It's almost been a week since the eagerly anticipated "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" have hit the screens. As it had released on the holy weekend, I wasn't able to check it out & by the time, I decided to do so I was put off by feedback that I had received from my friends. However, on the behest of a couple of them I decided to watch it & pen down as to what I felt about it. So were the predominantly negative reviews that the movie had garnered justified???
The film unfolds from the climax of "Man of Steel" where Superman (Henry Cavill) battles with General Zod to leave behind a trail of destruction which also included Wayne's enterprises. Over time, Superman proves to be a saviour to thousands in numerous occasions but that doesnt suppress a gradual increase in the number of voices that held him responsible for the collateral damage on the aftermath of his conquests. Even Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) saw him as a threat to the planet & felt that he needed to be reined in before it was too late. In the meantime, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) who was also plotting the downfall of Superman comes to realise from his research that the invincible could actually be fallen with the help of kryptonite which he smuggles into the country. But before he could set his plan into motion, Batman steals it from him & prepares for battle against Superman. However, little did they realise that all of this was part of the masterplan of Lex Luthor who still had a couple of aces up his sleeve.
Zack Snyder started his career as a director about a decade back with "Dawn of the Dead" but what actually propelled him to the limelight was "300". Actually I loved that movie & since then I have been keeping a keen eye on his movies. His previous venture "Man of Steel" which had released a couple of years back was a blockbuster & I personally felt that it was the best way to reboot the Superman series. So ever since news of "Batman vs Superman" being filmed came in, I was one among the millions who waited for its release with bated breaths. Unfortunately, it didnt turn out to be half as good as I hoped thanks to a mediocre script by Chris Terrio & David Goyer. The film starts off with a bang with adequate ground work done for the future Justice League series & it progressively builds up the tempo for an awesome showdown between the superheroes. However, the much hyped "greatest gladiator match ever" barely took off & the manner in which it ended reminded me of some corny Bollywood lines. Eventually, the overdosage of CGI in the form of Doomsday might not have exactly excited the audience but the entry of Wonder Woman into the battle spices up the whole sequence. In the technical department, Larry Fong's visuals was fantastic while Zimmer's music didnt quite have the effect that we know him for. With the script & CGI not as captivating as expected, David Brenner should have been more judicious with the editing. Even Batman's suit & other Bat gadgets werent as enchanting as Nolan's series.
Coming to performances, Henry Cavill reprised his role as Superman but unlike "Man of Steel" the screenplay over here meant he barely had any opportunity to do anything else apart from scowl. When Ben Affleck was casted as Batman, I was kinda sceptical as to whether he would be as good as Christian Bale but I have to admit that he was perfect for the role. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman was brilliant that I felt that she ought to have been given more screen space. But the same cant be said about Jesse Eisenberg who was neither physically imposing nor able to impart an threatening feel that we would associate with a villain. He seemed more like trying to copy Heath Ledger's Joker but fails miserably in all accounts. A plethora of other characters & superheroes also appear in the movie, but I dont think that necessarily needs to be mentioned here.
Verdict: Owing to the hype, it garnered an earth shattering initial but as per latest box office reports it's registering a steady decline in collections. I am definitely not surprised by this as the script failed to do justice to a set of characters which had immense potential to challenge the Marvel universe. Anywaz the fact is DC will still have to wait for some more time before they can usurp Marvel's popularity among the audience. In short, it's definitely worth a watch but dont have your hopes high!!!
Rating: 2.5/5
Regards...Ben
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