“We’re criminals Alfred…we’ve always been criminals.”
In an effort to catch up with the universal juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warner Brothers and DC Comics have crafted a plan to skip ahead of the usual solo-film introduction model and present a quickly thrown together Justice League prequel in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The gimmick, for what its worth, doesn’t quite work. Though it should be noted that the film isn’t nearly as terrible as what you have likely heard.
Set out to conquer the world, Zach Snyder ultimately bites off more than he can chew. In an effort to do a bit of everything, he does nothing well, working too hard to craft characters that never get the time nor attention they deserve as the film fails to grasp its purpose and misfires due to its lack of understanding in regard to its story.
From the onset we are quickly introduced to the latest take on Bruce Wayne. In what is now an age old montage that includes a young Bruce walking down a dark alley with his parents, Snyder works to show parallelism, playing to your sense of nostalgia as you witness a part of the story that any superhero fan knows by heart. The constant switch between past and present helps to passively introduce Affleck as an older Wayne, though audiences are taken largely for granted as his history is hardly touched on throughout the two-and-a-half hour movie.
Just as quickly as the nostalgia hits, it evaporates. We quickly find our headlining duo sharing the screen to the backdrop of buildings shattering and chaos amongst the civilians who find themselves in the streets of Metropolis. And while neither character gets a full explanation as to other’s familiarity with their mere existence, we are quickly led to believe that both vigilantes have been around for quite a while (this, before the eighteen month time jump that occurs mere minutes into the film).
Batman v Superman makes sure to hit all the genre clichés, following the Marvel storyboard to a tee. But unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which prides itself on the silly and unapologetic humor that fans get rilled up for, DC opts to go in the polar opposite direction, setting itself up as a serious, dark and oftentimes metaphorical look at the world we live in today. Sure the film is clogged with an abundance of CGI and a constant slew of brown, grey and black tones, but that doesn’t necessarily hurt the story. The main issues lies within the fact that the film has absolutely no interest in being anything but.
Instead of focusing on the fun Snyder gets bogged down in keeping things dark, highly reminiscent of the comic books of the late 80s. He banks on a run of super secret cameos, which don’t quite have the impact they were expected to, leaving him to handle an abundance of new players (we didn’t forget you Lex), without much support to lean on. As a result, he becomes lost in the side stories, forgetting the reason we al showed up in the first place: the third act fight.
The battle scenes, while well choreographed, miss the mark. From Batman’s incorporation of kryptonite to Superman’s unbelievable strength without his super powers, everything appears to happen out of convenience, not careful storytelling. A toilet to the head offers up no blood, and a head first plunge into a brick barrier doesn’t even warrant a bruise. The fight is intense, often times flirting with the need for an older audience, but things need to make sense - the excitement doesn’t override that necessity.
It is no wonder that the third act introduction of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is most certainly the highlight of the film. Her entrance, planned with near flawless perfection, is backed by an intense rift of heavy metal, proclaiming her arrival with a powerful force as she smiles at the sight of a fight. Unfortunately for fans her time within the film is limited, offering up more of a tease than the saving grace that Dawn of Justice so badly needs. But she provides a glimmer of hope as to the future of the franchise, as one can only expect that DC will learn from this mild misfire to achieve the greatness that their characters so rightfully deserve.
