Epic standoff in ‘Batman v Superman’ – ‘Life-or-death battle’

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LOS ANGELES, March 23, (RTRS): Who would win in a fight, Batman or Superman? Could the Flash outrun Superman? Could Superman craft a boulder so heavy even he couldn’t lift it? While “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” ostensibly seeks to tackle the first of those evergreen schoolyard hypotheticals, it’s the third that ends up proving the biggest litmus test for director Zack Snyder. Tasked with colliding the two most archetypal of American superheroes while also answering critics of his last outing, “Man of Steel,” and perhaps most importantly, paving the way for an extended DC Comics universe of films on which much of Warner Bros future bottom line relies, Snyder has set a Sisyphean task for himself, and worldwide box office should be sufficiently lucrative to ensure future installments proceed on schedule. But amidst all the grueling work of saving the world and shouldering a franchise toward the heights, it would be nice to see these heroes, and this series, take a few more breathers to enjoy the view.

Controversial

Proving that the placement of names in the title isn’t simply alphabetical, the first few reels of “Batman v Superman” are dominated by the Caped Crusader, with controversial casting Ben Affleck stepping quite comfortably into the role. That the film opens with yet another operatic depiction of the young Bruce Wayne’s most formative trauma is perhaps unavoidable — Thomas and Martha Wayne have been killed so many times in so many different media that their deaths may as well be one of the Stations of the Cross — but our first glimpse of the adult Wayne is hardly standard issue. Taking a civilian-level view of the cataclysmic destruction of Metropolis that ended “Man of Steel” on a contentious note, we watch as Wayne attempts to remotely evacuate his own Metropolitan Wayne Enterprises skyscraper, crippled by a wayward Superman (Henry Cavill) as he battles with General Zod just outside the frame. Despite his mad drive through the battle-torn streets, Wayne arrives just in time to watch, horrified, as a friendly security guard loses his legs and a young girl becomes an orphan.

Setting Wayne up as the film’s initial conscience is one of Snyder’s most interesting gambles, especially as his Batman quickly evolves into the most morally ambiguous iteration of the character yet seen on film. More than willing to shoot, brutalize and kill if the need arises, this Batman is still a figure of mystery in Gotham, and Snyder refrains from showing us the character in full cowl until surprisingly late in the game.

Fortunately, Affleck’s Wayne — here sporting salt-and-pepper temples and all the baggage of a man who, as faithful butler Alfred (Jeremy Irons) notes, “got too old to die young, and not for want of trying” — is a winningly cranky, charismatic presence even when out of costume. Diving headfirst into the sorts of detective work that Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy often short-shrifted, Wayne casts a skeptical eye on Superman while investigating a mysterious underworld figure named White Portuguese, his tracks traced by an equally mysterious woman (Gal Gadot).

Meanwhile, Superman has hardly recovered from the fallout of his chaotic battle with Zod when controversy strikes yet again. Though he’s been welcomed as a savior by most of Metropolis, in the course of rescuing Lois Lane (Amy Adams) from a terrorist interview gone awry, he’s blamed for the deaths of several African villagers. This attracts the scrutiny of the crusading southern Senator Finch (Holly Hunter), who heads up a Congressional Superman Committee, disturbed by the Krypton’s exercise of unilateral power.

Mysterious

She gains an uneasy ally in a cheeky young industrialist named Alexander “Lex” Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg, retaining his Zuckerbergian misanthropy from “The Social Network” and his stringy, Cobainian hair from “American Ultra”), who hopes to seduce her into allowing him to import a mysterious glowing green substance discovered in the Indian Ocean. Scarfing Jolly Ranchers, quoting Nabokov and showing up to formal events wearing a white blazer and sneakers, Eisenberg tackles Luthor as the brogrammer from hell, a chattily malevolent presence who provides the only real moments of levity in the film.

Juggling all of these strands while steadily beating the drum toward the battle promised in the title, Snyder sometimes loses track of his various allegories. Scripters Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer provide kernels of philosophical and theological quandaries throughout, while their nods toward contemporary political debates are more complex than the scattered visual gags (such as an anti-Superman protester waving an “Aliens Are Un-American” placard) might seem to imply. Yet the essential clash of ideologies promised by the central conflict — vigilante justice vs. self-sacrificing restraint, night vs. day, Dionysus vs. Apollo — never develops quite as forcefully as it should, and the life-or-death battle between the two icons ultimately comes down to a series of misunderstandings.

