The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Batman Vs Superman

Before I delve into the good, the bad and the ugly of Batman Vs Superman (BvS), I want to share a few disclaimers and insights, so that no one reading this thinks that I’m a Marvel fanatic and/or DC hater.

• I am a comic book movie fan before I am a fan of DC or Marvel.
• Movie reviews are opinions not facts, but are often key indicators on how well a film is made as well as how it will perform.
• Rotten Tomatoes (RT) simply aggregates hundreds of reviews.  It is not a person with an opinion.

I previously expressed cautious optimism about this film, and here’s why:

The Good

I’ll be the first one to say that I do not believe that this film warranted its aforementioned abysmal RT score (28%). That score is low enough to make my infamous worst superhero movies of all-time list. And this film was clearly not that bad.

I also really enjoyed most of the performances except for one (more on that later). The often-maligned Ben Affleck was arguably the best thing in the film. You can tell that he really got into the character, mentally and physically, and it showed. It was truly a fine turn of acting by him.

And although her lines were minimal, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, showed a gravitas that I didn’t expect. I had my reservations about her casting in this film but she dispelled my worst fears. Sorry, I’m still partial to Lynda Carter, like just about every man in my age group. But I digress.

And last but not least, I really enjoyed the handful of quips and witty remarks espoused by Laurence Fishburne as Perry White of the Daily Planet. His screen time was limited but he made the most of it, and added much-needed levity to a film that was dark and brooding.

What I liked most was the fight scene between Batman and Superman. As the zany Lex Luthor stated earlier in the film, we were poised to witness the greatest gladiator match in history. And that it was.

The idea of Batman fighting Superman is a joke on the surface when you consider how powerful the Man of Steel is. But that’s why Kryptonite exists-to level the playing field! The field proved to be way beyond level, as Batman eventually assumed a distinct advantage, and nearly killed the son of Jor-El. Were it not for the Dark Knight getting sentimental about his mother Martha when the weakened Superman plead with his help to save his own mother of the same name, Superman was headed for defeat in their battle.

The Bad

Two hours and 31 minutes is a pretty hefty length for any film, especially one which is very light on character development (e.g. the lack of backstory on what really motivated Lex to hate Superman) and plot continuity. The film starts off like its from Bruce Wayne’s perspective, toggles to Clark Kent’s, and then reverts back to Wayne’s after Superman is “killed.”

I know it couldn’t have just been me who was confused by the dream sequences. It reminded me of Avengers: Age of Ultron, where the script relied heavily on dream sequences to move the story along.

But the main problem that I had was that there were a whopping six dream sequences! Although I know a little bit about the villain Darkseid and allusions to him in the dreams, many casual filmgoers are oblivious to this fact. And did I say they were confusing?

The Ugly

I generally like Jesse Eisenberg as an actor, especially in The Social Network. But I did not like him here as Lex Luthor. In a live action comic book movie he felt like an animated character. And he wasn’t CGI-generated! It seemed like he was trying way too hard to leave a mark. At one point, I thought he was channelling his inner Jim Carrey as the Riddler, Heath Ledger’s Joker, and Jared Leto’s “new” Joker. For what it’s worth, I still like him though.

The Abomination, ahem, I mean Doomsday, was cheesy. I know this entire genre defies logic, science and oftentimes common sense with many of its themes, theories and outcomes. But it doesn’t get more contrived than the creation of Doomsday.

So let me get this straight: the Kryptonian crash site from the Man of Steel is still somehow intact in the heart of Metropolis. This easy access to the crash site enables Lex Luthor to conveniently visit, activate dilapidated, alien technology, inject his own blood into the corpse of the deceased General Zod, and form the seemingly-indestructible Doomsday. I mean, really?

The Verdict. Batman Vs Superman had its fair share of warts. The film was unfocused at times, a little too long, lacked some character development, included way too many dream sequences, and had an anti-climactic, CGI-heavy final battle.

However, despite its flaws, I did find the film mildly entertaining. And it damn sure was not worthy of a 28% Rotten Tomato score! Affleck and Gadot shined, and the fisticuffs between Batman and Superman were something to see.

Was it a cinematic masterpiece? To quote the late Whitney Houston, “hell-to-the-no.” Was it one of the better superhero movies of the past few years? Nope, it was not that either. But it wasn’t terrible, and the hope is that brighter days lie ahead for Justice League films to follow.