Hello everyone and welcome to the next DC movie review I said I would do with the Zack Snyder’s Justice League out on HBO Max! The last time I took a look at Zack Snyder’s take on Superman with Man of Steel (if you haven’t already and are curious to hear my more in depth thoughts you could check that out) and to reiterate what I said there I really do appreciate and enjoy that movie a lot as I feel it is my favorite of this current DC continuity. With that said it did get a very polarizing reception from many and I think that may have caused many Warner Bros. executives to panic and instead of going ahead with a straight up sequel to Man of Steel they decided to do a follow up with Batman thrown into the picture and use it as a launching pad for a potential Justice League film. The result turned out to be even more divisive than the previous film and while it obviously was a big hit at the box office it had horrendous staying power showing that audiences weren’t too hot on the movie any more than critics. Over time it does seem that more people have gone to take a liking to it over time but it still remains that a lot of people either love, hate, or are in the middle. As for me while I was admittedly a bit underwhelmed when I first saw it (although I did have fun watching it) like Man of Steel I’ve come to appreciate it more over time even if I do have a number of issues with it. Now with all of that said let’s all witness what should be the greatest, and clearly most ambitious gladiator match in history between “the Son of Krypton, and Bat of Gotham”.
Set 18 months after the Superman’s battle with Zod in Metropolis, Superman is now a viewed as a very controversial figure due to the amount of destruction and lives lost during that fateful day. While he himself wants to help people as much as he can the government questions the logic of having such a powerful super being out there doing whatever he wants without government interference to keep him in check. Sharing this mentality is Gotham billionaire, Bruce Wayne, AKA the costumed vigilante known as Batman who saw the chaos first hand and sees the Kryptonian as a threat that must be stopped no matter what. On the other side Superman himself doesn’t trust this vigilante’s brutal way of dispensing justice and seeks to expose him as Clark Kent with the use of the Daily Planet. Meanwhile Bruce is trying to track down a piece of Kryptonite, Superman’s weakness, founded by the company, LexCorp, in order to take down the Man of Steel once and for all. But with LexCorp CEO, Lex Luthor, pulling some strings behind the situation will the two be able to realize the greater threat a foot before it’s too late?
This is one of those movies that is flawed, yet what it does well I think it does really well. Let’s start off with the positives, first being is that say what you will about the movie but at the very least there is a lot to admire with just how ambitious it is. Snyder is clearly trying to make the biggest, most melodramatic super hero epic ever with a huge sense of scale and the feeling grandness that was present throughout Man of Steel, except increased here. This also keeps in line with Snyder’s vision of this universe in which super powered beings are viewed as these God type beings that are considered too powerful for this world. It’s able to raise a lot of interesting questions regarding whether or not it is safe to trust powerful beings like Superman who have abilities beyond our control and really does dig deep into these big ideas often. It certainly is not lacking in terms of (not very subtle) allegorical imagery and I really dig a lot of Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer’s dialogue. A lot may find it to be pretentious and while that can be true at times I just find it so unique and memorable that it helps the movie develop an identity of it’s own and there a number of quotable lines here that are delivered so well by the cast that it just works for what the movie is going for. Plus there are many individual moments throughout that do hit hard and leave an impression when all is said and done. That being said while I do like what the movie is going for it also feels that’s trying to go for so many things at once. On one hand it wants to be a follow up to Man of Steel, but on the other it wants to introduce Batman into the fray, and have him fight Superman, while also being a back door pilot for Justice League with a bit of the “Death of Superman” story thrown in for good measure. It’s simply trying to do so many things yet this really hurts the flow and pacing of the movie as it ends being being very messy in the process. Now I like the ways in which this follows up Man of Steel and deals with the aftermath and we do get to see him go through how he feels about all of this and trying to help as many as he can despite people being against him. The movie also does a good job in showing why Batman would be against someone like this and does a good job fleshing out his motivation, yet I don’t feel Superman’s was fleshed out as well as while I can see what Snyder was trying to say I just felt there should’ve been more screen time dedicated to developing that aspect of the character. Then there’s the infamous “Martha” scene which I actually don’t hate as it’s an interesting way of Batman realizing that Superman has humanity even if the execution was a little strange and oddly delivered. As for the Justice League set up that stuff always seems to slow the movie dead in it’s tracks and while I admit it was cool seeing those on first viewing in the theater they do hurt the flow and make the movie feel even more over stuffed than it needed to be (although I can certainly appreciate the out right strange scenes like the Flash popping out of nowhere to warn Bruce about the future). Still though messy as the story can be and pacing wise it is inconsistent but I always do appreciate it when movies like this don’t play it safe and go for the fences even if they may not quite reach it in the end.
