Lives up to expectations

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2016)

Does absolute power allow for absolute good? Or does it mean having to compromise for the Greater Good? Does absolute power put someone above the rest? Or does it call for an even stricter moral restraint? These fundamental questions about morality, heroism and more, are addressed in DC Comics' new epic film, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
This movie is not just about a physical battle between two titans. If that were the case, they'd be pounding upon each other for two and a half hours. No. This is a clash of ideals, a battle of wills. On one hand, the Batman, a ruthless vigilante who brands his victims, after mercilessly attacking criminals as and when the job requires; and on the other hand, Superman, whose incorruptible sense of morality forever prevents him from operating as an agent of Fear like the Batman, but rather as an agent of Hope.
The best part about this film is the fact that director Zack Snyder learns from his mistakes, and as a consequence, so does Superman. When the prequel, "Man of Steel", portrayed the Last Son of Krypton as just another mindless weapon of destruction, die-hard fans assumed (and they turned out to be right) that this uncharacteristic blandness in Superman's otherwise rich moral fiber would be washed away once he got more practice and got used to the whole "hero thing". Critics and Superman purists, on the other hand, had already dismissed the rebooted Superman franchise as another failed experiment. Snyder, however, proved them wrong. Henry Cavill puts on a balanced but impressive performance as a god who has to make the tough choices, but at the same time as the traditional save-a-cat-out-of- a-tree Superman that long-time fans know and love. Although Cavill's portrayal wasn't as accurate in this "humane" aspect, it was still a huge improvement upon his one-dimensional Man of Steel portrayal, and still a work in progress. More is expected from him in The Justice League: Part One.
Ben Affleck is simply spectacular as the Batman. He has the ideal physique for the character, being slightly bulkier than Christian Bale's unnaturally-lean-Batman. The film has some superbly choreographed Batman fight scenes, all of which showcase a slightly rougher combat style of a hero who knows 27 martial arts, although his incessant passive use of guns takes a lot away from the core of the character (who hasn't touched a gun since the 1960's). This Batman is much older than the traditional Batman, and he's also that much more merciless. This major change in the personality of the Batman is the central plot point of the movie; the crux of the moral battle between Fear and Hope. Affleck pulls off a great Bruce Wayne as well, with the exception of having a much more depressed Alfred to help him out.
While Amy Adams does a decent job of Lois Lane, Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is a very squeaky disappointment. One of the biggest mistakes of the movie was having someone with the personality of the Joker (minus the confidence), in Lex Luthor's shoes. The two characters are poles apart, and Snyder seemed to have forgotten this. This film was a guide on how NOT to be Lex Luthor, because this is the furthest the character has ever deviated from the original version. Luthor is extremely self- confident, and the lack of this important personality trait in the film, is a major setback. A squeaky voice, nervous tics, and stage fright, all backfire on the character, taking away from his brash arrogant genius instead of adding to it. He has been shown, however, to be quite resourceful and cunning, something which redeems Eisenberg's performance a notch.
Superman's suit has been given more color and vibrancy after Man of Steel (helping to brighten the character as well), deepening the blue and yellow and giving a softer feel to the cloth rather than the plastic feel in the prequel. The Bat-suit has finally been made out of cloth armor, rather than the Kevlar battle armor we have seen in all previous movie versions of the character. His mechanized suit is very similar to the suit in The Dark Knight Returns comic, and does great justice to the same.
This brilliance in costume design is a perfect supplement to the special effects spectacle that unfolds. Zack Snyder started out as a cinematographer, and his specialty lies in his attention to detail and hyper-realism. From the tiniest speck of dust to the cinders on Wonder Woman's shield, from the lightest breeze when Superman hovers, to the bang that resonates when he breaks the sound barrier, everything is perfectly done. The fight scenes are right out of a comic book, with great accuracy shown in the trademark manner in which each hero fights (The Trinity vs Doomsday is the perfect example). Even the way Superman flies is much smoother than the rough bursts of speed shown in Man of Steel, emphasizing the fact that he's gotten so much better at being himself.
Hans Zimmer does it once again. Currently the greatest music director in mainstream Hollywood, he has surpassed his work in Inception and The Dark Knight with his unique take to each character. Keeping the same Man of Steel theme for Superman, he has created a separate theme for each character, which is merged into their respective fight scenes wonderfully, and will also be used for each hero's individual films in the future. Director Zack Snyder has hit three birds with one stone with this film: 1: a reasonably improved Superman; 2: setting a stage of epic universal proportions (via the upcoming The Justice League) with new characters and story lines; and 3: providing a visual treat to audiences, both the average movie goer and the die hard comic fan alike. He has also provided DC Comics fans with the opportunity to see some landmark story lines and characters come to life on the big screen.