It’s been close to a month since Batman v Superman hit theatres, and it’s proven to be one of the most polarizing superhero films ever made. Critics for the most part hated it while fans and moviegoers have been divided. One side of the extreme absolutely loathed the film, and some have even gone about starting a petition to have Zack Snyder removed as the director of the upcoming Justice League film. The other side of the extreme has been praising the film as being “great,” and those folks are more optimistic about the future of the DC cinematic universe. And where do I stand? Honestly, I’m right in the middle. I didn’t hate the film, but I didn’t like it either. Overall, I thought it was a mess with some bright spots here and there. What exactly went wrong with the film? Well, read on and you’ll find out.
The first and most blatant problem with Batman v Superman is that it was simply too big of a film. What do I mean by too big? I mean too big in the sense that there was way too much going on. It felt like four films rolled into one two and a half hour film. It’s like it wanted to be a Man of Steel sequel, and a Batman vs. Superman film, and a stand-alone Batman film, and a Justice League set up film. The end result was a film that as a whole felt overstuffed and often incomprehensible. How could this have been avoided? Well, WB could’ve gone the better and more patient route by making this a Man of Steel sequel, or a film solely focused on the conflict between Batman and Superman. Personally, I thought it would’ve been cool if they had made this a straight follow up to Man of Steel with Clark Kent/Superman having to face up to the consequences of his actions. Lex Luthor (or Lex Luthor Jr. technically, I suppose?) could’ve been introduced too. Then they could’ve followed this up with a stand-alone Batman film, one that could’ve been like Burton’s Batman, not a reboot like Nolan’s Batman Begins. Clark Kent/Superman could’ve had a minor role in this, which then would’ve led up to the big Batman vs. Superman film with Lex as the main villain. This approach in my opinion would’ve made more sense and made the character motivations better because quite honestly, the character motivations in Batman v Superman made no sense. Also, there should’ve been a stand-alone Wonder Woman film before she was introduced into the DC cinematic universe. That’s not a blow to her as a character or anything because she was well portrayed by Gal Gadot and kicks some ass in climatic battle, but already having her established as a character before she gets involved in the action would’ve helped us understand her motivations better. We also would’ve been a little more invested in her too. Also, the introductions of the other Justice League characters such as The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman were laughably lazy. I mean a flash drive of video footage? What the hell WB? Overall, the point I’m trying to make is that WB got impatient solely because they’re trying to play catch up with the MCU, which is a shame because it ruined what could’ve been a great superhero film.
Another problem with Batman v Superman is that it had too many damn dream sequences! There’s nothing wrong with a few here and there, but damn, they were excessive here. One of the dream sequences in particular was a bizarre and sloppy one thanks to some poor editing. Bruce was doing something on the computer (some private stuff maybe?) and out of nowhere, it becomes a dream sequence. In said dream sequence, it’s the future, and Superman has become evil for reasons unknown. Bruce has to fight off his goons, but he’s simply outnumbered and he gets captured. He eventually wakes up back in the bat cave only to have The Flash appear and tell him not to let Louis die (I think?) or else Superman will turn evil. Then Bruce wakes up. So basically he was having a dream within a dream? What the hell was up with that? Also, there was all that flashback stuff about Bruce’s parents being killed. Not like we haven’t seen that before. What pissed me off personally was how they had Thomas Wayne take a macho swing at the mugger who had them all at gunpoint? That’s not how it happened in the comics, plus that’s a dumbass move that puts everyone in danger! It’s hard to believe David S. Goyer wrote such unfaithful crap. Also, there was a dream sequence where Clark visited his dead adoptive father on a mountain that was rather pointless and didn’t fit in at all. I don’t even know why I’m mentioning it actually. And the solution to the dream sequence problem? Cut out practically all of the dream sequences.
Yet another problem with Batman v Superman is the lack humor. Granted, DC comics have always been more serious than Marvel comics, but it’s nice to have some humor here and there to lighten the mood. The jabs Perry White made against Clark throughout the film where the only moments that seemed “humorous,” but they weren’t particularly funny and they felt more forced if anything. Also, there was that whole bit with Lex telling the senator (played by Holly Hunter) about how you shouldn’t “piss in a jar and call it granny’s peach tea.” Was that supposed to be funny? I don’t know, it was more of a “what the hell?” moment if you ask me. The solution? Add more humor, and don’t force it either. You don’t have to go overboard like they did in Batman & Robin, but it’s nice to have a little so the film as a whole doesn’t feel so brooding and depressing.
A final problem with Batman v Superman is that the script honestly kind of sucked. As I previously mentioned, at least four films worth of material was crammed into one two and half hour long film, so the film as a whole was overstuffed. In addition to that, there were plot holes galore and character motivations made no sense. What the hell were Luthor’s motivations exactly? Why was his plan to make Superman so damn convoluted? Why was his plan to make Superman and Batman fight each other so nonsensical? What was his next step after unleashing the practically unstoppable Doomsday upon the world? It was all rather murky. Also, why the hell did Superman choose to stop Batman when he was in that car chase and not take the time to see whom exactly Batman was chasing after? I mean Batman chases after criminals after all, was that not worth at least a quick look, Superman? Also, Wayne’s motivations were quite murky too. It’s understandable that he was pissed at Superman for all the destruction he caused at the end of Man of Steel, but it’s not like the Bruce Wayne/Batman they’ve introduced in this cinematic universe is a white knight either. He kills people and brands criminals with the bat symbol, which is effectively a death sentence for those who receive it. So both Batman and Superman are flawed heroes in this universe, which is fine, but it makes the conflict between the two peculiar. Then there was that whole “Martha” coincidence, don’t even get me started. Talk about some terrible writing there. The solution? Write a better script that’s more focused!
However, despite of all the problems with Batman v Superman, it is worthy of some praise in my opinion. First of all, the visuals and action sequences are phenomenal. They typically are in Zack Snyder film, although they tend to take front seat to the other important element a film should have: a good story. Second of all, the acting in my opinion was actually damn good. Henry Cavill has been criticized in his role as Clark Kent/Superman, but he’s fine if you ask me, and so is Amy Adams as Louis Lane. Ben Affleck made for a good Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jesse Eisenberg made for a great Lex Luthor. Eisenberg’s portrayal of Luthor has polarized both audiences and critics alike for good reason, but I dug it. A lot of it might have to do with the fact that I’ve been a fan of Eisenberg since his Adventureland and Zombieland days. I really related to the characters he played in both of those films, so I found myself liking him as Luthor. Gal Gadot was great as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, although her accent slipped in a few places. It’s still awesome that she finally appeared on the big screen, and her first stand-alone film that’s hitting theatres next year is something to look forward to. The supporting cast is once again solid like it was in Man of Steel. Newcomers Holly Hunter and Jeremy Irons are both great as Senator Finch and Alfred respectively. Also, the suit Batman wears to fight Superman looks phenomenal, exactly like it did in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Excellent job there!
Overall, Batman v Superman is a flawed and underwhelming film that didn’t work, but it’s still nowhere near being the worst superhero film ever made. WB being impatient and overzealous is really what did the film in. Batman and Superman are two of the greatest comic book superheroes ever, and they always will be. I was a huge fan of the both of them growing up, and I’ll always remain a huge fan of them. I also think Superman gets too much flack these days. Yes, he’s overpowered to an extent, but he’s still a great character who’s been well portrayed on both paper and screen. I loved the way they portrayed him in Man of Steel sans the Jesus imagery. The dude’s basically an alien struggling to find his place. He’s like a metaphor for those of us who struggle to fit in period. They definitely deserved a better film, but not all hope should be lost quite yet. Let’s hope that WB learns from this and corrects the current course, so that we can have a DC cinematic universe that’s on par with the Marvel cinematic universe.
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