I can’t tell you if you’re going to like Dawn of Justice. I did, but I’m a huge Zack Snyder fan and loved his previous effort, 2013’s Man of Steel. The more sombre, gritty tone was a nice alternative to its comical Marvel counterparts and it left me eagerly anticipating more.
Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman was one of the most talked about points of this movie, and easily the most moot point now. Batffleck is a triumph. Affleck had his first turn at playing a superhero way way back in 2003, playing Marvel’s Daredevil. For those of you who don’t know, Daredevil was horrible. The story, direction and script were all botched, but Affleck is a great actor and has proven it many times since. Batffleck is terrifically close to the source material, specifically The Dark Knight Returns which Snyder used for his main inspiration. Dawn of Justice picks up the Dark Knight’s story 21 years along. Tragic things have happened through his career. The Batman portrayed carries the weight of the world on his shoulders in the most brooding, impressive way possible.
On the other side of the coin is Superman, played by Henry Cavill, and Dawn of Justice picks up 18 months after Man of Steel left off. The Son of Krypton has become a controversial figure after his battle with Zod that leveled Metropolis. Citizens and politicians alike blame Clark for the destruction, even though he really just wanted to help people. He keeps true to his morals throughout the movie and to his character, jumping up to save both his mother, his girlfriend and his city without a single thought of the consequences. His school boyish charm from his first outing is gone though, and you’re kind of left wondering how he doesn’t get fired from his day job.
Where Dawn of Justice really steps up to the plate is its setup for future DC films. Step one was Wonder Woman, the third member of DC’s holy trinity. Gal Gadot gives a memorable performance as the mysterious Ms. Prince, and in the final action sequence she really steals the show. The part of the movie that surprised me the most however was the blatant Justice League setup. Honestly, they pretty much spell out the future of DC’s cinematic slate right before your eyes.
Critically, there was a lot of jumping around between scenes. Keeping up with what was going on and what you need to focus on was mentally taxing. There were also an absurd amount of dream sequences. Lastly, as a fan of the comics, I usually know what’s going on but if you aren’t familiar with the source material there were a few things that will go right over your head. All roads lead to Apokolips.
I’m very excited for the future of the DC universe.
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