By Shazwan Zulkifli of The Level

***Major spoilers alert!***

‘Batman V Superman’ was supposed to be the start of a brand-new live action DC universe, led by the brand’s most iconic heroes and maybe, just maybe, the first step in finally challenging Marvel’s ‘Avengers’ at their own game.

Unfortunately, what we get onscreen is an overhyped superhero action movie, which has succeeded in disappointing not just hardcore DC fans, but regular moviegoers as well.

Of course, there are some epic moments and memorable scenes in the film. I mean, I have to admit even I squealed when I saw Batman decrypting Luthor’s files and finding folders on the other Justice League members. The handful of good scenes can’t make up for all the horrible, unneeded scenes throughout the movie though – like approximately a million panning shots of a field which we presume is the Wayne estate.

The movie is too congested
Batman V Superman is basically a grand, disorganized mess. You already have two main characters, supported by four more characters from “Man of Steel”, the inclusion of another three characters (Wonder Woman among them), and five different storylines from the comics – all vying for precious screen time and attention. In all honesty, it seriously looks like Zack Snyder and Warner Bros really wanted to make a two and a half hour-long commercial essentially screaming, “Hey fellas, Justice League is finally here!”, but failed in doing justice to the friendship and battles of DC’s finest.

Lame character developments
No back story on Lex and Clark’s relationship to each other, little exposition on Batman’s years fighting crime, and no explanation on why Bruce is living in an ugly, contemporary interpretation of a futuristic home, instead of Wayne Manor. And the worst part is, we have to wait until the end for Wonder Woman to somehow help out, when truthfully, all she did was defend and play cowgirl.

Couldn’t be more draggy
Even though the film is compact, the whole experience is still an unbearable dragfest. At the end of the film, when they should have just closed the curtains much earlier, they don’t, because they have to stick in lots of unnecessary and repetitive scenes with dialog that plays no significant role in the film – other than screaming, “Hey fellas, Justice League is finally here!”. But it is a Zack Snyder film through and through. I mean, look at “300”.

Plot holes
Plot holes, plot holes everywhere. I truly understand that it’s a superhero film, so realistically, there will be inevitable plot holes – but seriously? Superman dies after getting stabbed, and not blown up to bits by a nuclear missile? Lex Luthor having custom logos for the superheroes he cataloged in his encrypted files? Do the Superheroes have their own personal designers to send in AI files to Lex for a hi-res view on his interface?

No soul and emotion whatsoever
When Superman died, I didn’t feel sad at all. Same went for most of the people in the cinema I was in. I’ve heard more sobbing while watching a Pixar movie than this. It’s just completely predictable, bland, and emotionless. Instead, I actually felt relieved that the Son of Krypton finally died, for some weird reason. Snyder has failed to make his characters connect with his viewers yet again, and the fact that he’s bad at it, – and that he keeps getting to make DC movies – is even sadder than the supposedly tragic scene in the movie.

Batman is badass
Bat-fleck is a major yes. Ben Affleck aced his role as Batman, with awesome costumes and one rad-looking batmobile. Batman’s fighting moves are more fluid this time around, as the Dark Knight fights his way through goons, Supes, and definitely NOT Doomsday. Some of Batman’s fight scenes could have easily fit into any of the Arkham games. His characterization is suitably more nuanced than the Bale version – the ultimate authoritarian, the suave playboy, and the specimen of peak human performance, Bat-fleck is a joy to watch when he’s not chewing scenery.

…..but Batman killed a lot of people?
Batman is special because, as hard as it is to fight people without killing them, he regards it as the only rule he cannot break. However, THIS Batman shamelessly kills dozens of people in so many ways, which kind of makes the Batman in this film look like a fraud. In fact, this is probably the first time we’ve ever seen a killer Batman on screen.

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman
How can we not mention how super cool Wonder Woman is. The photograph of her and the soldiers that Bruce finds in Lex’s files is simply A-plus. Her fighting skills are to be feared and her fashion sense is top notch, so at least we know that the Wonder Woman character is safe in Gal Gadot’s hands (and ropes). Wonder Woman is a particular delight in this film – when the two main leads are more concerned with glowering into the distance than actually doing anything, Gal Gadot brings a palpable sense of mystery, warmth, daring, and charm to the Diana Prince side of the character that is refreshing.

Overall, the movie is pretty disappointing, especially if you’ve been waiting for so long for the movie to premiere. Having Snyder in the director’s seat isn’t really working very well, as he continues to deliver messy, overly grim, and serious movies. But on a positive note, the movie is an introduction to a bigger DC universe that, we hope, will not be as bad as B v S. A 4/10 is a generous giveaway, and trust me, it’s all just for Batfleck and Wonder Woman.

Batman v Superman is now playing nationwide.

First published in FMT’s youth portal, www.thelevel.my