Here we are. We have finally gotten The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel in one movie that is neither animated or some type of Easter egg. This movie has been given a stern watchful eye by critics and fanboys since Warner Bros. announced the epic battle would be the next adventure of Superman. So with all the hype and talk does this movie add up to the people expectations? Well, let’s dive in and find out. Don’t worry, this one is spoiler free.
The plot that occupies this film is goes in three different directions; Batman preparing for the oncoming battle with Superman, debates if the world really needs a Superman and the oncoming storm that might call for the aid of some of the other well-known superheroes. The first plot pretty much lets us know why Batman is the first name in the title. This is another Batman film that just so happens to have Superman and the burden he bares of being consider a godlike being. Every time Batman/Bruce Wayne come on screen, he helps keep you interested in the film instead of just waiting for the two heroes to fight, which takes a while.
The Superman plot goes on for a little bit until a horrific event occurs, causing for that plot to feel either wasted or could’ve been shorten. The third plot is pretty much a set-up for the next few DC films and Justice League. There are certain parts of that plot and a couple of twists that really surprised me and left me wanting more.
If you’ve seen Man of Steel, then you get the same acting from the cast of that movie into this one. Amy Adams doesn’t do anything new with her character but the problem is Henry Cavil. He still does the same brooding that we got from the previous film and makes it borderline annoying. You’ve decided to be Superman, start fucking acting like it.
Another disappointment in the acting was Eisenberg. I know the point of his casting was to take the character in a different direction, but all I got was him as Mark Zuckerbeg mixed with Max Landis. I get that’s what Eisenberg was going for, but it just didn’t work for that type of character. Surprisingly, Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot own their roles. I was in the group that didn’t agree with the casting for Batman and Wonder Woman when it they were announced, but after this film, I am completely sold on the two. Especially Wonder Woman when she finally dawns her battle gear and takes on Doomsday.
So we come to what a lot of people were worried about, Snyder’s direction. This is indeed a Snyder film. It’s filled with style with little to no substance. Don’t forget the plot holes. There are plenty and if I went into them, I spoil the shit out of this movie. The pacing of the film is something that really should’ve been worked on. If goes up and down where it starts to hype you up and get you going, only to slam you back to a horrible drag. Snyder takes what he did in Man of Steel and firmly applies it to this one.
The action is really good. When Batman does his thing, it’s fucking awesome. If you’ve ever played the Batman Arkham games or see the way he fights, you’ve gotten an idea of how he takes out a room of bad guys. Snyder even makes a few nods to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns with some cool imagery from that comic. The big fight between Batman and Superman isn’t a letdown but probably could’ve gone a bit longer. The build-up was so great that it warranted another five minutes of the slugfest.
One thing that really bothered me in the big finale against Doomsday was that a few times I didn’t know what the hell was going on with the action until the camera decided to hold still. Doomsday’s origin story is pretty dumb and felt shoehorned in that probably could’ve been saved for another film.
Now that Warner Bros. finally has this movie under their belt, they can continue on with their plan with growing the DCCU. This movie borders close to the level of “turn you brain off and watch shit get destroyed”, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. But when we have comic book films today that are becoming more than typical good vs. evil, this one gives you that Chinese food feeling; full but later empty on the inside.
If you like Man of Steel, you’ll like or even love this one. If you hated Man of Steel, you’ll hate this as well. It’s something worth checking out in the theater for the spectacle of it all, but I won’t go for seconds.