Batman Vs Superman Review (English)

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Movie review by Zulfiqar

                Let’s just say that Zack Snyder isn’t a great director. The fan boys may get irritated when I say that, but I should stick to what I say. He is a great reconstructor, if that is the word I choose. He reconstructs the graphic novels even upto the last speck of dust. It isn’t a mean achievement. As much as ‘300’ and BvS have been a tedious and laborious watch for me, I couldn’t put my finger at the visual refining he does in creating the graphic images. They won’t be forgotten in a jiffy. When I went in for ‘300’, I thought it would be an awe inspiring tale of sacrifice and emotion, but Zack Snyder’s camera lingers more at the eight pack of the handsome Butler than on the storyline. The images, however,  were imprinted in my mind. I never envisioned a world of that sort. Maybe the due should go the graphic artist, but Snyder brings it to life very well. However, ‘watchmen’ was completely another story. The movie was one of the best I had seen that year. Alan Moore’s graphic novel not only gave a vibrant new look to the golden age of storytelling, but it had a compact script with crisp characters and an earth shattering plot. The case with BvS, however again was that of ‘300’.

                In 2014, I had already been subjected to the overlong and nerve-wracking tale of ‘man of steel’, but there was a speck of trust in me on the man, despite my misgivings, because of the promos of ‘dawn of justice’. But no, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The movie with all its glitz and glamour is with no plot and above all with no spirit. What disheartens the whole scenario is the issue that we couldn’t relate with the characters of Superman and that of the Gotham’s savior. The two of the most likable characters since the time memory serves me are left with no clear representations. Superman never feels a whiff of guilt of the mass destruction, he had created, as he cascaded many skyscrapers onto the ground. Batman acts like a stubborn kindergarten kid, who finds reason evaporate when the matter of the kryptonite crops up. Their war looks more forced and contrived than convincing. And in the midst of this jumbled and ill built convictions, walks in Lex Luthor. He is like a small boy trying to get involved when two bullies are fighting against each other. And the bullies don’t give him a hoot. Jesse Eisenberg didn’t fit. He is a great actor, no doubt, but here as Lex Luthor, he looks somebody seeking attention, but not as a formidable foe to the man of steel. Alfred gets small screen time and all the while he was less of a butler and more of ‘Q’ of MI6.

                The biggest problem with Zack Snyder is that he never cares if the audience is engaged in the proceedings. He is more intent in showing his heroes in the best of modern fashionable mails. While he doesn’t do that, he focuses on the CGI work which will show a falling building or a blob like monster, looking more blobby and meaningless. There is not a whiff of humor or quip or even a dumb pun for us to sigh our frustration. No, he doesn’t provide even a single one of them. Perhaps he is trying to emulate Nolan. The thing with Nolan is that his cerebral, multilayered story telling keeps you busy and he even constructs his dialogue around it. Zack Snyder doesn’t have these props. His plot in BvS is built on a very thin line of reasoning. And the solution which settles the tussle between our heroes is the funniest part. This Snyder does unintending basing on a name. Along with that the biggest mistake in the movie is the introduction of the rest of the Justice League. They never help the plot. Their remembrance is just a roll call for the future sequels.

                Even being this critical, I can’t help but admire the action sequences, not all, that is. The final showdown with the Lex Luther’s progeny is something that I abhorred and wanted it to end as soon as it started. But the areas where kryptonium made an appearance isn’t without intrigue. The different forms of kryponium, Batman uses against Superman stimulated my imagination. The first confrontation between the black and red heroes too was phenomenal. The way Batman’s mobile perforates through a ship but gets whacked badly with the touch of Superman was touché. It will be in my memory for long. The costume of batman too was depicted well. It was certainly a step up from Nolan’s movies’ wardrobes. So, it goes with the batmobile. Gal Gadot, as Wonder-woman adds a sort of mysterious touch to the setup. However she doesn’t have much to add up to the plot. The fan boys, on the other hand, will certainly watch out for her next stand alone movie. As am I.

                The producers have been thinking of trimming their justice league franchise. The thing is that compared to Joss Whedon’s avengers, it has been a dismal beginning. Joss Whedon had a completely different view of his superheroes. He was a fanboy, which probably was the best thing that happened to the avengers. He could easily relate to the way he could pitch one hero against the other. I couldn’t tell of the same thing with Zack Snyder. He tried to create an idea from the comics. The idea, however, should have come earlier and he should have threaded his characters around it. Probably, that’s how Nolan had done it. As per the actors, I could only pity them. Ben Affleck’s only pose was grinding his jaw, while Henry Cavill was totally lost. His character totally lacked any dimension. Hope the next installment would redeem him. After watching his Man of steel, I met a friend of mine, who didn’t yammer anything about the movie. She knew me as a fan of these comic movies. She feared her dislike of the film wasn’t going to reflect in me and when I offered the criticism, with a sigh of relief, she jumped in hacking it into smithereens. If she meets me again, I am sure we are going to mince the two famous superheroes.