For as long as the entertainment industry has existed, superhero films have relied on anticipation and admiration to create a successful movie that becomes a stepping stone for future films. “The Avengers,” for example, managed to take the superhero genre to a new level by raising the bar for other Marvel films.
Unfortunately, “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” does not fall into that category. Clogged by a tedious showing that turns into a two-and-a-half-hour drag, the film becomes yet another mediocre experiment distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
The film begins with the climatic scene from the preceding film, “Man of Steel,” in which Superman (Henry Cavill) engages in a battle with General Zod (Michael Shannon). Batman (Ben Affleck) witnesses the chaotic situation alongside the citizens of Metropolis.
During the the next 18 months, Superman finds himself a controversial figure because of the mass number of casualties that resulted from the battle. On the other side of the spectrum, we have Batman, who has spent his fair share of time hunting down criminals. This track record showcases an intimidating hero who relies on anger and hatred to hunt down those who have wronged others.
The one thing the film does exceptionally well is portray our beloved Caped Crusader. Unlike Christopher Nolan’s Batman, which grounded our hero in a more realistic light, Zack Snyder’s Batman presents a legendary vigilante who relies excessively on combat skills and gadgets.
Gal Gadot’s performance as Wonder Woman keeps the movie from becoming a failure, despite playing a minor role for most of the film. Unfortunately, avoiding complete failure does not mean avoiding disappointment. After discovering that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) obtained kryptonite from the bottom of the Indian Ocean, Batman sets out to retrieve the material to use it against Superman. This plan fails when he encounters Superman, who lets him off with a warning.
Instead of delivering over-the-top fighting scenes between two beloved DC Comics characters, the film relies heavily on discussions and arguments over Superman’s role in the world. This is a great decision if your intention is to bore the audience.
Eisenberg’s performance as Luthor disappoints, mostly because of his character’s role throughout the film. Despite coming off as a humorous and psychotic antagonist, Luthor diminishes himself with excessive, philosophical speeches directed at Superman. Bluntly, Luthor comes off as annoying rather than intimidating.
After attempting to blackmail Superman into confronting Batman, Luthor captures Superman’s adoptive mother, Martha Kent (Diane Lane). What follows is a brief-but-intense duel between our two main characters, which ends with Batman’s discovering the truth about Luthor’s plans. After Luthor unleashes a creature known as Doomsday, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman must unite to take down the new super villain.
In the end, “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” is a film that doesn’t live up to the superhero hype, especially compared to the Marvel franchise.
Rating: C+
Follow Ernesto Fierro on Twitter.
