Review: Batman v. Superman - Putting the Business in Show Business

Too often, of late, Hollywood has released films that show just how much business is involved in show business. The latest glitzy production off the well-worn comic book superhero movie assembly line – Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice – is another big budget spectacle designed for the express purpose of raking in the big bucks. It is supposed to be the spring season’s event film, or rather “film,” as that moniker only applies in a purely definitional sense. Zack Snyder, the man tasked with directing the DC Cinematic Universe, has accomplished exactly what he did on Man of Steel. That is: take a very promising premise and muddle it beneath a maze of overblown action and an excess of special effects.

A Promotional Poster

Unfortunately for Mr. Snyder, this places him in a class headlined by Michael Bay. The movie, which will certainly find an audience to grant them odd billion dollars they desire, is first and foremost longer than it needs to be. Like most movies with such an elongated running time (approx. 2 hours and 30 minutes), it becomes bogged down and sluggish instead of tight and powerful. The writing, perpetrated by David S. Goyer and the normally excellent Chris Terrio, goes against almost everything Hollywood writers are taught to do with the exception of being “high concept.” It is based on the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman comic books, which have been widely adapted over the years. Some complain that it diverges from the source material too much, but such a complaint would be irrelevant if the movie was actually something that Warner Bros. could take pride in as a filmmaking achievement.

These are heavy-handed attacks on one of the most highly anticipated motion pictures of the year and such blows should not be thrown about loosely. The film, in spite of itself, has a few saving graces. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) is the main one, and is undoubtedly the driving force behind any worthwhile drama in “the greatest gladiator match of all-time.” Affleck is well-suited for the role of a caped-crusader who’s grown cynical throughout his long career of fighting criminals. He takes Master Bruce’s ambitions and runs with them as far as the story is willing to let them go.

At least they didn't botch Batman.

Mixed in, of course, is Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill), who faces his own share of struggles. He’s become a divisive figure in society. Some call him a savior, even a god, and the rest are afraid that his seemingly unlimited powers could eventually go awry. This conflict would likely be more compelling if Cavill exercised the full range of his acting chops, but he doesn’t. The man, who physically fits the bill of Krypton’s favorite son, turns in a performance not unlike Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of Grey – all looks and no game. To be fair, Cavill has a difficult task in turning perhaps the most un-complex character in storytelling history into one facing a range of complicated concerns that are only set-aside for a messianic figure.

Another flaw in the movie highlights one of its strengths – the involvement of Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). Not nearly enough time is spent on their character development (I get it, Wonder Woman will have her movie in about a year’s time). Gadot seems to be the perfect fit for the exotic Amazon and warrior who can hold her own with anyone in the Justice League, yet she gets pushed aside in favor of the two titular characters. Then there’s Eisenberg, who presents an interesting take on the notorious super villain Luthor, who oddly enough isn’t bald. Luther creates havoc, and loves doing it. Still, there could be more invested into this conniving and complicated perpetual thorn in Superman’s side.

The next aspect of this money-maker is the big battle scene. Without giving away any of the details, the film essentially joins the Godzilla franchise for a longer amount of time than it needed to. This is not overly surprising since Snyder turned Man of Steel into Dragonball Z for about 40 minutes. Doing so, killed the opportunity to truly flesh out the characters (and probably an inordinate sum of innocent bystanders).

Wait, Godzilla? How do you get into this review?

In conclusion, Batman v. Superman had solid potential – an interesting take on Batman and Lex Luthor – but the execution required to make use of such promise was lacking in many areas. The greatest crime of all is its inability to stand on its own as a movie. For all intents and purposes, it is a transitional piece that will be defined by the movies that follow it in the DC series. That is never a compliment for any cinematic production, regardless of how much it does wonders for Warner Bros.' business end.