Heroes Night and Day, Having Feet of Clay

Rating: 10/10 (8 August 2016)

I don't get it.
I don't understand the ire that the seventh film by madcap fanboy filmsmith Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) has earned. Having two of the biggest pop culture icons and comic book superheroes in a big-budgeted movie is enough, isn't it? Sure, "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" doesn't have a Shane Black/William Goldman bromance, where the duo argue yet get along to save the day, but a Kevin Smith/Sam Peckinpah bromance have the same goals, but have different, individualistic methods that cause them to lock horns. I prefer the second type because the first one is so familiar.
It's been almost two years since the events of "Man Of Steel" (another mistreated and misunderstood film) and Superman/Clark Kent (an earnest Henry Cavill of "Immortals" and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.") is a well-meaning wrecking ball to the world, doing his best to save lives from natural and man-produced disasters, yet, like the movie, divides humanity on whether to praise or persecute him. Two men of power choose the latter and get really close. Philanthropic billionaire Bruce Wayne (an impressive Ben Affleck of "Dogma" and "Argo"), who's also Gotham City's mysterious vigilante, the Batman, sees the Kryptonian, due to the dead and injured in Metropolis, as a threat to humanity. However, scientific industrialist Alexander "Lex" Luthor (Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg of "The Social Network" and "Café Society") is more selfish and dangerously egotistical, being a Machiavellian puppeteer to discredit both heroes in each other's eyes and the public's, making the Big Two clash. The "Thriller in Manila 2.0"?
Like "Watchmen", "Batman vs. Superman", this 182 minute, light R-rated cut, fails at being a simplistic, action-adventure romp with spandex and armor, but succeeds at being a social commentary, with a labyrinth mystery inside, about superheroes existing in the real, post Sept. 11 world, loosely adapting Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" and Dan Jurgens's "The Death of Superman". It's nice to have the Blue Boy Scout save a child from a burning building and slam an African warlord through a wall, saving his girlfriend, intrepid newshound Lois Lane (button cute Amy Adams of "Big Eyes" and "Junebug"), but the world-level risks and consequences are there, echoed by cynical media pundits on 24-hour cable news. Meanwhile, it's cool to see the Batman save a group of women from a human exploiter, but he puts fear in said women and some residents of Gotham City as he does to the criminals, and no one cares,save for a hypocritical Clark Kent. With a socially/politically aware script by David Goyer (the Dark Knight saga) and Chris Terrio (the Oscar-winning "Argo"), Snyder (who, with Affleck, obviously ghost-polished the script) expertly juggles the balls of fantasy and reality.
His actors are game. Affleck's haunted and haunting here as Wayne/Batman, wanting to make a difference after two decades of fighting crime yet losing a partner to an arch foe (hint, hint). Cavill's good-hearted Kent/Superman wants to make a difference too, but is surrounded by cynics who prove more deadly than the Kryptonite Luthor retrieves from the remains of the Kryptonian tech from "Steel". Only Adams's Lois and Diane Lane's ("The Outsiders", "Untraceable") Martha Kent are on his side, providing Frank Capra-ish love and wisdom. Though he's a jittery curve ball under a millennial chassis, Eisenberg's Luthor is still a perfect combo of Gordon Gecko and Donald Trump (with a pinch of Don King),spreading fear while benefitting from it. Wry humor's nicely provided by Jeremy Irons ("Die Hard With A Vengeance", "Being Julia") as Wayne's right hand man, Alfred Pennyworth and Laurence Fishburne (the Matrix saga, "Blackish") as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White while down-to-earth anguish and helplessness is expertly handled by Holly Hunter ("The Piano", "Raising Arizona") as a U.S. senator concerned with Superman's existence and Scoot McNairy ("Monsters") as a victim of the collateral damage by Superman and General Zod (Michael Shannon shows up as a corpse here) in "Steel". Geeks will grin at the appearance of mercenary KGBeast (Callan Mulvey, sans tights) and Luthor's bodyguard, Mercy Graves (Tak Okumoto). I wish there was more of Jena Malone ("Sucker Punch" the Hunger Games films) as Lois's quirky FBI tech friend.
And yesGal Gadot (the "Fast and Furious" saga) is the equalizer as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, a 5,000 year-old Amazon powerhouse who's incognito as an antique dealer. She's tired of war and fears Luthor will find and exploit her, via a vintage photo from World War I. Smart, tough, flirtatious and flirtable, she's the bridge to the formation of DC Comics's own prestige superhero group, the Justice League. Lightning bolt The Flash (Ezra Miller of "City Island), Atlantean monarch Aquaman (Jason Momoa of "Bullet To The Head") and mechanical hybrid Cyborg (stage actor Ray Turner) make fun video file cameos. "The Walking Dead" actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan (an" Watchmen" alum) and Lauren Cohan have eye wink parts as the doomed Thomas and Martha Wayne. Other "Watchmen" alum show up in voice: Carla Gugino as the Kryptonian computer and Patrick Wilson as the U.S. President. Kevin Costner ("Silverado", "JFK") reprises his role as Jonathan Kent as an wise, inner apparition to Clark.
If "Man of Steel" didn't exist, I would agree with the complainers who wanted the Big Two to have a small row and be "buddy-buddy", but, being smart and unspoiled, I appreciate "Batman vs. Superman" for being smart, sexy, egalitarian, socially conscious, socially honest, politically aware, wry humorous, action-packed (the fight scenes supervised by Damon Caro are keen), refreshingly adult and shamelessly comic book fan-centric. It's one of the best of 2016, and I wouldn't have it any other way.