Joss Whedon and Zack Snyder are endlessly different auteurs, but I feel like the pair should share a cup of coffee soon, perhaps a hug or two while they’re at it. There aren’t many humans on the planet who have been charged with launching and maintaining massive cinematic empires based on well known comic book superheroes, and the pressure to not only land a billion dollar big fish in the studio boat but set sail for a five to ten year plan of interconnected blockbuster releases can be nothing short of isolating. When Whedon stuck the critical, audience and box office landings with The Avengers, he was immediately drafted into the Marvel Studio army to oversee the next “phase” of their media empire (i.e. ghost write on three films and create a television pilot) and of course make a sequel that could best the success of his previous film, merely one of the Top 5 box office champions of all time. Snyder, on the other hand, found much more mixed results with Man Of Steel, Time Warner/DC’s attempt to launch a parallel universe with their own well known and beloved characters. It made money but didn’t garner the broad acceptance and confidence that the studio hoped it would, although to be fair, Warner Brothers has clumsily juggled two of the most popular characters in comic book history for several decades now. Whedon went on to pour his heart and sensibility into Avengers: Age Of Ultron, which made huge piles of cash but left the internet sourly arguing its merits or lack thereof, and now Snyder is faced with similar angry cybermobs as Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice hits theaters this weekend. The number of levels at which an audience can find fault with this kind of exercise is almost unlimited, but Snyder, much like Whedon, has poured his soul into the exercise and come up with an epic, challenging and entertaining film.
As if helming a film called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t daunting enough for the director, he and writers David Goyer and Chris Terrio get to retell the origin story of Bruce Wayne, one that has literally been told almost countless times on screens large and small. Snyder wisely dives right in, crafting one of his signature slow motion montages filled with pristine imagery in a wordless opening credit sequence that properly sets the stage for the smoldering rage of Ben Affleck’s very Dark Knight, scored with devastating beauty by Hans Zimmer. Then we’re transported to Metropolis as Superman and General Zod waged their destructive day long war, but we now see the events from the angle of Bruce Wayne, who finds himself almost completely helpless in trying to rescue his employees from one of many collapsing buildings. As if the Batman wasn’t already a walking, breathing grudge, the anger he now feels for these godlike aliens is etched across his face in almost every shot of the film and echoed through his wholly uneasy dreams. Affleck’s lantern jaw and frequently unsung acting chops have rarely been put to better use—he’s the first Batman we’ve seen who, in keeping with many iconic iterations of the character from the comic books, is a perpetual rage engine, always fighting the feeling of helplessness that was imprinted on his soul the night his parents died with an angry grimace and an eager fist.
At this point, and certainly from some of the marketing, one would think this isn’t a true sequel to Man Of Steel; far from it, I’d argue that this is one of the finest Superman films to date. The questions raised by his seemingly limitless abilities and complete lack of oversight from any authority flow from the first act of the movie through the finale, and the consequences of wielding such power are explored not only through his conflict with Batman but via the truly mad yet thorough schemes of Alexander Luthor, played with cunning charm and more than a hint of barely contained insanity by Jesse Eisenberg. Henry Cavill, sporting an impressive jawline himself, continues to bring grace to a young, evolving Superman, starting the film as a bedrock of confidence bordering on cockiness but soon finding himself put through many degrading tests and sacrifices by the time the closing credits crawl. Each new challenge to his invulnerable physique and seemingly unimpeachable mission chips away at the Man of Steel like no other film has ever dared to, and it’s something of a marvel to behold.
I’d be remiss to leave out mention of Wonder Woman, although her crowd pleasing action beats of the third act and a bit of cat and mouse with Bruce Wayne in the early going are fun but ultimately slight. Back to the laundry list of world building Snyder was handed by the studio, we are also given quick introductions to several other iconic DC characters, which starts to make the whole endeavor feel a bit wobbly on its narrative axis but fortunately doesn’t tip it over. It’s no secret that this director is divisive; I’ve found his career thus far to be a mixed bag, and despite a predilection towards enjoying anything featuring the guy who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, found Man of Steel to be uneven in many departments. Fortunately Batman v Superman plays like a synthesis of all of the good things Snyder is capable of, with many of the bad ones left behind in his older films. There’s gorgeous imagery, such as the sublime sight of one of our heroes gracefully landing with a rescued woman in Juarez or a young crime victim being buoyed upwards by a flock of bats; his partnership with DP Larry Fong has never been stronger. Hans Zimmer continues his brilliant work in the series, bringing back some of his stellar themes from Man of Steel and adding fantastic new ones for Bruce Wayne, Batman and Luthor. And while the film takes its time to let the characters interact through other means than violence, when it’s time for action Snyder’s muscular talents for that end of the story are on full, swaggering display. Much like the successful comic book films over at that other studio often do, the filmmakers here reach back into a treasure trove of DC comic book stories to put together an epic romp of a tale, and even have the chutzpah to visually nod to multiple previous big screen iterations of these heroes. And, as noted earlier, Snyder is continuing the story of Superman, allowing the character to grow, be challenged, suffer doubt and loss, and really become quite a bit more interesting to observe than this indestructible Dudley Do-Right often is. Like many other fans of this growing franchise, I can hardly wait to see what direction they take the character in next.
Podcasting Them Softly 