So Much Better than the Critics Led Me to Believe

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2016)

I was extremely excited for this film for about three years now but I have to admit that I was getting a bit nervous when the reviews started dropping. The majority of reviewers really aren't feeling the hype on this one but I'm happy I went ahead and gave the movie a shot. I'll be honest, I straight up love this film. I was taken aback right at first from the weird editing but it actually gave the movie this stream of consciousness feel that made me think William Faulkner was directing my superhero movie. You can definitely tell the influence of a writer like Chris Terrio combined with the particular directing style of Zach Snyder has managed to create something that's obviously divisive but at the same time incredibly unique, especially in the comic book movie genre.
This movie is a sequel to the events depicted in Man of Steel and focuses on Superman (Henry Cavill) trying to find his role in the world while Batman (Ben Affleck) becomes increasingly unhinged after the destruction of Metropolis. Superman is being worshiped by some people as a God while others are accusing him of involving himself in situations that shouldn't concern him. Batman has gone on his own personal mission to find a way to take down Superman since he believes he's responsible for the deaths of people that were close to him in Metropolis. While these two are struggling with their own demons, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is manipulating the government and the public to further his own plans.
The acting is absolutely phenomenal in this film. Put any fears you had about Ben Affleck to rest because this is easily one of the best iterations of Batman we've ever had. It's also one of the most unhinged. There is something seriously wrong with this man and we actually see it pretty early on because of Bruce's bizarre dreams. Honestly, this man desperately needs help but he decides to beat the living hell out of criminals instead. Henry Cavill also does an excellent job as Clark Kent. Superman has always been a bit of a goody two shoes and that's true here as well but there's more to it than that. Clark is having a bit of an existential crisis because of all of the criticism he's receiving and it's causing him to question himself and his relationship with humanity. It's an interesting direction to take the character but it works well.
I honestly enjoyed everyone's roles in this movie but I want to mention at least two other people. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is easily one of the most divisive aspects of the film but I actually really enjoyed what they decided to do with the character. This guy doesn't seem like much right at first but we soon learn this man is just as unhinged and terrifying as Batman, just in a different kind of way. This man is pure evil and is willing to do anything and kill anyone to get what he wants, all while believing in his own twisted sense of morality. Finally, I need to mention Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. She absolutely nails this role and Diana ends up being one of the best parts of the movie. Her presence just automatically adds more excitement into what's happening and helps to set up the whole subplot of introducing us to the idea of a Justice League.
I have to admit, the tone of this film is incredibly dark. I went in expecting it to be dark and the movie still managed to impress me with how far they were willing to go with it. However, a lot of this dark tone can be directly traced back to the machinations of Luthor and Bruce's deteriorating mental state. I don't want to spoil anything but the way Clark and Bruce eventually find hope once again is done very uniquely and makes for a very different kind of superhero film.
If I had to nitpick I would say that little nods to the other characters that would make up the Justice League feel a bit forced and awkward, but to be perfectly honest I actually kind of enjoyed them. They were so weird but they all had their own little flavor that helped to show that these characters would all bring something different to the tone of the sequel. I'm going to go ahead and give this movie a recommendation simply because I really did come out of the theater loving it. I think it might be one of my favorite superhero films, and this is coming from someone that absolutely adores all of the Marvel movies. I can however see why it didn't work for some people but it's hard to tell how you'll react to it unless you watch it yourself.