Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

⭐⭐⭐ based on 2 reviews.

tl;dr: Competent and not worthy of the level of hate bestowed on it, but ultimately still a little wide of the mark.

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DC Heroes DC: Extended Universe

Review

Spoilers Ahead: My reviews are not spoiler-free. You have been warned.

I finally got around to watching 2015's winner of Most Complexly Idiotic Film Title. Honestly though, despite the immensely scathing reviews, I kinda enjoyed BvS. Sure, those same reviews had lowered my expectations to around the level of a hypothetical Nintendogs movie, but honestly I would say this is one of the more competent non-Marvel superhero outings for some time. Go figure.

Yes, the film is too black and moody and, sure, I'm also not 100% on board with the idea of a Batman that has so clearly gone over the moral divide (I mean, bat brands...). Nor was Lux Luthor a particularly fine addition to Eisenberg's repertoire, though it grated a lot less than I had anticipated. But on the other hand, the action is well managed and the characters are, largely, neatly woven together in a way that feels at least a little organic.

In no way is BvS a brilliant film, but it's also a lot better than the reviews give it credit for. At the end of the day, I enjoyed myself watching it and it definitely got me excited for Wonder Woman and even a little intrigued for Justice League, so perhaps in the grander scheme of the DC:EU it will begin to feel a little less raw.

Rewatch

The extended cut has actually come to Prime, in a move I'd love to see more films make, so of course I took the option to watch a version of the film that a lot of people have claimed helps tidy up various plot lines and generally improves things.

Well, I'd have to agree. The film still isn't brilliant, but the extended scenes and subtle tweaks to the movie actually do add a whole lot. Characters are given some additional story development and they help fill in a few holes. Is it still a bit of a mess? Sure. Is the Martha thing still a bit corny? Yeah. Does Batman now magically feel justified branding people? Not really. But the film is a now a more enjoyable watch and it's interesting to me that some small edits can actually have that much of an impact.