BATMAN v SUPERMAN

While Marvel has had success with film adaptations of their comics, things have not been particularly sunny for their rivals, DC Comics. With a view to changing the scenario, DC Comics has planned an Extended Universe and "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" is the movie that kickstarts this universe.

The movie starts off with the origin story of Batman. Although we have seen Batman's origin several times on the big screen, the portrayal in this movie is probably the best we've ever seen – thanks to the brilliant cinematography. After that, the movie fast forwards to the events during Man of Steel and focuses on where Bruce Wayne was at that time. The destructive battle between Superman and General Zod leads to the destruction of Wayne's properties, and the deaths and mutilations of a large number of his employees. Witnessing Superman's powers firsthand, he starts preparing to destroy him. 18 months later, Lois Lane gets captured by terrorists in Africa and Superman arrives to save the day. The encounter once again causes casualties and a trial is held in the court against Superman. Lex Luthor, CEO of LexCorp and a Superman hater, tries his best to sway the public opinion against Superman. In an attempt to put an end to Superman, he pits him and Batman against each other by playing with both their minds. 

There were lots of controversies regarding the casting of this film – especially around Ben Affleck. Ben, however, turned out to be the best part of the film with his solid performance. Jeremy Irons also performed well as Alfred. Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman) got a very small amount of screentime in the movie but within this short time, she manages to steal the show. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane respectively, however, still feel awkward and their characters seem underdeveloped. Fans were divided over the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and I personally never felt like he was up to the task. His performance in the movie just went on to solidify my stance. 

As expected from a superhero movie, BvS has lots and lots of action. Batman's action scenes are heavily inspired by the Batman Arkham video game series. The Batmobile is hands down the best we've ever seen. Wonder Woman's action scenes are pretty sweet too. Superman's action sequences, while great, are overshadowed by the other two. There are also surprise cameos if you keep your eyes open – which I felt were rather forced. The cinematography and visual effects in the movie are absolutely spot-on. 

BvS has all the elements necessary to be a great film yet it falls short of being one. This can be attributed mostly to the plot holes and the narrative of the movie. The narrative of the movie is convoluted and ultimately it feels like a compilation of scenes instead of a single, connected storyline.

In an attempt to set up an extended universe with a single movie, BvS has become a convoluted mess. Even after that, the experience of watching this movie is a must-have and if the mistakes of this movie are rectified in the future, DC: EU has a bright future ahead of it. 

Nony Khondaker is an introvert with immense passion for tech and music. Feel free to send your constructive feedback at nonykhondaker@live.com or follow him on twitter.com/NonyKhondaker