So what did this Madman think of Dawn of Justice?
In terms of the cast, I thought it was great. Henry Cavill returns as the Man of Steel. He's okay as Superman but I love his Clark Kent. The same goes for the much maligned Ban Affleck. His Batman was pretty good but his Bruce Wayne was superb. Generally, the previous films get the Dark Knight right but give very little care to getting his billionaire alter-ego right. Not this time! Rounding out the DC trinity is Gal Gadot who appears as the first ever cinematic version of Wonder Woman. She was pretty kick-ass but since there's a bit of mystery about her yet to be determined until her solo feature comes out sometime next year, I wasn't 100% sold on her... YET!
The role of Lois Lane, played by Amy Adams, whom I hated in Man of Steel was actually better this time around. So was Fishburne's Perry White. But the supporting characters that steal the show are Jeremy Irons and Jesse Eisenberg.
Jeremy Irons plays Batman's long-suffering faithful butler Alfred. He's a little gritty and a tad grumpy but he has good chemistry with Affleck. Jesse Eisenberg's character doesn't really work well with anyone. He's really bat-crap crazy and is obsessed with destroying Superman. His Lex Luthor is nothing like that in the comics or other films but as a loose canon type of character rebooted as a kind of evil Mark Zuckerberg- it kinda works.
The plot of the film in a spoiler-free nutshell is that after the events of Man of Steel, the world is reeling from the total destruction of Metropolis at Superman and Zod's hands. Bruce Wayne is convinced that the Last Son of Krypton is poised to be the end of society and takes it upon himself to bring him down. Added to the mix is Lex Luthor who seeks to use the US government and a newly found glowing green rock as a means of taking down the Man of Tomorrow.
That's really all I can say about the film without giving away some major spoilers. There are cameos galore and this film does act as an introduction piece for the Justice League films. But DC tries a little too hard to cram about 5 hours worth of film into 2.5!
DC is behind Marvel when is comes to establishing their cinematic universe. But why does DC have to go the movie route? Their 'Arrowverse' shows are so good, whereas Gotham is wicked fun and Supergirl has that Otto Binder oddball charm. With the DC cinematic universe- something is missing.
I read that it took Kevin Smith needed2 showings to discover that Dawn of Justice actually has heart. I don't have the money (or time) to go see this film again so soon. But, I would have to agree with Smith, that this film has heart. What is lacking is soul!
One reason I love the DCTV programs is that they take me away from the troubles of this screwed up world. With crumbling buildings, terrorist attacks, untrustworthy leaders, and a film-long debate over the roles of God and Man- Dawn Of Justice felt like I was watching the evening news! I thought Marvel was supposed to be the more realistic comics universe...
Another thing missing from this film is a sense of humor. I love that the DCTV shows can laugh at themselves. Once Batman and Superman were able to start cracking wise I felt like things finally fell into place during the last 45 minutes.
So, what does the future hold for me and the 'Snyder-verse' as these DC films are referred to? I'm pumped for next year's Wonder Woman. What teasing was done for that film in BVS was awesome! Justice League? I can't give up on my favorite superhero team! I've been a DC person ever since I started reading my dad's old Jimmy Olsens and Lois Lanes when I was 3 or 4. Yes- this film isn't my dad's DC but it's also not something that's unfamiliar to me either. I think like with this film, it's going to take time for everything to finally achieve synergy!
And yes- It's worth the wait!
Worth Consuming
Rating: 8 out of 10.
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