So we've met all the major players apart from Lex Luther.
Lex Luther. I'll come to the performance next, but the scene: Lex has the kryponite that was fished out of the ocean god only knows how many scenes ago, and wants a Government licence to bring it into the country. If the Government give him it, he will weaponize it so that "we don't have to rely on the kindness of monsters" - while spouting rubbish about meta-humans being already among us. One of the shadier officials grants Luthor access to Zod's body, and the licence to bring in the kryponite.
It makes sense - it's a scene that allows us to know now that Lex Luthor is the bad guy, and want's Superman dead.
So now the players are all in place, let's look at the portrayals.
Henry Cavill isn't a terrible actor. But he's not Superman. Not yet, at least. He's too stoic. He's looks guilty all the time (sorry Henry). Amy Adams is fine as Lois Lane. I think Ben Affleck is a good, solid, older Batman - and I really enjoy his performance - and Jeremy Irons acts everyone off the screen and is pretty much the best thing in the film (with one other, which I'll get to much later). Jesse Eisenburg as Luthor? I didn't have a problem (largely) and the niggles I have are not his performance, per se, more the writing.
So pretty much all the characters are re-imagined to some extent. Batman is the darkest screen version that we've ever had, Superman too. Luthor is a silicon valley dick who inherited his money, and Alfred oozes cool. Does it work? Well, largely, yes. As I said in part one - they're Snyder's characters to play God with.
Anyway. Back to the film.
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| A tormented Batman |
What follows now is what breaks the movie entirely - forty-five minutes of nothing.
Luthor has access to Zod and starts cutting bits off him. Clark Kent has a moral breakdown over whether he's doing the right thing with Superman. A man who lost his legs in the destruction of Metropolis vandalizes the statue of Superman (why are they having court hearings over him if they already idolize him?). Perry White sends Clark to report on a football game, but he starts investigating the accusations against Superman instead. Bruce Wayne goes to Fight Club to get information on the delivery of the kryptonite. Clark Kent investigates Batman. Lex Luther has a cup of piss. Bruce Wayne has a nightmare about Man-Bat. Bruce Wayne goes to a society dinner at Lex's place to steal some data. Clark Kent is there. Diana Prince is there - she steals Bruce Wayne's data stealing device. Montage of Superman doing Superman-y things - but sometimes in a creepy way. Clark Kent frowns. Lois Lane finds evidence that Superman was framed. Diana Prince gives Bruce Wayne his stuff back. Bruce Wayne has a nightmare about Superman taking over the world. Flash turns up in a was-it-a-dream-or-wasn't-it scene. Clark Kent realizes that Batman's branding means that those branded get killed in prison.
AND THERE'S STILL NEARLY TWO HOURS LEFT.
Crammed in here are some pretty good scenes. The nightmare about Man-Bat is damn right terrifying stuff - straight out of a horror movie. It cements (bluntly) that Bruce misses his mother - and goddammit we mustn't forget that. But aside - it's a really cool scene. The second nightmare is great. A stock set piece action scene of both Batman and Superman killing fucking everyone. Two fantastic scenes.
The society dinner introduces Diana Prince who absolutely rocks the scene. Sadly the marketing had confirmed that she was Wonder Woman, and it would have been nice to have the is she/isn't she, but for an actor with little experience she holds the screen with seasoned rock star Affleck excellently.
But can we have some action next time? Yes. Yes we can.
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