While “Batman v Superman’s” Dark Knight may be more of a pure punisher than some fans would prefer, Snyder’s conception of the character at least feels fully formed. Superman remains something of a work-in-progress. (If nothing else, it’s strange to see Clark Kent cast a more brooding figure than Bruce Wayne.) Daily Planet scenes are even more perfunctory this time around, and Adams’ Lois has plenty to do but little to say.

As a pure visual spectacle, however, “Batman v Superman” ably blows the hinges off the multiplex doors, and editor David Brenner does excellent work to comprehensibly streamline the chaos, capably captured by d.p. Larry Fong. Composers Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL are again key assets here, with Gadot’s theme in particular proving quite infectious. Snyder largely tamps down his penchant for hyper-stylized combat imagery until the end, when he stages a series of galactic battles that take style notes from sources as varied as classic WWE rumbles and Harryhausen creature features. As overblown as the lengthy showdown might become, Snyder gets closer than ever before to the chiaroscuro palette of classic comics, and even if his scrupulous efforts to avoid reopening “Man of Steel’s” collateral damage debates are a bit on the nose, at least he’s clearly received the message.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is facing a rocky start ahead of its Friday release. The tentpole has been met with lukewarm reviews; it holds a bleak Rotten Tomatoes percentage (which continues to change as more reviews roll in). The last installments fared far better for these caped crusaders, with “Man of Steel” holding a 56 percent and “The Dark Knight Rises” holding an 87 percent.

Although there are a few positive reviews for Zack Snyder’s film, most are calling out the film for its messy, less-than-spectacular promised clash of comic-book titans.

Variety’s Andrew Barker says that this epic standoff never develops fully and instead “the life-or-death battle between the two icons ultimately comes down to a series of misunderstandings.” Barker also believes Henry Cavill’s Superman pales in comparison to “the winningly cranky, charismatic presence even when out of costume” of Ben Affleck’s Batman. Visually, the film is a win.

Eric Kohn of Indiewire echoes some of Barker’s points by calling this messy and “cacophonous” showdown “basically one long teaser for the next installment.” Kohn also pointed out that while the film “doesn’t lack for inspired visuals” because “it’s filled with motion-heavy sequences rich in light and color,” a good deal of the story “reeks of the usual routine.”

Somewhat grim reviews won’t necessarily mean this epic caped hero battle will struggle at the box office. The film is projected to surpass $300 million dollars worldwide when it bows this weekend.

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LOS ANGELES: Movie studio Warner Bros went ahead with Tuesday’s London premiere of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” its new superhero movie, but skipped the traditional red carpet press interviews following the attacks in Brussels.

“Our hearts go out to the victims of recent terrorist attacks, their families and the communities impacted around the world. Rather than yield to terror, we’ve decided to join the film’s fans and move forward with the London premiere of ‘Batman v Superman’ this evening,” Warner Bros. said in a statement.

The movie, which stars Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, is due to open in movie theaters around the world this weekend.

It is one of the biggest movie launches so far this year and is expected to bring in some $300 million at the global box office on its opening weekend, according to analyst predictions.

The London premiere took place in the city’s Leicester Square entertainment hub where Affleck, Cavill and other stars turned up, posed for photos, and signed autographs for hundreds of fans.

At least 30 people were killed and some 230 injured in suicide bomb attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital. Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Britain, along with other European states, announced extra security measures on Tuesday following the Brussels attacks.

LOS ANGELES: Two of the biggest superheros in pop culture finally clash on screen this weekend, as “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” hit theaters this Friday.

But Batman and Superman have a long movie history, way before Henry Cavill put on the red cape and Ben Affleck donned the Batsuit. Before them came Christopher Reeve, Gerard Christopher, Michael Keaton, George Clooney and a handful of other actors, as well as a long list of blockbusters movies over the decades.

Before the big showdown goes down, you can test your knowledge here. Who was the first actor to play Superman’ most famous nemesis, Lex Luthor? Which actor could have played the Joker instead of Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s “Batman” (1989)? And which star Superman film star ended up appearing in TV series “Smallville”? Show how much you know with our comprehensive quiz!

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” marks the first time Batman and Superman have gone head-to-head in a live-action movie. Along with Cavill and Affleck, it also stars Jesse Eisenberg as Luthor and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Zack Synder directed the massively anticipated comic-book movie, which marks the start of a long lineup of movies in the DC universe.

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