"Batman v Superman" movie review (no spoilers at all)

It's a funny thing about big event movies. People go into them with all kinds of expectations, then are nearly always disappointed. The trick is to let yourself fall into the story from the start and let the story lead the way. If the story is good, it will eventually explain itself. The other point is to remember that action movies will have lots of barely connected action. All that said, "Batman v Superman" is an action comic movie. I liked it for what it is, but it doesn't explain itself all that well.

 

The early parts of the movie do a great job of setting up the central conflict, which is, "Is Superman dangerous?" We see Batman come into being as part of an answer to the question, and there's a lot of effort spent building it up. Those things work well, and I loved seeing Batman doing detective things and being awesome. The previews for the movie showed part of a neat Batman fight in a warehouse, and I think it's one of the best movie fights in recent memory. But, the question of Superman remains without answer. I think the movie wanted to explain, but then we get a load of other characters and there isn't time.

 

As I explained in a previous post, when superheroes fight each other, they don't really want to cause lasting harm and certainly not death. Yes, they fight and it's fun. There's a big fight against a monster, and it's fun. Sadly, the question of Superman is not resolved. What I found especially amusing was how in the previous movie "Man of Steel" the big complaint was the massive destruction, and they just went for it again! Granted, they take pains to explain there's no innocents around, but still we see major disasters.

 

"Batman v Superman" is a popcorn action movie. Don't think too hard and you'll enjoy it. The visuals are amazing, the actors ham it up like crazy, and the soundtrack is great. But, if you think too much, you'll end up with more questions then answers (the dream sequences certainly don't help).

 

Yes, I do recommend seeing "Batman v Superman." Enjoy it for what it is. If you know the comics, you'll understand it better, but I don't think the movie really wants understanding. It's mindless fun. Enjoy it.

 

- M