Zack Snyder and the DC Comics brain trust at Warner Brothers made a curious decision to downplay the idea of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as a second installment of the ongoing saga of the new “Man of Steel,” instead of seizing upon the opportunity to commit to a focus on larger franchise building (i.e. Justice League). The narrative still has set its sights on Superman (Henry Cavill) as a polarizing god-like figure, but the initial counter is a grim, older Batman (Ben Affleck). They butt heads like urban-busting gladiators (funny since Batman supposedly worries about the destructive potential of Superman), before eventually teaming up to defeat a larger threat created by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). Sounds pretty super to me. (Opens wide Friday) (PG-13) Not screened in time for review
This article appears in Mar 16-23, 2016.