"Batman v Superman" is a little too much of a semi-good thing.

Rating: 6/10 (25 March 2016)

I can't think of another movie that was preceded by more controversy and criticism than "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (PG-13, 2:31). Before I get into my plot summary (as much as I can say without spoilers) and talk about what merit there might be to the issues that have been raised, let's sum them up. There seem to be 7 of them: (1) What a stupid premise! One has super powers and the other just has gadgets. Obviously, Superman can beat Batman! What's the point? (2) Why would Batman and Superman be fighting anyway? Aren't they both good guys? (3) Why use a "v" in the title and not "vs." or "versus"? Calling it "Batman v Superman" makes it sound like a court case! (4) DC is just copying what Marvel did with their characters coming together in the "Avengers" movies. (5) I hope this movie is better than the last Superman movie! "Man of Steel" wasn't that good and its ending was hard to swallow. (6) Affleck as Batman?!? Are you kidding me?? (7) Two and a half hours? This better be good.
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is very loosely based on Frank Miller's comic book series "The Dark Knight Returns", but features an original story and takes place more in Superman's world than in Batman's. This film's Batman is not a continuation of the Christopher Nolan / Christian Bale "Dark Knight" trilogy, but it exists in the same "universe" as 2013's "Man of Steel". This is a pseudo-sequel to that film, but also functions as a "pilot" for the ensuing "Justice League" movies – some featuring the group of seven and some featuring the individual characters, like with the "Marvel Cinematic Universe".
Picking up with the climactic Superman / Zod showdown that took place at the end of "Man of Steel", Bruce Wayne / Batman (Ben Affleck) is on hand to witness the devastation that befell Metropolis, including at one of his own buildings, and begins to feel that Superman / Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) is to blame for the death and destruction. For his part, Kent is growing concerned over Batman's particular brand of vigilante justice, which now includes burning the outline of a bat into the chests of criminals. As each comes to believe that the other is dangerously unaccountable, the public begins to feel that way too – but mostly towards Superman. One U.S. Senator (Holly Hunter) even holds public hearings on the matter and invites Superman himself to testify. Tech magnate Alexander "Lex" Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is trying to get his hands on the body of Zod, Zod's crashed spaceship and some recently discovered kryptonite that could be used to keep Superman in check. (Oh, and it also might come in handy to level the playing field between Batman and Superman, if they were to ever you know, "v" each other.) Of course, these three guys aren't playing their game of cat and mouse and supermouse in a vacuum. Kent's fellow reporter at the Daily Planet (and main squeeze), Lois Lane (Amy Adams) still needs saving from time to time, especially with villains like Islamic extremists and Russian mafia figures running through the story. Kent keeps butting heads with his boss (Laurence Fishburne) about his journalistic priorities, until he flies back to Kansas to visit his adoptive mother (Diane Lane), who gives him emotional support in his time of need – and then gets even more involved in the story. As Wayne is pursuing his growing obsession with Superman – and his growing suspicions about what Luthor is really up to, he has the assistance of his ever faithful butler, Alfred (Jeremy Irons), who seems to be doing a lot more consulting and assisting with Wayne's missions that actual butling (butlering). A mysterious woman named Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) also keeps showing up at various important moments.
"Batman v Superman" deals fairly effectively with the concerns raised prior to its release. Affleck does make a very good Batman – every bit as dark and brooding as Bale's Dark Knight, but more violent. Cavill has also turned out to be a very good Superman and Adams puts just the right mix of intelligence and vulnerability into her Lois Lane. Eisenberg explores the psychotic side of Lex Luthor, which is mostly interesting, but sometimes crosses over into comically overacting. Unfortunately, just as Eisenberg's Luthor gets a little too nutty at times, so does the script. The story's Batman versus Superman rivalry and ultimate battle ends up working pretty well, but the whole set-up still ends up feeling forced. A bunch of celebrity cameos (six real-life reporters / TV personalities, one theoretical physicist and one sitting U.S. Senator) add some gravitas to the proceedings, but the plot is still a bit of a stretch.
There's also just too much going on in this film. With everything that's happening in Metropolis and Gotham and Washington – and all the business about blending the worlds of multiple superheroes, "Batman v Superman" can be a little hard to follow and, at times, seems like it doesn't amount to much more than a lot of noise and visual effects. The story worked a little better than I thought it would, the script symbolically raised some important contemporary issues and the movie was generally entertaining, but it just tried to do too much and wasn't as much fun as it could have been. "B"