One thing I will not deny about this movie is that it is just visually stunning at times. Like I said Snyder does a great job in making things look and feel grand in size and scale and it only adds to the ambitious nature of the film in how it’s trying to be the most epic comic book movie there is. Also adding to this is Larry Fong’s cinematography which is really nice to look at and at times has this apocalyptic sensibility that ties into the tone of the movie, especially during the Knightmare scene which is short but definitely stands out in the mind (disappointing that he couldn’t work on Justice League). I also like how the gray colored filter that I wasn’t too big on in Man of Steel is not utilized here and instead the colors pop out a lot more and it just makes for a more visually pleasing film with some truly memorable shots that leave an impression and very well done VFX work thrown into the mix. The movie also delivers when it comes to the action which is also really well done here. Of course you have the big smack down between the two iconic heroes which is actually shorter than you would think but is still really cool to watch as we see the two use their strengths to combat each of their weaknesses and the final battle with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman taking on Doomsday is also fun to watch unfold as it is a treat seeing these heroes work together and there are some really cool things that unfold. The batmobile chase is also a nicely done chase sequence that is exciting to watch but for me the stand out sequence is easily the warehouse fight where Batman is trying to save Martha which is well staged, and choreographed and feels like we’re watching the Arkham games come to life. That’s a compliment as it’s so brutal and shows off this version of Batman’s skills so well while also being a blast to watch unfold. Then there’s the soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL (two great composers) which I think is just as great as the Man of Steel score and it fits the movie perfectly as it sounds epic and even foreboding at times. It fits right in with the rest of the movie and is another thing that people cannot deny is impressive about this movie.
Since this is a follow up to Man of Steel we do get to see Henry Cavill’s version of Superman and he does great work here once again as I really do buy him as this being from another planet who wants nothing more than to do good for the planet and he does get some great scenes that really show his humanity and the turmoil he’s going through emotionally. While I do wish we got to spend more time developing his motivation to take on Batman I still think Cavill was very solid and there are some interesting things done with Superman. Impressing me even more though is Ben Affleck who is fantastic as Bruce Wayne/Batman in this movie! He’s a much more cynical Batman than we’re used to seeing with a gruff voice and brutal methods in taking down criminals that many people may not approve off (it certainly caught me off guard when he started killing folks) but I like how this one manages to be different and Affleck, a proven talent, does great work portraying Bruce as an intelligent man with a dark history and tragic past who also wants to protect people but also sees Superman as a threat that must be taken seriously. While I do think doing a solo Ben Affleck Batman movie before this might’ve helped in getting us furthered invested in him (his often told backstory is shown in the prologue) I do think he was set up well and he has a reasonable motivation for feeling the way he does about Superman. He just makes for a great Batman and it’s a shame he never got to make that solo film as that could’ve been something special. At the very least though Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman did get a solo film, deservingly so as the movie introduces her character very well and Gadot leaves her mark on the character in just a couple of scenes and it all leads to a crowd pleasing appearance in the final battle. I will say though that I was not a fan of what was done with Amy Adams’s Lois Lane as while Adams is good as always we didn’t get to see much interactions between her and Clark Kent and I would’ve like to have seen more of her investigation in proving Superman’s innocence. Plus she basically serves as a damsel in distress a number of times (same could apply to Diane Lane’s Martha Kent but that it worked slightly better and she got a nice scene with her son) in the movie and makes some questionable decisions (in particular in the climax involving what to do with the Kryptonian spear). So she unfortunately didn’t do much for me but the rest of the supporting cast does fine work for the most part. I really enjoy Laurence Fishburne’s Perry White whose dead pan wit always gets a laugh (some really funny lines here such as “water wet”), Holly Hunter’s Senator Finch gets a couple of interesting scenes to play off of Lex Luthor including one really dark joke involving urine (this movie can have a dark sense of humor at times), and I dig Jeremy Iron’s portrayal of Alfred as while he is a butler to Bruce he proves himself to be a very capable help and even questions Bruce’s motivations and actions. Finally there’s Jesse Eisenberg’s infamous portrayal of Lex Luthor whose shown here to be this eccentric, young billionaire who also sees Superman as a threat just like Batman but intends on taking him down through different means. I really did not like this performance when I first saw the movie as I was so used to seeing one version of the character and so this complete 180 through me off guard. But over time I’ve learn to appreciate it as a different interpretation and it somewhat makes sense as this is a younger Luthor and Eisenberg is clearly having fun playing this offbeat individual whose scenes can range from strange to weirdly hilarious (intentional or not). I also do legitimately like the idea of him and Batman being two sides of the same coin in terms of taking down Superman just having very different ideas in how to handle it. Still though his plan in making the two fight and then eventually creating Doomsday is a little too complicated and reliant on chance to truly be believable. I can’t say I totally loved it but again I can admire it for doing something different even if like the movie in general it doesn’t quite reach greatness.
In general I do admire a lot about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and I do have a lot of fun watching it even with its many problems. Yes it’s story can be really messy as it tries to cram in so many things into one movie, and that really hurts the flow and pacing. I know, Superman’s motivation could’ve been fleshed out more. True, I wasn’t big on what was done with Lois Lane and Lex Luthor’s plan is a bit too complicated for it’s own good. But there is so much that I do legitimately like about this move like it’s ambitions, the sense of scale, the interesting ideas, the strong character moments, the risks taken, the cinematography, the action, a number of the performances, and it’s willingness to just go for it. It’s a movie that like Man of Steel I’ve come to appreciate more and more over time and it has aged well since I saw it. I can absolutely understand people’s criticisms as it is far from perfect and not for everyone but for me it’s certainly a memorable and unique comic book movie that is exactly the type of risk taking project I hope we get to see more of in the future (I really need to check out the Ultimate Edition one day to see how much it improves). Other than that not much else to say about this one and look forward to next time where I will be wrapping up this little trilogy of throwback reviews with the 2017 theatrical cut of Justice League a movie whose reputation hasn’t exactly grown over time…
Rating: B
Please leave your thoughts down below in the comments and see you guys later!
Review Time 