Batman v. Superman: Dawn of the Justice League

Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman, the second installment in the Man of Steeltrilogy plays out more like a prequel to next year's Justice League: Part One than it does a Man of Steel sequel. Cluttered with extraneous characters and dragging on for far longer than it needs to, the film is disjointed at best. Cameos from Ezra Miller as the Flash and Jason Momoa as Aquaman would not be needed in a Man of Steel sequel, but were added to the already-lengthy movie just to show viewers what was coming up in Justice League: Part One next year. The movie was needlessly drawn out and devoid of color in the pursuit of a serious and emotionally dark theme.

The movie starts out where Man of Steel left off back in 2013, with Metropolis being levelled. A Wayne Enterprises tower falls in the aftermath of Superman's battle with the Kryptonian General Zod, sparking Bruce Wayne's fierce rivalry with Superman. What Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises was doing in Metropolis was not explained at all—just one of the many plot points viewers are simply forced to accept. Following the events of Man of Steel, Lex Luthor steps in to turn American citizens against Superman and pits the headlining heroes against each other.

The plot of the film was hard to follow, with contrived plot points that left viewers with many unanswered questions. How did Superman escape the clutches of Batman by simply uttering the first name of his mother? What was Wonder Woman doing in Lex Luthor's mansion at the beginning of the movie? How was Doomsday created from Zod's corpse? It seemed as if the producers needed the audience to take those points for granted simply because they were important to the story. There was also too much happening, such as the pointless scene where the late Pa Kent counsels a conflicted and troubled Superman after he flees to some remote region of the world. Essentially, the studio took a relatively straightforward story and dragged it out for two and a half hours. The majority of people that see this movie don't go expecting a long epic as Snyder intended, they're there for the promised showdown that doesn't last for more than ten minutes.

Despite the problematic plot points, the fight sequences were quite well-done and immensely satisfying. They seemed very well thought and planned out, perfectly executed, and vastly entertaining. Moreover, Ben Affleck's Batman may be the best one yet. He is brutal and efficient, but still shows emotion unlike Christian Bale's highly-esteemed portrayal. However, his beaten, weathered persona seemed too over-the-top. The death scenes that turned out to be just nightmares and twisted flashbacks were completely unnecessary and only confused the plot. Aside from that, Affleck's Batman was the best part of the movie. His shrewdness, cunning and planning really exemplify who the Batman from the comics is. Gal Gadot also put in a noteworthy performance as Wonder Woman before her standalone Wonder Woman film next year, being simultaneously regal and and rogue.

One of the biggest problems with the film, though, was the color. The entire film seemed completely devoid of color, opting to stay in the shades of black and blue, as if the studio did not realize the film could have a dark tone without literally being dark.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice may not have been good as a standalone Superman film, but casual viewers watching for the fight scenes will leave fulfilled. The fight sequences and performances from newcomers Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot are the sole reason to watch this movie, as this "sneak peek" of what is to come does not have much else going for it.