A mediocre Superhero flick

Rating: 5/10 (25 June 2016)

Ever since the announcement of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I was excited at the prospect of pitting two of biggest superheroes of all time, but also apprehensive at how they were going to make such a movie. A lot of people will enjoy the spectacle, but feel a little disappointed that it didn't reach the heights we wished it would. This is what I felt after leaving the theater. Directed by Zach Snyder, who was also at the helm of Man of Steel, he brings in all the action and enjoyment you would want in a typical superhero movie, and is shown through some cool fighting scenes and more emotionality from all the characters. I'm going to split this up into what is a good, OK and bad in the movie.
The good stuff first. What I really liked in this movie was Ben Affleck's portrayal of the Dark Knight, and how he approached being the hidden, crime-fighting superhero. His performance was strong and solid, and I enjoyed the brutality he brought to the field. I was worried when I heard the criticism of him being casted as Batman because I think he's a good actor and can really make a movie his own. I also enjoyed Gal Gadot and Wonder Women. I thought she gave the movie a good push, but I wished that they gave her a bit more screen-time as she had the ability to really take the spotlight from the other heroes. Back to Batman, I really liked how he approached Superman and his motives towards killing him. His work on Superman's history and weaknesses was quite interesting to watch, as well as him working closely with his butler, Alfred, played by Jeremy Irons. I enjoyed Jeremy Irons portrayal as it was different from the Alfred we've seen in countless Batman movies. He still helps build suits and gadgets for his battle with Superman despite his doubts over Bruce's decision. Overall, Ben Affleck's portrayal of Batman is one of the best parts of the movie, but I still believe Christian Bales version is slightly better. Moving on from the characters, the action was hectic but in a good way. Each action sequence brought in new detail to the story, and showed off each heroes and villains abilities to its full potential. I especially liked when Superman arrives to meet Batman near the end of the movie and the Dark Knight says, 'well....here I am'.
Now, some of the things that weren't good, but not bad either. Something basic to start off with is the plot. The title is quite misleading and the plot is messed up with many sub-plots which take you away from the real battle. The story sounds complex but is very simple, which makes it a whole lot easier for the viewer. Another thing are some characters I haven't mentioned yet, in particular Lex Luthor and Superman. Superman, played by Henry Cavill, was a bit boring and bland, and he didn't really bring anything exciting or jaw-dropping to the table like Batman or even Wonder-Women did. Lex Luthor on the other-hand was as crazy and weird as the Joker himself. He completely went over-the-top, but I didn't entirely mind it. It's hard to rate him, especially as I like Jesse Eisenberg as an actor, it's just that Lex didn't completely feel right. Also, I found him really annoying in some scenes. Another character is Doomsday. Like Lex, I didn't mind him in the context of the story, and during some parts of the final fight, I found him unnecessary. I guess he was just there to kill off Superman, which I also didn't mind if it continues on the DC universe franchise. But, it did take me by surprise that DC would take this cause of action, even for the benefit of the Justice League and other movies.
Lastly, the bad stuff. The editing is quite horrible actually. Never in a superhero movie have I seen badly transitioned scenes or a change in context. At some stages of the movie it put me off. To extend on that is that there were too many scenes that had little to no influence on the plot, and too many dream sequences. Even though some will have connections to future movies, I disliked it a lot. These scenes only made the movie longer than it should've been. The two things I hated the most with the first being really laughable is the reason Batman and Superman stop fighting and all the hatred towards Superman. So the first pointI just laugh in my head sometimes thinking about that. Plus, the choice of words from Superman. Why say Martha when he could've just said that his mother was kidnapped by Lex, and not wait for Lois to tell Batman at the end of the fight. The second really annoyed me because when Superman does die, you felt very little sadness or sympathy for him. There are many other little nit-picks which I won't mention because some a pretty obvious when you see the movie.
Overall, it's an average movie, not great, with many flaws in its plot, but as a fan of the superhero genre, I enjoyed seeing two of the most prolific comic-book heroes' face-off against each other.