Batfleck best part of "Dawn of Justice'

By Adam Pilskog

The collective superhero fanboy universe had been holding its breath with a serious question in mind for months: Would Ben Affleck be a Christian Bale/Michael Keaton kind of Batman or would he go Val Kilmer/George Clooney kind of Batman? Notice I didn't mention Adam West? Well, you'll be happy to know that Affleck fills the cowl nicely, although it is definitely a different caped crusader than we've seen before.-á

Eighteen months after the events of "Man of Steel,GÇ¥ we have a world divided. Congress, spearheaded by Kentucky Sen. June Finch (Holly Hunter) is considering the possibility that Superman (Henry Cavill) may be untamable. They begin to realize the godlike power he commands, and it begins to scare them. He still has a good heart, but the doubt wears him down to the point where he questions his own morality.

Batman (Ben Affleck) on the other hand, is convinced that Superman is a ticking time bomb, and he makes it his personal mission to rid the world of even a glimmer of a threat to the safety of humanity.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is capitalizing on the aftermath of "Man of SteelGÇ¥ and doing his best Heath Ledger impersonation, and although entertaining, just isn't convincing.

The titans clash, Luthor stirs the pot and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) makes a grand entrance in a battle with the indestructible Doomsday (CGI).

DC and Warner Bros are in an arms race with Marvel and Disney for superhero supremacy, and DC has been losing despite the massive global (and critical) success of the recent Dark Knight trilogy. Batman has long been the most bankable of the legendary heroes, but the stakes are rising with the expanding Marvel Universe.

They are in such a hurry to catch up with Avengers that they fast-forward through the juicy character development. They even throw in some teasers for no less than three impending stand-alone films, in addition to the 2017 juggernaut, "Justice League: Part One,GÇ¥ which will follow "Wonder Woman.GÇ¥

As the opening credits roll, we are treated to Bruce Wayne's parents being murdered for maybe the fifth or sixth time on film or television, so I thought we were in for another reimagining of the origin stories. To my delight, we fast-forward to a Batman on the decline; a man who has been jaded by Gotham for nearly 20 years, wearing bitterness on his face like a scar. Affleck nails the persona.

I can't argue that Zack Snyder isn't a visionary director, with "300GÇ¥ and "WatchmenGÇ¥ on his resume, but his best work to date has been "Dawn of the Dead.GÇ¥ His vision for the DC Universe is just too metaphoric and ambitious. He would be an absolutely fantastic comic book writer, but for me, it just doesn't translate to the screen.

My third gripe is that Superman is emasculated time and time again, which isn't how the character rolls. He's Superman. I'm sure the filmmakers realized this shortly into their endeavor and thought they needed to even the playing field by making him more human; they made him a little too human. Lois Lane is his true Kryptonite, and his compassion for the innocent weakens him. Cavill is a terrific actor in the role, but his indomitable symbol of godly power is put into serious question here.

Did I like the film? Of course. Batfleck is much more rugged, seasoned and gritty than any of his predecessors, and he has evolved with the genre to a more violent and believable man; tormented by guilt and filled with disdain for the wicked. He is a new breed of hero, like Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle (Punisher) on Netflix's "Daredevil.GÇ¥ My point is, Batman is the highlight; everything else is pedestrian.

Written by Chris Terrio ("Argo,GÇ¥ "Justice League: Parts 1, 2GÇ¥), the plot is implausible, even for superhero fodder. There is an obvious attempt to recreate some of the emotional appeal of the Dark Knight trilogy, but with super powers involved, it falls flat on its face. Caught between Chris Nolan's brilliant vision of Gotham and the "Avengers,GÇ¥ "Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeGÇ¥ is simply out of place. Is it awesome for fanboys and girls? Yes. Is it poorly done? Yes. It will do well regardless, and I will continue to see its spawn in spite of its flaws. 6/10