The Fan Carpet’s Graeme Robertson shares his thoughts on Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Superman and Batman are among the oldest and most beloved comic book superheroes and have been adapted numerous times over their nearly 70 years of history in many forms, ranging from television shows, cartoons and films. These adaptations are sometimes great such as Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012) or Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) starring the late Christopher Reeve. Other times they are infamous abominations like Batman & Robin (1997).

After so many cinematic incarnations 2016 has finally given what the fans have been craving after for years, a meeting of these icons on the big screen in the form of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

A meeting with an unbelievable amount of hype behind it and with the film being used as a launch pad for a DC Cinematic Universe to compete with Marvel.

So I am happy to say that this meeting has produced an enjoyable comic book blockbuster, but it is not a great one.

Following the events of Man of Steel (2013), Superman (Henry Cavill) has become a divisive figure with some viewing him as a saviour, while others view him as a potential threat due to the vast power. Among those fearful of the Kryptonian’s power is Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) who in his alter-ego of Batman seeks to destroy Superman in order to protect humanity from the supposed threat posed by the Man of Steel.

The performances of the cast are mostly excellent, with those returning from Man of Steel doing a fine job with their characters once again, particular Henry Cavill who creates a Man of Steel with a slightly darker edge to him but while still retaining human element that ensure we still root for him in the end.

Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman was the source of much controversy when it was first announced, with many fearing a ruination of the character, however those fears were unfounded, as Affleck has proven himself a worthy successor to Christian Bale.

Affleck successfully captures the fearsome nature of Batman, with a powerful physical presence and sinister electronic voice, cements his interpretation of the character as a more ruthless Dark Knight.

Affleck also brings humanity to the man behind the mask, fearful about the power possessed by Superman and eager to prevent the potential destruction of humanity, despite his mission being driven by misplaced fear and distrust.

Gal Gadot does a fine job as Wonder Woman, although her role is essentially an extended cameo, only properly becoming involved when the finale rolls around. It will most likely not be until her solo film is released before we can really offer an assessment of her performance as the Amazonian warrior.

Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Lex Luthor is a weak point amongst the cast. While he is tolerable for the most part, Eisenberg becomes intensely frustrating at times as this youthful Luthor making wisecracks and bouncing around like a child, having seemingly confused Lex Luthor with the Joker in his portrayal.

The film’s action sequences are terrific with the suspense filled opening, a re-cap of Man of Steel’s climax from the point of view of Bruce Wayne being amongst numerous highlights. The fight sequence between our two heroes is definitely a highlight despite its relatively short length, with Batman taking creative measures to level the playing field against the Man of Steel.

The film’s climax against the monstrous Doomsday is a mixed bag though, essentially devolving into a CGI slugfest that sidelines Batman as a bystander for the most part, with Superman and Wonder Woman doing the majority of the fighting. Its impact would also have been greater if this battle hadn’t been spoiled in the film’s advertising.

The film’s tone is at times unnecessarily dark, perhaps to allow DC’s Cinematic Universe to stand apart from the Marvel. Although the bleakness works at times, such as in Batman’s nightmarish vision of a world ruled by a vengeful evil Superman, it become tedious at times and may put off viewers hoping for a much lighter superhero punch up.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is not a bad film, certainly nowhere near as bad as some reviews would have you believe, but it falls short of being a great film.

With mostly solid performances from the cast and some excellent action sequences, aided by some stunning visuals, the film is a highly enjoyable comic book blockbuster. I myself found it to be great fun to see these iconic heroes finally meeting on the big screen and it is a joy to watch the two kicking the crap out of each other.

However the overly bleak tone, bloated running time and Eisenberg’s annoying performance left me feeling somewhat drained at times, it could have done with a few minutes cut from the run-time.

With a future cinematic universe from DC being kick-off by this film, there is still some time to improve things, but if you’re not too concerned about all that and are just looking for something to kick off you’re blockbuster season then Batman v Superman is fun but flawed place to start.

3.5 Stars | Written b Graeme Robertson

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BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE IS OUT NOW