Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

A Senate hearing into the collateral damage caused by Superman repeatedly intervening to save Lois Lane brings to light the perceived menace of meta-humans. Every bit as much a theological treatise on the nature of a god as it is a slam-bang brawl, this sequel to Man of Steel begins with the street-level panic of the previous film’s climactic battle with Zod assaulting Metropolis, resulting in massive casualties. Ben Affleck’s turn as The Batman is edgier, older and more barrel-chested Sekowsky-like, as portrayed in those early issues of Justice League of America. This movie is a “thinking fan” version of “World’s Finest” circa the late ’50s when science fiction themes brought out the monsters. While downloading LexCorp data, Bruce Wayne is confronted by a desperate “Crisis On Infinite Earths”-era Flash warning of the consequences of failure – it’s an inconclusive, confusing sequence in an otherwise flawless adaptation of various DC Comics storylines. Jesse Eisenberg, recalling his Zuckerberg character in The Social Network is Luthor, but not LEX Luthor, he’s Alexander, the son introduced in “Crisis.” But the biggest surprise for me, is how Lois Lane is an integral participant in bringing Kent and Wayne together, which is yet another reference to the ‘World’s Finest’ team in the ’50s. All in all, Affleck’s portray is plausible as the Dark Knight, Henry Cavill gives a snug-fit as the brooding alien getting attacked from all sides, but unlike those Marvel Universe films, there is no humor at all. Still, we get a battle that justifies Superman’s powers, which are fully on display. And, oh yeah, Wonder Woman is a bit more than an afterthought and got the loudest round of applause at the press screening. It’s not Deadpool but then, what is??!

[PG-13]