According to Wikipedia, this movie grossed over 873.6 million dollars! There are earned reasons for this; that said, I do understand the complaints folks have registered with the various releases of the film; theatrics vs. extended cut. For me, both have flaws. My concern in this review is the ‘overall’ plot and theme of the film itself. It seems to me, from a writer’s perspective, the writer(s) were unable to satisfy their own escapes and imaginations; after all, this is a MAJOR showdown between the two biggest heroes in the Justice League! It is difficult enough to fit them into a film and extricate their egos to a hungry audience that demands even the most unrealistic outcomes. Sometimes this works, sometimes it does not. In this film, I think the most honest answer is a bit of both; and I believe it is on purpose.
Depending on your taste, watching this film can be a horrifying experience. The undetermined result of the plots and the surprise timing of events throw the viewer off the tracks multiple times during the watching process. I am also forced to enter the antics of director Zack Snyder; it appears he has an ax to grind for both Kings. It seems it is almost a game of roulette for both Batman and Superman. Will they side with each other, or climax into the most thunderous violence imaginable? For me, the most disturbing suggestion in this film is the failure to understand why Alexander Luther is so hell-bent on framing Superman: you are never given the answer! From the DC perspective, it would make sense. The hatred between Luther and Superman is deep and foul, even though Alex is killed by Lex Luther himself as the story is explored in the DC Comics series, ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths.” After the turbulence of this series, Luther’s ego grows more dangerous and Superman is compelled to find a way to deal with a much more resentful and aggressive villain. But, again, what is Luther’s motivation? Superman is framed for murder using bullets. What use would Superman have for bullets? Here, in this scene, the plot really weakens to an almost unbelievable presentation! It could have been just as easily avoided, as other film reviewers have pointed out; his eccentricities towards Superman does not alleviate this problem.
However, there are magnificent and wonderfully memorable scenes throughout the film, like the one where Superman is standing in the riotous maelstrom that used to be the Capitol Building; for me, that was quite an intense scene and the emotion of Superman was caught and bequeathed to his viewers beautifully. Then, of course, there are the refulgent scenes of Gal Gadot, where her character is enunciated, exquisitely, in this debut of her character as Wonder Woman; she delivered an impressive blow to the audience! While the flaws slowly cascade into the mixed plot, the action and battle scenes do more of a makeup than the
critics have disciplined this film for. What I think gets most viewers vexed at this movie is the entanglements of the various plots offered in the different releases that are available for viewing. Perhaps it is DC’s motive to let the viewer decide on the characters own fates and let the fabricated/astute plots develop into a hypothesis of intrigue and artificial design. After all, it has worked in previous DC/Marvel films; this will, I think, be the continuance of the directors and writers of the upcoming future releases. (Never run a good idea into bankruptcy!) It is just something movie-goers and DVD/Blu-ray buyers will have to deal with. It is healthy to keep in mind, while watching this film, the tenacity and purpose of the whole. Universes, egos, worlds, humans, aliens all have a purpose to administer. Let me also mention the selection of actors in the film itself. Jesse Eisenberg plays a brilliant and diabolical Luther; he is flawless at convincing his audience that he is always running on a motive to destroy Superman; Gal Gadot is sexy, confident and deeply motivated to sculpt her integrity into the hearts of her admirers; Henry Cavill is a superb and clinquant Superman; he is wise and protective of his instincts and emotions; then, of course, there is Ben Affleck playing the most astucious and flamboyant Batman to date. He is absolutely convincing in his appointments of mischievousness and dexterity of risky outcomes and mishaps.
The ultimate question each fan always asks is, is this film true to the Comic Book? Is any superhero movie ever? But do we really care that much about PLOT and THEME when we are watching our Superheroes in action? It certainly seems to be a strident issue in the reviews, but it never seems to be a ‘verbal’ discussion among the fans. I think this film serves both perspectives with equal justice. In the wider scope of entertainment, this film calibrates both plot and action and emotion with intrinsic sagacity, even if you leave your imagination to color selections (plots) of your choice.
| Directed by | Zack Snyder |
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| Written by | |
| Based on | Characters from DC |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Larry Fong |
| Edited by | David Brenner |
| Music by | |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
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Release dates
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Running time
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152 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250–325 million |
| Box office | $874.4 million |
© 2024, Mark Grago. All rights reserved.