A Bittersweet Experience

Rating: 6/10 (24 March 2016)

Almost certainly, fanboys of superhero films will most likely be pleased with Zack Snyder's second adaptation of the D.C universe. Unfortunately, despite beautiful special effects, the film is mostly uninspired, convoluted, and badly pilfered from some of D.C comics greatest titles.
It's been 18 months since the appearance of Superman, and since the aftermath of his devastating battle in Metropolis. Immediately the tone is set in a world that is distrustful of Superman and his god-like abilities, as previously alluded in 'Man of Steel.' Society is divided between those who believe he is meant to be their saviour, and those who disbelieve his intentions are good. Superman is already worshipped by many around the world, and he has already saved the world once from General Zod's army. But Superman poses a very real threat to humanity, and is an alien in a world that doesn't belong to him with the power to rule it like a god if he wished. This is the division that ultimately sets up the titular battle that both heroes are drawn into. The theme is one of distrust. It's a good theme, but sadly the plot is too twisted and convoluted to follow.
The plot itself was a fairly difficult and confusing experience, even for a regular moviegoer. Writer/ Producer David S. Goyer, and Chris Terrio, adapt so many different events from some of the best D.C titles, that the avid reader should be able to pick them out with ease. Most notably Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns', Grant Morrison's 'All-Star Superman', Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert's 'Flashpoint' (briefly), and of course I won't name the event in Superman Vol.2 from 1992 that gives away the ending of this movie. Unfortunately, this is a common problem in the Superhero genre, that any SINGLE title here could have easily been adapted as a film by itself, but filmmakers borrow and lend from ALL of them and never settle on one simple story. The result is a garbled story that is barely cohesive, with special effects layered on top in order to mask how badly devised this film really is.
This movie lets itself be smothered in an avalanche of events and unnecessary plot devices. The first hour of the film is a barrage of flashbacks, 4 or 5 dream sequences, and poorly written dialogue. You never really have a chance to settle into this new world and take it all in. The story jumps around like a fish out of water, from character to character, event to unconnected event, and is rife with plot holes from the beginning (most notably for me was the geography between Gotham and Metropolis, and this new 'killer' Batman hypocrisy). The final half of the film is simply a grouping of loose references towards future movies in the series, so much so that it becomes an advertisement unto itself.
On the positive side, there are some decent moments of acting in the film. The introduction of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, was perhaps the best casting choice for the whole film. She exudes power in every scene, and I found myself hoping for more of her story in this film. Henry Cavil hasn't changed much since his first film as Superman, and does well reprising the role. He's perhaps more confused about his place in the world than before, and finds himself swayed by the people he protects. He's also more vulnerable in this film, which was nicely expressed at times. On the other hand, Ben Affleck was a surprisingly different version of Batman. I wasn't very impressed with this older and slightly broken Batman, and was very different from previous incarnations. He is a much more sadistic version, who enjoys the violence he inflicts on others, and you could easily argue is a straight up murderer. Jesse Eisenburg was an absolute miscast in this film, as the geeky version of Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (or the son, also named Lex Luthor?). He is a tiny, insane, fragile little ball of emotions. They dressed him up to look powerful, but he does not exude power. His character is supposed to be motivated and intelligent, but he comes off as obnoxious and annoying. Nor does he ever explain his motivations behind ANY of his actions. He was, to put it bluntly, terrible. I certainly hope he doesn't return in future films.
Overall, it was a bittersweet experience. As a D.C fan I really wanted to like this movie. I wanted to leave the theatre with a sense of excitement and anticipation, but I was left confused and upset at the lack of storytelling from both writer and director. I hope future D.C entries learn from this blunder, and Snyder returns to the level of storytelling in some of his previous films.
6/10