Snyder's true vision is an epic slow-burn thriller that pits two incompatible philosophies of fear and hope against a backdrop of plausible real-world political dynamics

Rating: 9/10 (14 October 2019)

Zack Snyder is an incredibly divisive filmmaker, having outputs such as 300 and Watchmen. The idea that his films are an acquired taste is very much true. Watchmen, a film adaption of the graphic novel of the same name, continues to be debated for its unnecessary length and lack of emotional drama, unlike its source which is universally considered one of the greatest works in the medium. Visually, Snyder is lauded for his stylized action and violence but criticized for poor narrative. Expectations of Batman and Superman meeting for the first time in cinema are stupidly difficult to realize, but mostly the two heroes are expected to be friendly and cordial, not cutthroat. Studio interference also led to negative receptions of the incoherent theatrical cut. Ben Affleck as a grizzled batman caused further controversy because it gives less room for future Batman stories and his characterization as a jaded crime fighter, breaking his famous no-kill rule. Man of Steel is just as divisive as his other films. Nevertheless, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition, Snyder's true vision, is an epic slow-burn thriller that pits two incompatible philosophies of fear and hope against a backdrop of plausible real-world political dynamics. The Ultimate Edition is what Warner Bros. should have released and Watchmen been.
Batman v Superman stars Ben Affleck as Batman, a 20-year crime-fighting veteran who realizes his decades work in Gotham hangs in the balance when Superman, an alien with literal superpowers, becomes the figure of hope and peace, putting his immense physical abilities for humanity's greater good. Superman, played by Henry Cavill, lives normally in his true self as Clark Kent, a Daily Planet news reporter. Two years after his destructive battle with fellow Kryptonian General Zod in Metropolis, Superman has to grapple with a skeptical public divided between people who view him as an ordinary man who does good acts and those that treat him as a rogue figure, unbounded by law.
The plot follows alternatively between both characters including Lex Luthor and Lois Lane. Batman is secretly doing detective work to locate a hidden figure who plans to bring a dirty bomb to Gotham. Following an ambush in a war-torn part of Africa, Superman finds himself at controversy when he is wrongly accused of the resulting deaths. Lois Lane, Clark Kent's partner, has to uncover the truth behind the ambush. Lex Luthor, a wealthy industrialist, openly influences Sen. June Finch to allow access inside the crashed Kryptonian ship and importation of a xenomaterial, capable of weakening Kryptonian physiology. The two main characters view each other on opposite lenses. Batman sees Superman as a threat who must be eliminated, while Superman views Batman as a lawless vigilante who decides unilaterally who lives or dies. Batman is the embodiment of fear, while Superman is the personification of hope.
Ben Affleck nails the grumpy attitude of the character in the comic book miniseries The Dark Knight Returns, including the physicality. Unlike previous versions, this Batman is a hulking behemoth who prefers to overpower foes instead of using agility. Similar to the Burton films, Batman is willing to kill and does so in significant numbers. Taking liberties and deviations can often lead to poor characterization, but not in this. His willingness to kill is given proper motivation, thus as executed in the story Batman's characterization works. Henry Cavill is much improved from his first outing as Superman in Man of Steel. None of the forced emotions and bad delivery of lines such as "You're a monster Zod..." Cavill convincingly plays the inner conflict of doing good, while getting flacked. Differentiating himself from Christopher Reeve, this Superman doesn't have the traditional boy scout persona commonly found in the comics and is more contemplative, even brooding. In the theatrical cut, Cavill looks bad because a majority of the 30-min deleted scenes were his as Clark Kent doing investigative journalistic work about Batman's recent violent outings. Reinserting those scenes in the Ultimate Edition gives the character more humanity, thus better overall acting. Amy Adams, like Cavill, is given more material in the Ultimate Edition. The biggest and most criticized acting decision is of Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. Fans expect Luthor to be gentlemanly and smooth, not manic. Eisenberg is another casualty of the theatrical cut that makes his performance and role look bad. Luthor has additional scenes in the Ultimate Edition that give him proper motivation, unlike in the theatrical cut where he comes off truly insane. The additional 30-minutes gives everyone more breathing room that enhances the acting.
As a political thriller, Batman v Superman digs deep into deconstructing the characters to their basics. Driven by the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne crusades as Batman to fight crime, a motivation consistently referenced throughout the film. 20 years as Batman, accompanied by the death of Robin, drags Bruce Wayne to mental lows, losing his humanity and empathy, further motivated by a sense of hopelessness and failure. Events unfold that reveals his detective work was a ruse to locate Kryptonite, a xenomineral capable of killing Superman. Unlike Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent does not have the same family tragedy and still has his mother to lean on. A figure with god-like powers, Superman ushers in political debates as to the necessity of his existence and whether he should be confined to government-sanctioned actions. Someone with such powers will court controversy, regardless of intentions. Superman is also shown to be more human and grounded than Batman. Lex Luthor manipulates both characters' inherent antagonism by blowing up Capitol Hill, abducting Martha Kent, building hatred for Superman through affected Wayne employees and importing Kryptonite which he intended for Batman to use against Superman. After an epic match, and before he could kill Superman, Batman finds his lost humanity when Superman says his mother's name, the same name of Batman's mother Martha Wayne. Two formerly opposite characters cast their differences to fight a common threat. Batman v Superman also introduces Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot, and the concept of metahumans.
Superhero films are big on spectacle and action. Snyder delivers the best fighting sequences in the genre. The Batman and Superman fight is brutal. Superman isn't depowered to make him a fair adversary. Batman is a tank, taking on armed goons singlehandedly. Wonder Woman is electric, taking center stage in the final fight against Doomsday. Doomsday is a Frankenstein monster with nearly limitless powers. The presentation of each hero and villain does justice to the characters. Batman v Superman is criticized for its bleak and dour tone, but for the film's subject material it is the appropriate direction. Even if the colors are greatly saturated, the film remains a beauty to look at. The cinematography, visual effects, production design, and score are all fantastic. Snyder is at the top of his artistic career.
A genuine critic that can be leveled against this film is it undoes Superman's death by implying he may be alive. Building all that drama only to discard the payoff is not a good cliffhanger. Elements of his boy scout persona should have been presented in the beginning and then gradually becoming more emotionally distant. Superman is the beacon of hope and comics' greatest superhero, and despite the film's strengths narratively this version feels a bit distant. Overall, the film is still widely epic. Warner Bros. should be ashamed of butchering a great, elseworlds tale.
9/10