Fortunately for the financiers of this film, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is one of those tentpole entertainment events of the year that people will fork over money to watch in spite of the less-than-stellar reviews, of which there are many littered all over the Internet. Unfortunately I am sure many of those said people will be walking out of the film theatre with scorched wings, burned by the fiery heat of unmet expectations.
That’s not to say that the film was a flop. It had its moments but those few exceptional scenes were overshadowed by a muddy plot made even murkier by a convoluted evil scheme, terrible pacing and one of the worst casting choices in recent years. Yes, I’m pretty sure you know who it is and it’s not Ben Affleck, who actually pleasantly surprised me with his nuanced portrayal of an older Bruce Wayne scarred by the catastrophe caused by Superman (played by Henry Cavill) in Man of Steel.
The visuals are brilliantly visceral and classic Zack Snyder, who certainly knows a thing or two about colour and action cinematography. But philosophical discussions of Man and God, which dominate the first half of the film, are perhaps a few bridges too far for Snyder. The theme felt inauthentic and forced, and it’s probably due to the one-note scriptwriting.
Talking about forced, the appearance of Wonder Woman (played by the extremely fetching Gal Gadot) is certainly a nod to please the fanboys and fangirls but if you edited her out, it would have made little consequence to the film.
There are also a few references to future story arcs and characters in the film, many of which would fly past and probably even confuse the non-DC loving viewer. But it doesn’t detract from the film experience.
If Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is an indication of things to come, then I’m afraid Marvel will be sniggering in their plush chairs because they have nothing to worry about.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is out on all cinemas islandwide now