Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has an enormous task. Not only does it need to recoup the $250 million Warner Bros. doled out on production and marketing, but it needs to establish the new DC cinematic universe to set the stage for Wonder Woman and Justice League, all while satisfying both sets of passionate fans. Director Zack Snyder will certainly be feeling the pressure, but with a blockbuster budget and a slew of A-list Hollywood stars in his cast, he has to like his chances.
Well, the first reviews are in, and Snyder did… okay? It still may be too early to tell, but the early evaluations are mostly mixed. Critics praise Batman v Superman’s visuals and ambition, but ultimately deride the film for its messy, underwhelming story. Here’s what the reviews are saying:
While Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has good things to recommend it, it’s shortcomings are undeniable. The action sequences whenever Batman is set loose on the bad guys are cool, and the story strives to explore human and philosophical elements, but it’s often not much fun. Not every superhero movie should be like a Marvel one (because every hero and piece of material is different), but even the melodramatic X-Men movies never lost sight of pure entertainment value while also exploring heady and heavy topics.
That this very long, very brooding, often exhilarating and sometimes scattered epic succeeds as often it does therefore has to be seen as an achievement, and worldwide box office should be sufficiently lucrative to ensure future installments proceed on schedule. But amidst all the grueling work of saving the world and shouldering a franchise toward the heights, it would be nice to see these heroes, and this series, take a few more breathers to enjoy the view.
Batman v Superman has big, bold, breathtaking action in a story propelled by character conflicts on a mythic scale. The result is visually stunning, with powerful emotional storytelling and awe-inspiring action spectacle.
Dawn of Justice starts off as an intriguing meditation about two superheroes turning to an all-too-human emotion: hatred out of fear of the unknown. Two and a half hours later it winds up somewhere very far from that—but at the same time, all too familiar. It’s another numbing smash-and-bash orgy of CGI mayhem with an ending that leaves the door open wide enough to justify the next 10 installments. Is it too late to demand a rematch? C+
Better than Man of Steel but below the high bar set by Nolan's Dark Knight, Dawn of Justice is still a colossus, the stuff that DC Comics dreams are made of for that kid in all of us who yearns to see Batman and Superman suit up and go in for the kill. Suck on that, Marvel.
