn on the brooding characteristics of the Dark Knight. He doesn’t need the have the crabby voice that Christian Bale hilariously attained in Nolan’s films. He has true anger and sorrow behind his eyes, you can see the shit he has been through without actually having the need to see it.batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-ben-affleckHow about Superman? Well Superman is the same Superman you saw in Man of Steel, only difference is now he has to deal with the repercussions of his battle with Zod – a battle that saw the death of thousands of innocent lives. Clark Kent believed Superman stood for good, but he has been shown a world that doesn’t want him, that wants to see him gone…. Well actually we only hear about this group of people that want him dead, we essentially only see one victim come forward. While it is the basis of the film and it’s what truly ties all the stories together I believe they could have a little more with the victims of the battle. Superman literally tore a city to pieces, yet only one victim comes forth to complain… Please! The Domino’s website went down last night for a couple of hours and their Facebook is literally filled with complaints from people that had to use their phones to make an order… and that’s Domino’s pizza…imagine a world where an alien has slain thousands and is now just kicking back with Lois Lane on a rooftop somewhere with no consequences for his actions. Where are the pitchforks? Where are internet trolls?

Lex Luthor, what can I say? He is so much Jesse Eisenberg here that you almost forget he is playing Superman’s arch nemesis. He plays the role just as he would with any other role. Awkward, excentric, cooky, and weirdly annoying. Eisenberg’s Luthor is like that annoying guy you hide from at parties but somehow can’t avoid. He is Mark Zuckerberg, if Mark Zuckerberg was a lunatic.how-will-lex-luthor-play-into-batman-vs-superman-dawn-of-justice-520679Zack Snyder’s vision of the Dark Knight has twists on the character that work here in this darker universe. For instance Batman doesn’t kill by his own hands but he is sure as heck happy to brand his enemies, so that these rapists and murderers see the hand of death in prison. Snyder’s visionary world that he has created in Batman V Superman is more like a graphic novel rather than a regular comic. The Art Direction is over the top, the set pieces and sequences are beautifully handled. The opening sequence itself could have made a great trailer for the film. Snyder proves that if he is let loose like he is here he can manage a great piece of work. He demonstrates what he can do with camera work and takes what could be a campy take on a DC universe and makes jaw dropping. There were points during the film where I almost had to pick my mouth up off the floor.batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-bat-signalBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is not a perfect film by any means but it does have some of the best representations of the DC universe that I have ever seen. I loved watching Batman hooning around the city in his Batmobile and Superman actually being a god like superhero with unbelievable powers. Marvel may be at the top of the Superhero food chain at the moment but their chariot is slowing down. This is DC’s chance, keep bringing out winners like this and they will solidify themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE opens in cinemas across Australia tomorrow.

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