Not A Masterpiece, But An Important Post Modern Commentary Nonetheless

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2020)

Been meaning to talk more extensively about this one, because arguably the most divisive film of the decade deserves more than a few sentences.
I'll start off by saying that Batman v. Superman is no masterpiece. This isn't a case like the Star Wars prequels or The Wolfman (2010) or even Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom where I will die on a hill in defense of it being one of the greatest blockbusters of all time. There are big problems I have with it.
Eisenberg as Lex was an interesting experiment that I feel ultimately failed. I don't mind the more neurotic take on the character, but the script presents him as too unstable too fast. I feel the direction the film goes with Lex would only have worked as a slow descent into madness (which makes sense, given that Eisenberg's best acted scenes are near the end) It's hardly out of character for Lex to lose his mind on an increasingly obsessive quest to destroy Superman, but there doesn't seem to really be a journey with him as a villain.
Doomsday isn't handled very well here either, which is shocking given that he's so easy to get right. His entire character revolves around him being the enemy of all life, the antithesis to the preserver of life that is Superman. That point doesn't get across very well when most of the death he causes is done in self defense or confusion. He lacks weight, he lacks menace and, worst of all, he's just not intimidating.
Batman doesn't spare Superman because their mothers have the same name. I feel that's self evident at this point, but it's important to say. That's being said, the dreadful dialogue and awkward editing in that scene don't exactly paint a clear picture for Batman's motivations and definitely undermine some rich thematic material and really not-bad acting. Snyder had the right idea with Batman's redemption coming through a son pleading for his mother's life, but the execution is incredibly messy. Scenes like this are why I call Snyder an absent minded professor; he's an intelligent storyteller with smart ideas, but he lacks the wisdom and patience to execute them properly.
Being a cinematic universe film doesn't do this film very many favors either. It's hard for me to take this entirely seriously for the art house masterpiece it's trying to be, exploring deep themes like xenophobia, cultural fear and media irresponsibility, when it's also trying to sell Aquaman, Cyborg and Flash films in a movie that has nothing to do with them.
With all of that out of the way...This is still a good film.
I'm tempted to say that this is the perfect take on the Superman character. Turning him into an allegory for the plight of the American refugee, the victim of horrific prejudice, intolerance and cultural hatred from a race he truly loves unconditionally, gives pathos, vulnerability and cultural relevance to the character that we haven't seen on film before. Cavill gives an outstanding performance as Clark Kent and I had no problem believing the increasingly heavy emotional burden he had to carry in his nuanced, detailed facial acting.
On the other side, we have Affleck's Batman, easily the best performance of the character in live action. He's as intimidating, haunted and convincingly ruthless as any great supervillain and the more cruel and sinister take on the character is a fascinating departure from Bale's version of the character. This is what Batman would look like in the real world; a jaded, paranoid billionaire who spends a small fortune waging a futile war on crime sinking further and further into violent madness. Affleck's vulnerability and fragility keeps the character sympathetic without being truly empathetic, a tragic villain who only finds redemption when Superman shines a mirror on his bigoted, Right Wing jingoistic ways.
The musical score is absolutely outstanding, arguably the most iconic since Elfman's scores of the early 90s. It's epic, sweeping and does a lot of the heavy lifting in translating the film to the modern myth that Snyder is obviously trying to hard to achieve. You Are My World is a particularly moving and emotionally evocative track and easily the most memorable here.
While Batman v. Superman is far from perfect, Zack Snyder should still be proud of what he's accomplished in what's probably the best live action Batman film to date. Heartfelt, smart, grounded and more relevant today than ever, BvS is a remarkably post modern commentary in an era when superhero films rarely aspire to be anything more than repetitive diversions.