On this glorious day, that celebrates Life, my sister Linda and I enjoyed the movie Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. This action packed film just released this weekend. I grew up reading comic books and especially liked the super hero stories. Superman was my favorite. I was excited to see this latest installment in the franchise.
Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice stars Ben Afleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, Laurence Fishburne and Gal Gadot. The action adventure was directed by Zack Snyder and has a run time of 2 hours and 41 minutes. The film carries a PG-13 rating, for intense sequences and violence.
Building on Man of Steel, from 2013, and the Batman lore captured over the last 27 years, this movie highlights the uneasiness the world feels with a hero as powerful as Superman (Cavill). After the near destruction of Metropolis, depicted in Man of Steel, some fear that Superman poses a threat. While most still see him as a symbol of hope and safety, others see his power as unchecked and therefore dangerous.
Superman continues as his alter ego, Clark Kent, writing stories for newspaper editor Perry White (Fishburne), loving the women in his life, fellow reporter Lois Lane (Adams), and his mother, Martha (Lane). He’s torn between living a human life and saving humankind, between those who need him and adore him, even, and those who fear what he can do.
Bruce Wayne (Afleck) with his long time trusted friend Alfred (Irons), is very aware of the controversy growing around Superman. Bruce dwells often in his darker side, haunted still by the death of his parents, choosing to live a secluded, solitary life.
Although he responds to the call for help when it comes, by way of the bat signal that shines into the night sky, he sees himself as a glorified criminal. He is the Dark Knight, unafraid of using strong tactics to subdue or punish those who prey on others.
A brooding rivalry grows between the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight, as each questions the motives of the other. Quiet warnings escalate to all out war between them.
As they square off, a more ominous threat rises, as a manical young man, Lex Luther (Eisenberg), works on a dark plot that will not only destroy the city, but take out the two battling heroes. Help is available from a mysterious woman (Gadot), who is reluctant to reveal her true identity.
Linda and I had great fun watching this movie! Yes, it’s long. But it didn’t drag along. The action and the building storyline fully engaged me and the time passed quickly. We skipped on large drinks from the concession stand for good reason!
I love Cavill as Superman. And Afleck did an admirable job playing Batman for the first time. One of the things I appreciated about this film is that both heroes were portrayed with very human sides, in spite of the fact that Superman isn’t from Earth. They both have dark sides. They fight for justice. And they get angry, feel fear and frustration, and question who they are and what their purposes are.
I’m delighted that this movie sets the foundation for the formation of the Justice League, a group of heroes that band together for the good of humanity. Doing a quick check on IMDB, I see a series of movies scheduled up until 2020, that will flesh out this story and bring years of viewing thrills.
I know I’ll be there in the theater for each film, cheering on the good guys with super-human abilities and very human hearts and flaws.
