Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - an ambitious project, flawed but still wonderfully impressive.

For the first time, Knight of Gotham takes on Man of Steel, and it's promising to be epic. It's been near-impossible to escape the hype and buzz around this film (we can talk about the trailers later), and whatever the verdict is, you'll want to be in on the conversation. DC Comics have finally placed their skin-tight leather superboots into the ensemble world and I was fortunate enough to attend the official screening before it hits cinemas this Friday. I got goosebumps simply in the opening sequence. But...the jury's out on this one. Early reviews (mostly from die-hard fans) passed returning director Zack Snyder's production with flying colours, but there is a steady stream of skepticism. As I watched and (mentally) typed, I could think of loads of impressive things about the film, as little details threatening to potentially unhinge the greatness emerged throughout the 2 hours and 33 minutes. That said, it was a monster of a film to conceive and make, and I reckon they did do it justice.

A few disclaimers before we fly straight in...Firstly, the obvious. Yes, the trailers are riddled with spoilers - I won't divulge any more than that. But to be on the safe side you can come back and read this later if you're worried. Also, I don't want to compare too much to Marvel, and Batman's predecessors, but since you're thinking it already, I'm going to do it anyway.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice tells the story of a world where Metropolis and Gotham are neighbours, and Batman and Superman are kind-of-enemies. If Superman's powers are unchecked, the day he turns on his new home will be the end of it and it must be preempted. And who better to do it than masked vigilante Batman, upgrading his responsibilities to saving the world? It continues directly on from 2013's Man of Steel, separate but similar to The Dark Knight trilogy.

I'll start with the not-so-good. I've always seen DC as the darker of the two, but BvS lacked the much-needed humour that Marvel injects even in its darkest productions. A bit of light relief in a heavy, intense production would not go amiss. Also, this whole 'versus' thing.. people have written Batman off as the far-inferior "rich guy with toys", but this Batman can do some damage. And he's pretty damn determined. This is a good thing. However, would I really logically see Batman and Superman as enemies, or even fighting? Uhhhmm... Fair enough, there are circumstances and reasons, but the watertight convincing reasons we needed didn't really surface, and I can practically picture the screenwriters' early boardroom meetings.

As a film, it's pretty cluttered. There's just SO much going on. If the film were a bedroom, it'd need a good solid tidy. If it were a plate at a buffet, it'd be a loaded pile of stuff needing a lot of time to digest. It gets a little confusing, but not in a good way, particularly with the entrance of yet another villain (watch the trailer). Plus, the film fits in so many big personalities without a purpose as strong as say in The Avengers. Think an early episode of The Apprentice with all these big characters inside a small room.

My other qualm was this: I know superhero movies are already a stretch of the imagination, and OK they were never realistic, but Dawn of Justice really pushes the boundaries. Not in terms of how crazy Superman's powers are, or how devastating the destruction is, but in terms of why things are happening in the first place. There is this one scene which flips something from one thing to another in a 180-fashion in like 2 seconds and it's like whaat. (Read: deliberately vague and badly written; let's discuss when you've all seen it.) There's another scene where something new happens and I was also like, whaaaaaaat?! That said, expecting the unexpecting is kinda entertaining.


Now, onto the more impressive. Don't let me paint a really negative picture, because I did really enjoy the film. DC paints the murky colours of a dark comic in both senses; visually striking, yes, and metaphorically because maybe it's just because this is relatively new territory for a superhero movie. Yes, more (abandoned) buildings are destroyed in this sequel, but at least the CGI's great.

The fight scenes are also pretty spectacular, and there are quite a lot of them to keep you busy. When you have a good suit and gadgets that give you a fighting chance against an alien who can fly and shoots laser from his eyes, you know it's not a win-in-5-mins type situation. Plus, Batman's individual scenes in particular are well choreographed, including the ones in that ridiculously hench suit. (Did Liam Neeson come back to teach him?). It's nice to see them all pushed to their absolute limits. And onto the perks of this new Batman - even though the whole back-story is still so fresh in our minds, they manage to reintroduce it well. This new generation Bruce Wayne is a more ruthless one, even if he is still a bit - no, very - mysterious.

Regarding the story, one of the standout points are that even superheroes have emotions, and are driven by them. (Man, does Superman love Lois Lane.) Family things, in particular, will pull on the heartstrings. There's a lot of symbolism and moral debates too to make you ponder, and the comparisons of Superman to God, to mere mortal men. (Of course, some men grow up to be bat-branding kick-ass guys with incredibly hot wheels.) There are side-stories too, some more defined than others. Lex Luthor brings a notable one, as does a scene in the desert.

Let me put a few casting concerns you may have to rest. I remember the uproar when former Daredevil actor Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman. Everyone cried to bring back Christian Bale. But you know what? Affleck is actually rather good. He's majorly bulked up (the film makes it pretty clear and they want you all to know that), and he brings a different side to Batman. Perhaps not as deep and layered as the Dark Knight series, but what can ya do when he's sharing the spotlight - and the film title? You may not prefer him to Bale, but you'll stop questioning it by the end. Jeremy Irons doesn't even try to replace Michael Caine here, but is instead more of a side-kick and 'cool' action butler (not that Mike's not cool), and will be one of the unsung heroes of this film. Meanwhile, Jesse Eisenberg's 'millennial' Lex Luthor was one of the biggest surprises and wildcards - I think it was an interesting risk that paid off as much of the script's better moments were in his dialogue.

Wonder Woman is also a fantastic addition. And a fan-pleasing one too. Gal Gadot's tough glamorous warrior princess is brought to the 21st century, she can definitely hold her own in a fight, and for lots of people she'll be a scene stealer.  Dawn of Justice is definitely a stepping stone paving the way for future films, and this is done cleverly even if not subtly.


So...where do I stand? Somewhere in the middle, but with a smile and thumbs up. Sure, there are flaws, some so borderline ridiculous we had laughter in the least appropriate places (make of that what you will; perhaps the guy had a weird sense of humour). There were too many plot holes for me to simply ignore, but my rating is boosted by the sheer magnitude of the production and I can't say they did a bad job. Others will be more harsh, others will be in the queue to watch it again. But I reiterate, I think they did do it justice. It's far from perfect, but it doesn't disappoint, and it is a damn big job to ask of in the first place. Even with 2 hours and a half in the bag. Lots of imperfections will let it down overall, but if we didn't have so much to compare it with, would we still be saying the same?

HOWEVER (and this is a big however), it does have many moments of greatness, and it is gritty in a much-needed good way. Perhaps elements of plot were sacrificed in order to set both the film up, and the wider franchise. It is wonderfully cinematic and, you could argue, on a magnitude greater than Marvel. You'll want to applaud in places, jump up from your seat and shake your fist triumphantly. There are twists - and no, not everything is in the trailer. Also, we're forgetting the fact that we have Batman AND Superman AND Wonder Woman sharing a screen! A few years ago this would've had us weak at the knees. We actually get to see Batman versus Superman and this super-showdown, before we see another bunch of superheroes turn on each other next month (Captain America: Civil War). Parents: just who will your kids dress up as next Halloween!?! It's a promising taster of the upcoming Justice League movies (starting with Wonder Woman in 2017), and I left the cinema feeling good (no, not just cos Henry Cavill was there).

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is in cinemas on Friday 25th March.