Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Non-Spoiler Review – THE HYPE IS REAL

The Fanboy SEO goes to the movies to finally see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice starring Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck and directed by Zack Snyder. Opens March 26 from Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines.

Finally got to see a movie that’s epic now as it was when it was still a concept in comicbooks decades ago. Batman versus Superman. Now Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines and DC Entertainment might have you thinking that this isn’t the sequel for Man of Steel but trust me when I say that it is and it’s really well thought of.

Now since this is a non-spoiler review I can’t give away clear surprises and plot twists. Let’s reserve that for another day. Today let’s talk about what made the movie so unique and so great plus some negative comments here and there.

Before we proceed, I can’t take WB Philippines enough for the invitation. Can’t thank them enough. Now I’m also going through decades of DC Comics history over breakfast with my wife. Good times.

PROS

• The visuals are amazing most of the time, Superman FX doesn’t faze me anymore but that final battle was one for the books if you’re a comic book fan.
• They manage to answer all the controversial questions from MoS and then in various parts, addresses them when the destruction porn comes in. It was a smart move IMHO on the part of Snyder and his writing team which includes David S. Goyer.
• I’d like to say that the cameos and “world builders” for Justice League is satisfying and it kinda entices you to watch the movie all over again. A few seconds but man, they got me there.

• It looks and translates like an actual comic book. I’ve read several negative reviews for BvS and I want to ask them if they’ve ever read a comic book in their miserable lives? Because if not then they that’s how it “feels” like. Those ugly cuts? Those are page turns? Those words? Introduction notes. That one surprise moment with Clark Kent? That’s internal monologues without bad dubbing. Even the entire opening feels like a comic book’s prologue/ catch-up page.
• Dawn of Justice proves that the Batmobile is the true “beast mode” of land vehicles. Also it seems like all contemporary Batman movies now require a Batmobile car chase sequence. Which I’m totally OK with.

batmobile still on display at the SM Nort EDSA until April 3

• Wonder Woman rocked the scenes where she appears, particularly that moment we see in the trailer where she saves Batman’s ass. Subsequent battle scenes are convincing enough for my standards and now we have our ‘queen’ of comic book heroines.

• All those moments we see Batman brandishing a weapon can be justified. Trust me.
• That Superman and Batman fight is also a grounded one. Sure it feels like they borrowed tons of stuff from Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” book but they did own it. Once again it also made sense why Batman carried firearms with his fight.
• Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor can be annoying at times and brilliant at times. By the end of the movie he also goes through a transformation of sorts which suits him.

• They weren’t kidding when they hyped Batman as a different kind. This is a Batman taken from Miller’s mind. Whether you liked that or not its up to you. But if you ask me, it was a necessity.
• Say what you also want about the Trinity appearing on screen but I’m sure the moment you see them working as a unit and kicking ass, you’ll tear up a bit or feel goosebumps. I know I did.
• Without spoiling, this one will be all sorts of controversial again. You can go to the bank on that.
• Credits to Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL for the amazing score they gave throughout the film and for managing to make Wonder Woman’s theme so damn metal.
• That nightmare scene was also satisfying!

CONS

• Yes even I will admit that there were moments where CG was horrible and in this day and age when they can make a 32 year old British gentleman fly and go sonic boom, it proves that there are still things that are hard to really capture.
• So even if I’ve defended the rough cuts between scenes as a visual representation of a “page turn”, the film still falls victim to really bad transitions. This could have been tweaked a bit but oh well.
• Lex Luthor, played by Jessie Eisenberg, kind of fumbled in the end. He’s exposed and in a vulnerable position yet they decide to turn him into a raving looney? That is not Lex Luthor then. That’s Blue from that parrot movie!
• It’s a hard pill to swallow but three years out and Cavill’s Superman and Amy Adams’ Lois Lane still have zero chemistry. Ok maybe they’ve got like 25% chemistry now because my brain is used to the pairing but to be honest Cavill looked really great with Gadot and they’re not even being paired.

• JFC! What’s up with this one character’s costume?!?!

Overall I enjoyed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, made me cry a bit. I know it’s going to be a commercial success and will rake billions. However it does suffer from some major flaws here and there that not a lot of fans could overlook. Also there’s the controversial bit I was talking earlier. I don’t know how you guys can accept that. I’m now anxiously waiting for the next “arc” and how they plan to bring in the Justice League. Sadly that’s all I can say for the moment. I’m watching BvS again when it opens this weekend, March 26, and lookout for anything that I missed. What I can promise you is a spoiler heavy review and even some content that talks about various parts of the movie and where it was heavily influenced.

For now I give Batman v Superman:

9/10

Special thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines for the invites. Also special thanks to Big Boys Toy Store for this cool Aquaman funko pop variant!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens March 26.