Directed by: Zack Snyder  Written by: Chris Terrio, David Goyer  Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Lawrence Fishburne, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons  Budget: $250-400 million Batman v Superman had a

herculean task as the second

instalment of the Warner Bros. DC Extended Universe. It had to establish a whole universe around what Man of Steel had done before it – concerns began with the establishment of a new Batman so soon after the Nolan/Bale version and who to have play him. The decision was made to induct life-long Batman fan Ben Affleck as the caped crusader as well as having this be a loose adaptation of Frank Millers seminal work “The Dark Knight Returns”. Further, the filmmakers wanted to include the first screen appearance of Wonder Woman as a launching pad for a solo outing. Gal Gadot, of Fast and Furious fame, was drafted in after positive screen tests against Ben Affleck leaving only one last piece of interesting casting and that was of Lex Luthor, whom is played by Jesse Eisenberg.

The casting of each caused varying levels of outcry, much of was has been dispelled since the release. Though not entirely.

 

The casting of Ben Affleck sent the internet in to a frenzy with many proclaiming that Batman was now ruined by allowing him to don the cowl, refusing to see the film in protest and reminding everybody of his turn as Daredevil as proof he would be awful. Then a picture of Affleck in the Batsuit began to silence some and the first trailer almost entirely ended the debate. With the release of the film there is no opposition to Affleck and some now tout him as the best on-screen incarnation. His pairing with Jeremy Irons as Alfred was a stroke of genius as Irons proves the perfect foil for the extra broody Affleck. He brings to the fore the need for hope again in Wayne’s life, which in typical form is disregarded.

The plot has several running threads that interweave and culminate in the third act; we have the Bruce Wayne quest for vengeance, the Superman hearings and fallout, Lois Lane investigating around the trial and Lex Luthor trying to get his hands on the Kryptonian ship, tech and more.

 

The best of these stories is unanimously the Batman story. The film opens with back to back batman scenes to help fill out the differences between previous incarnations as well as setting up the main conflict. There have been loud and repeated groans of “we don’t need to see Bruce Wayne’s origin again! It’s the same every time!” and I firmly disagree. Yes, we all know the basics but in Batman ’89 the Joker was responsible for the double murder, then it was made vaguer in the last two 90’s instalments (Forever and Robin). With Nolan’s reboot it was made that Bruce caused his parents to leave the opera and a random poor man with a gun stole from and killed the two people who were doing some good for the city. Now, in a brief opening credits scene, we see the Wayne family leaving the cinema (Zorro & Excalibur are seen) with a random man holding them at gun point. Here is the key difference; Thomas Wayne. In the B v S instance, the armed thug causes Thomas Wayne to protect his family, make fists and go after the gunman as does Martha shortly thereafter. This fighting spirit, refusal to lay down against any odds is then instilled in young Bruce, warped by the horrific scene and transformed in to the basis of The Batman. While that may have gone over the heads of some, that does not mean it has no value.

 

Affleck benefits from getting his motivations fleshed out the most throughout as well as being extremely understandable. The grounds on which Batman and Superman could come to logger heads was embedded in the conclusion of Man of Steel; Bruce Wayne was in Metropolis on the day of the destruction with his building, employees and friends being killed setting a deep resentment and anger towards Kal-El. His motivation is clear – Superman has the potential to wipe out millions, or billions, of lives at his whim whilst he answers to nobody. Wayne refuses to allow such a threat to exist unopposed leading him to seek a method of bringing down the “God”.  Affleck shows Wayne on the edge of losing control, a man who barely conceals his anger and contempt. There is more to the performance than being stoic and brooding at all times; he shows a lighter side when talking Alfred which displays a true positive in the universe going forward in the chemistry of Affleck and Irons in these roles. The relationship feels natural as the two bounce off each other providing both some of the most comedic and some of the heavier moments in the Batman story. In the same scene Alfred pokes fun at Bruce’s age and prior recklessness, then concludes the scene by very firmly telling Bruce that his present actions have made him what he fought for 20 years; a cruel man.

