Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Film Review

Having just watched Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the film overall was a really enjoyable experience. Going into it, there was so much expectation for this film to be DC's challenger to Marvel's Avengers, and for me anyway it did not live up to this, but that's not a bad thing. The film sets up the DC cinematic universe in a way that left me wanting more from ALL the characters which is partly mission accomplished in my book. 

And the film has many other great aspects. Ben Affleck is a great Bruce Wayne/Batman, period! His take on an older/wiser Batman is brutal, which is clearly visible in both the characters tone, facial expressions and action sequences. The film does a good job of establishing his motives and feelings towards Superman. As for Henry Cavil, he is clearly more comfortable in the Superman role and has an outstanding outing. The eventual fight between the "Son of Krypton" and "Bat of Gotham" is immense and will make any fan-boy/geek weak at the knees. But lets be honest, action was the least of our worries going into this film. One of those worries was Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. I won't say much, other than Wonder Woman KILLS IT, completely elevating the scenes she's in, which aren't that many. Then there is Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor...I thought he was menacing & psychotic and absolutely loved his portrayal of Superman's arch villain. But trust me when I say not everyone will feel this way.

Now clearly the film has lots of positives to take away, but I can't help feel a little disappointed too. Where this movie mainly fails is the story/script, something which worries me for Justice League Part 1, seeing as it has the same writer. Batman aside, none of the characters were developed thoroughly meaning you can't help but feel detached from their struggles. As I've said the performances were great, but that doesn't mean their story arch's were. Superman was brushed aside, with the character not having enough screen time for the audience to emotionally connect with him and truly understand his feelings towards Batman. Same goes for Lex Luthor, the motivations for his hatred are weak - you just don't care enough which lowers the stakes for the outcome. Even the resolution between the two hero's was quite weak for me, it felt sloppy and was disappointing.

As some movie goers might find it hard to follow, a more cohesive story and structure would have been beneficial. Too many sub plots and not enough character focus, the film falls into the trap of universe setting which almost never goes to plan. And wow was the editing really poor. The film cuts from character to character, location to location very suddenly, with transitions from scene to scene not flowing smoothly and just feeling messy, especially in the first hour. The dream sequences were not gelled in properly. The pacing was a bit to slow and overall just felt as if it was lazily put together. As I'm writing this now the frustration builds the more I think about it. 

There are lots of problems which need to be corrected if Warner Bros/DC are to mount a serious challenge to Disney/Marvel, but this film is by no means a failure. With great performances (I haven't even mentioned Amy Adams), outstanding visual effects and an exciting vision, there is lots to look forward too looking ahead. The teases of the Justice League members were cleverly placed with the film ending ready for the next chapter in this darker, ever expanding DC universe.

Verdict: 3/5 stars - An entertaining superhero epic that you can't help but feel was not done Justice!