Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Following the events of Man of Steel, the citizens of Metropolis are yet to recover from the collateral damage of Superman’s (Henry Cavill) battle with Zod. The superhero’s actions and intentions are therefore scrutinised assiduously and his every choice is seen as a political move. He soon becomes a victim of the public’s general distrust, and is targeted as a threat. Batman (Ben Affleck) is also concerned that Superman may have become a menace to humans, and so decides to forcibly stop him from further involvement with them. As the two superheroes battle one another, scientist Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) has plans of his own to annihilate the city.

While the audience is already familiar with Cavill’s Superman, Affleck’s Batman is a surprise as the revengeful and almost sadistic version of the dark character. Eisenberg also offers an interesting interpretation of Lex Luthor but, although he captures the sinister nature of the villain rather well, his rendition is heavily laden with unfulfilled potential. The role is intriguing and lends itself to a show-stealing performance, which is never achieved. It could be that the psychotic, faintly Ledger-esque shade of the role inspires comparisons with the infamous Joker and unfairly raises such expectations.

Batman v Superman is likely to delight followers of the genre as it is packed with action, special effects and the occasional plot twist. In fact, the film offers exactly what is expected from a superhero feature, and this is good news for the fans who have impatiently awaited its release. In terms of balancing faithfulness to the comic books and innovation, director Zack Snyder’s mix will undoubtedly satisfy, as will the highly engaging visuals, breathtaking action and epic scope.

To those looking for a solid plot, however, the storyline will seem disjointed and overburdened with characters – their role is primarily to instigate fresh fights and prevent slumps in the flow. The film is clearly made with the upcoming instalments in mind, thus tending to exalt the promise of future adventures at the expense of weakening the narrative at hand.

Perhaps the enormous amount of pressure from fans and from the industry, which counts on such films to succeed on a cosmic scale, is too strong to permit movie-makers to be uninfluenced in their creative choices, leading to a scattered medley of popular elements. The film’s shortcomings, however, will not detract from the enjoyment it can provide. Overall, it succeeds in its scope of providing entertainment and it makes for a captivating addition to the DC Comics film series.

Mersa Auda

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is released nationwide on 25^th March 2016.

Check out the Impossible Collection exhibition in London featuring the very first appearances of Superman and Batman here.

Watch the trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice here: