Batman and Superman Winners

Rating: 6/10 (2 April 2016)

Just like the critics and fans, Batman and Superman duke it out for supremacy in the DC Universe. Despite its flaws, the Dawn of Justice does justice to the two heroes. Batman is on a vendetta against Kal-El/Clark/Superman. The collateral damage from the most recent Superman has cost many lives, many of whom were close to Bruce Wayne/Batman. He now worries about the unchecked power of Superman. So does the United States. When Superman has to save Lois (big shock, right?), some more collateral damage happens somewhere in Africa. Now the U.S. Congress wants to meet with Superman and discuss this immense power, since they think with great power comes great ... wait ... wrong franchise. Still, you get the idea. As Batman investigates some strange activities of Lex Corp and its founder, Lex Luthor, he meets the reporter, Clark Kent. Of course, he has his own agenda, wishing to investigate the Bat Vigilante who operates outside the law. In fact, when Wayne and Kent meet, the young reporter is already on to him. Also, a new casual observer is growing curious, as well as stirring up curiosity: a meta human who will be known as Wonder Woman. Finally, we have a Lex Luthor who has created an elaborate plot to pit the two against each other. We have a battle, a team-up, and the defeat of a bigger threat known as Doomsday. Fresh from the genes of General Zod, it wreaks havoc in Metropolis, so only the two heroes, I mean three, stop him. First, I want to get my gripes out of the way. First, the trailer for the movie pretty much gave away the whole plot - so thanks a ton, Warner Brothers. Second, Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor will have people considering him for a prestigious award: a Razzie. While Gene Hackman went with camp and humor, and Kevin Spacey went with more sinister, Eisenberg gives us a loopy Lex Luthor who has Tourette's Syndrome. There is also some lazy writing within the screenplay, as they could not execute the story as well Marvel writers have. Instead of focusing on our three superheroes, they pull some tricks out of left field to introduce Flash, Aquaman, and another hero I am unfamiliar with. However, it has a lot going for it. The most controversial casting decision, Ben Affleck as Batman, was the best choice. He owned that role, playing it to perfection. It even rivaled Christian Bale's take on the role. Henry Cavill as Superman is no Christopher Reeve, but he plays the role more for complexity and not so much as comical. Clark and Superman are much closer to each other. Moreover, unlike Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth, Cavill and Adams have a good chemistry as Lois and Clark/Superman. Another good aspect was the fights and the action. While Doomsday went a little over the top, at least it was entertaining and fun to watch. And the fights between the two leads are both entertaining and done with a much greater level of believability than the Doomsday fight. The movie was drawn out a little long, especially the ending that will still pique the audience's attention. So that part did work for me. I just wish the writers could have found a way to shorten the path. Overall, despite these mistakes, Batman v Superman is one to watch for the ages. I look forward to the next one.