 

Superman’s story centres around his impact on the world and how he should act. This too stems from the Man of Steel finale. Some believe that Superman could have done more during the showdown with Zod to save innocent by-standers, overlooking the obvious fact that had he not intervened the death toll would have been 7 billion. It’s partially a response to a portion of film audience’s reaction to the destruction in Man of Steel’s finale in that many felt it was “destruction porn” with no focus on Superman actually saving lives. The action there struck a chord and the reason it did more so than, say, Age of Ultron or really any Marvel movie, was the realism. The falling buildings, debris clouds racing down the streets and the people covered in the dust all intentionally evoke thoughts of 9/11 as well as providing an on the ground perspective. Man of steel could be said to have inverted 9/11 by having a skyscraper sized ship laying waste and a plane flying in to it to bring it to an end. All of this made a more visceral experience, unlike the happy-go-lucky toned Marvel whose action scenes aren’t capable of portraying that weight yet, preferring instead to nullify carnage with witty banter and bright colours. The feeling that Superman should have done more on Day 2 of Superman-ing also ignores part of the films message; that you can’t save everybody.

 

Man of Steel’s conclusion attracted the attention of more than just the Dark Knight, the US senate is holding hearings about Superman, Lex Luthor has taken a special interest in him also and Wonder Woman, making her big screen debut in Gal Gadot, steps in to the fray.

 

As introductions go Gadot performs solidly – appearing largely toward the latter end of the film, she is given the opportunity to both display her acting in scenes opposite Affleck and her action chops in beautiful combat scenes – not to mention the fantastic theme created for her. Most will be satisfied with Gadot going forward but the same cannot be said for another casting – Jesse Eisenberg.

 

Eisenberg’s Alexander Luthor will be much more divisive. His performance is certainly interesting to observe but can, at times, seem to be in a different film all together. After a pivotal scene that goes on to determine the shape of this new universe, his performance becomes more erratic and it seems apparent that at least some of the 30 minutes to be included in the Blu-ray “Ultimate Cut” will better explain this shift.

 

As with all Zack Snyder films the shot composition and style throughout are wonderful. His direction has always been easy on the eye when he doesn’t overuse slow-motion/speed-ramping, here he creates some genuinely beautiful moments. The visuals on show are some of the best any comic book movie has ever had to offer. Snyder’s ability to create a moving comic panel’s works perfectly for the material, particularly in the inevitable showdown of Batman & Superman. The action is beautiful to look upon and serves as more than mere destruction, telling a story in itself literally as the two let actions speak for them.

 

 

The theatrical cut did have pacing issues and plot threads that cried out for me explanation, is the Ultimate Cut the version that should have been released instead? Yes. If you have not seen the film at all, you should only watch the Ultimate Cut. The ultimate cut is the superior version and beggar’s belief that the studio not only trimmed 30 minutes in the hope to get more screenings each day but in what they decided to cut. Needless to say, the Ultimate Cut is a much more solid film that makes much more sense with a better flow. Its lengthy spell at the top of home Blu Ray charts is a testament to the improvement.

 

SPOILER WARNING!!!!! PLOT POINTS THAT WERE SALVAGED IN THE ULTIMATE CUT WILL BE DISCUSSED!!!!!

 

The Ultimate Cut primarily salvaged the early phase of the film that the theatrical cut tore to pieces. The Superman-Africa story line is fully explored, mystifying that as much of it was sacrificed for the theatrical cut. It was confusing as to how the blame fell to Superman, seeming more a general “He saved his Girlfriend while flying past a massacre” as opposed to a full frame job by enemies of the man of steel. This leads to the Lois bullet investigation getting more time to explain itself now features a scene that explains that some lead was involved in the crucial senate bombing, preventing Superman from being aware of it. Whomever thought that this thread needed snipping needs their head looking at. The R-Rating comes only in the extended Batman saving Martha fight scene when he breaks some bones, some blood splatter is added to the crate collision and the returned shoulder stabbing is a little longer too. There are other key scenes bizarrely removed such as Luthor making contact with some alien entity in the Kryptonian ship which is theorized to be Steppenwolf – the father of Darkseid. It makes it crystal clear who has heard the “bell being rung” as Luthor puts it. Again, a strange edit for theatres almost crippled the film and universe going forwards. Thankfully, the Ultimate Cut restores the film to a superior state that, yes, still has some pacing issues here and there but is a wholly more satisfying experience.