João Caetano’s review published on Letterboxd:
That's how it starts. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men... cruel.
For this review, I will assume that you have seen all the trailers for the film, so beware of some possible spoilers. No spoilers of the film, though. Or there is no difference?
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the second film of the ever expanding DC Extended Universe and, pretty much like its predecessor, it is proving to be very divisive amongst the people who have seen it. While some may consider it a very solid superhero movie, others may claim it is a worthless piece of crap and a waste of potential.
It would never be an easy task to assemble so many iconic characters in one movie, at least successfully. Superman had already had a solo movie in this universe, so it was necessary to focus a little more on Batman, who is a complete new character within this universe. Zack Snyder did a good job in that matter, because I feel like we really got to know this man and understand his motivations. Furthermore, there were also Lex Luthor, Lois Lane and Wonder Woman, all of whom had to intertwine. And they did, which was great to see. But everything that leads to that moment doesn't always work all that well. The editing is messy and the cuts from one scene to another are very abrupt and inopportune, although this problem is present throughout the whole movie. Sometimes, the film seems a little lost in itself and loses its sense of narrative. It doesn't flow like a normal movie, but perhaps the Director's Cut will solve some of these problems.
There is another problem I had with the movie, and perhaps it's just me on this one. I have a basic knowledge of comic books, I haven't read many, but I know a few stories. Therefore, this issue will probably only exist for the regular moviegoer and that is the 'Knightmare' sequence, as people have been calling it. Don't get me wrong, that scene looks gorgeous and the Batmax costume is amazing and the whole scene is great, but I didn't get it, because I'm not familiar with the comic book story and it wasn't until I read a few articles on the Internet that I actually understood what that was all about. On the other hand, however, the scene with The Flash is amazing, but then again, only people who are aware of his abilities will understand it. In my case, it was because of the CW series, which I love. Obviously, all these minor issues will be addressed in the Justice League movie, by enlightening the mainstream audience about what was really going on.
And the last, but not least bad thing about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is inevitably Doomsday. What is to blame? Probably, the last trailer, which was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it immediately revealed what would be the reason for Batman and Superman to unite, which was a very bad decision; on the other hand, it also prepared us for the awfully shit-looking horrible CGI monster that Doomsday is, which was a very good decision from the studio. Therefore, when he unsurprisingly appeared in the movie, I wasn't shocked by it. He was terrible and I already knew he was going to be it, so it didn't make the movie any worse.
The opening sequence, which finally introduces us to Bruce Wayne, is pure gold and it's the reason why people still love and look forward to watching these superhero movies. I love the way Bruce runs into the fog, so fearless and determined, as seen in the trailers. There is a lot of potential and it is fully used here. This version of Batman is also new to the big screen, as far as I know. His rules are a little different, but his philiosphy makes sense and gives him human depth. Speaking of that, there are a couple of scenes set in a dreamy atmosphere that really contribute to these characters' human side.
And the action... the main genre of the movie. There could have been more and there sould have been more sequences, but when they occur, they're amazing, and everything we have come to expect from Zack Snyder. It's really engaging and exciting. Batman's gadgets are awesome, his metal suit is ballsy as hell and better than the normal one, in my opinion. And when he kicks in, he kicks ass. Also, the cameos from Aquaman and Cyborg could have been a lot better, but their presence left me excited for their upcoming movies. The Flash solo film continues to be my most anticipated, though.
Now, to the performances... Henry Cavill keeps the same acting level of Man of Steel and so does Amy Adams (look for that bathtub scene). Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne is exactly what I was expecting, but seeing him as Batman is definitely better than anything I was expecting. His rage and his experience are so clear and exciting to watch. Now, on Wonder Woman... My expectations were fairly low, so it wasn't all that hard to be surprised and Gal Gadot does indeed steal the show in the action scenes she's in. Lex Luthor is played by Jesse Eisenberg. This man was in one of my all time favourites, The Social Network, and in one of my top favourites from 2015, The End of the Tour. Apart from that, I really don't like what he's done, but because of those two movies, I always expect top-notch performances from him. His interpretation of Lex Luthor has been receiving mixed reviews, and the great question is whether he was overacting or not. He was. But did it work? It did, at least for me. He was menacing, unpredictable and a very proper villain. The Red Capes are coming, the Red Capes are coming.
In all honesty, what really is the best of the movie is the score, composed by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. I have been a fan of the former for a very long time and I have listened to the Interstellar score an unhealthy number of times, and I was introduced to the latter in the best possible way, through Mad Max: Fury Road. Both these scores were the best of their corresponding years, in my opinion, so this was the perfect combo and the result was mind-blowing. It enhances the movie in a level that cannot be described by words and I will certainly listen to it for the next few months. The Lex Luthor theme is great.
All in all, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a visually stunning and an extremely enjoyable action movie, featuring characters that we all have come to love. There are flaws, more than what I may have suggested, but it also has pure brilliance in it.