There's a lot to like about this film. I know there was a lot of initial skepticism about Ben Affleck's portrayal of Batman. Let me assuage those fears; the guy kills it. He's got the right demeanor, he plays the mask of the bumbling billionaire well, and the physically imposing guy in the batsuit who wins at all costs even better. Henry Cavil continues to crush it as Superman. Gal Gadot is a revelation as Wonder Woman. There's a degree of realism she brings to her action roles because she is a legitimate bad ass, having served in the IDF and knowing her way around weapons and hand to hand combat in a way few other female stars do. The supporting cast also is amazing from Jeremy Irons to Amy Adams to Diane Lane. You may or may not like Jesse Eisenberg's take on Lex Luthor, but I didn't find it nearly as distracting as some.



No, the issue here is that a great cast unfortunately does not make a great film. The script unfortunately plays like an attempt at mixing The Death of Superman with The Dark Knight Returns and its an epic fail. If I hadn't been reading comics for the past three decades maybe I'd be gloriously ignorant of this, and love the film, but that's not the case. TDKR is one of the three best graphic novels of all time, and my personal favorite. It redefined what the genre could be, and to me is one of my favorite novels of all time (not comics; novels). One day maybe we'll get a true telling of that tale akin to the way Watchmen and Sin City were done. This instead takes select elements from that tale and weaves them into another story, even going so far as to steal some of the dialog. The problem is that without the back story of TDKR its hollow, and lacking depth. When Batman and Superman fight in TDKR its been building up for decades. Its a clash of ideology, and showcases the marked differences between an all powerful being who's in effect become a stooge and a mere mortal, older and more human than ever before who still refuses to compromise his code. Its really deep, powerful stuff, and what we get in this film just lacks 95% of that.



I applaud the lack of an origin story for the new Batman (I think we all know his parents were murdered and he took it as his personal mission to end crime using his immense wealth, intelligence, and physical prowess). Its refreshing to see an older Batman, seasoned, wizened, and less idealistic. However there's just too much Zack Snyder in this to make it fully palatable. Too much put into the giant fight scene at the end, full of explosions, and 360 degree camera pans. I've really liked some of his earlier work, but he's become formulaic and its now like watching the Michael Bay of the comic genre. Thus far its seems Sucker Punch was his best effort (I sincerely hope you prove me wrong Zack).



All in, there are worse ways to spend the time it takes to watch this film. Like I said, its not bad; its just not great, and it could have been so much more.