Bruce Wayne takes on Clark Kent, The Dark Knight brawls it out with the Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman….however you phrase it, it’s an epic battle fans have been aching to see and it’s a long time coming.
Director Zack Snyder kicks things off to a strong start drawing the viewer into the psyche of the bat in a very Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole moment. If the rabbit hole were a dark, dank sewer turned safe haven for the young Wayne as his parents are gunned down above. Ah yes, it’s the moment a young boy becomes a bat and Snyder handles it beautifully.
Sadly though things take a bit of a narrative dip. While the storyline is intriguing there’s quite a lot of chaotic preamble, jumping from one sub-plot to another. All relevant? Possibly but also creates the feeling of a delayed climax.
A lot is packed into Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and if you’re not as well versed as a hard-core comic book fiend or quick on the pulse you may miss those golden nuggets.
That said the action is crisp. Henry Cavill does an excellent job as the conflicted hero struggling to find his place in the world as the people’s hero. Luckily that means throwing lots of baddies around resulting in some gorgeous visual effects.
Cavill’s perfect red-caped performance is pretty much expected, after all it is his second stint as Kent. However, it is DC newcomer Ben Affleck that has been cause for much controversy in the months leading up to the movie’s release.
Heavy debates circled social media questioning whether or not he could fill the boots of the Caped Crusader. Now, the moment of truth has arrived, is the Gone Girl star worthy enough to don the cape?
Affleck manages to capture Batman’s dark, gritty nature very well…possibly a little too well. There’s something a touch too bitter about his interpretation of The Dark Knight making him almost (stressing the almost here) unlikable. Affleck does successfully embody the suave persona of Bruce Wayne but is slightly out of step with the character as a whole. Not the tragic disaster the critics had foreseen but definitely room to develop the role. Thankfully a follow up film seems more than likely.
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor were also great additions to the Man of Steel sequel.
Dawn of Justice promises a plausible battle between man and alien. Whatever side you’re backing you won’t be disappointed. Affleck and Cavill deliver a brilliant showdown, with plenty of spectacular moments.