by Cameron Tejeda | staff writer

Finally, Batman and Superman clash on the big screen, and it’s a huge spectacle.  Director Zack Snyder who also helmed comic book movies “300”, “Watchmen”, and “Man of Steel” once again brings his amazing visual style to deliver a movie fans will more than likely appreciate.

Right from the spectacular opening credits we get the events from the end of Man of Steel shown in the eyes of Bruce Wayne. This scene shows a different side of the Superman vs. General Zod fight that took place in the first DCEU film. The standout of this movie was surely Ben Affleck as Batman. He plays a very brutal Caped Crusader, heavily inspired by “The Dark Knight Returns” graphic novel. The first scene in which Batman appears is set up almost like a horror movie. Henry Cavill is also great as Superman and brings a much needed humanity to the character just like he did in “Man of Steel”. I wasn’t a big fan of the way Jesse Eisenberg portrayed Lex Luthor, but after seeing the movie a second time I could accept it more. The rest of the cast, including Amy Adams as Lois Lane, are great – I have no complaints there.

The movie has a lot of mature themes that I really enjoyed seeing in a superhero movie. “Batman vs. Superman” acknowledges the destruction caused by Superman in the previous film and puts it in a real-world situation. Some people are outraged; others are thankful for him saving them. Superman contemplates whether this planet can really be saved. Bruce Wayne starts questioning if all the things he’s done in his 20 years fighting crime really mattered. The movie basically questions the idea of superheroes. These themes are similar to the ones Snyder used in Watchmen. Now let’s talk about the phenomenal action. All the scenes are visually stunning, and beautifully filmed. You can expect that from Zack Snyder, and he is probably the best visionary director working today. There is a glorious fight scene that takes place in a desert involving Batman which is filmed in one shot, and the main showdown between Batman and Superman was spectacular! There is also a warehouse scene which really showcases the brutality and fighting ability of this new Batman. The ending of the movie is pretty emotional, and something bold I didn’t expect them to do.

The film does suffer from trying to cram so many things into the story and setting up future movies though. I think this affected the pacing as well. However, after watching the movie a second time it was less of a problem.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a dark and complex movie that I feel takes multiple viewings to fully appreciate. It does have some issues, but overall it was a very enjoyable film to watch.

My Rating: B+