‘Batman v Superman’ just slightly above average

Christian Cortes, Entertainment Editor

While average moviegoers might have a fun time watching “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” avid comic book fans will find themselves disappointed at the movie’s wasted potential.

Two years have passed since the events of the movie “Man of Steel” took place, and Superman’s (Henry Cavill) fight against Zod (Michael Shannon) left the city of Metropolis in ruins. With many people feeling that Superman could be a threat to humanity, crime-fighting billionaire Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) plans to take him out as he believes even a small chance of Superman’s turning against the people of Earth is too big of a risk to take.

One of the positive aspects of the movie is that it gives weight to the destruction that took place at the end of “Man of Steel.” It shows the consequences Superman’s fight against Zod had on the people of Metropolis, something that “Man of Steel” strangely ignored.

Another good aspect of the movie is how it portrays humans would react if an alien with god-like powers came to Earth. It’s interesting to see the people in the movie debate over a superhero that could destroy humanity in an instant if he wanted to and the fears that come from those implications.

The movie, however, feels disconnected and has poor pacing. Characters’ motivations are really weak; the reason Superman agrees to fight Batman, for example, felt like it was thought up at the last moment just to have a reason for them to fight each other.

Comic book fans might also find themselves annoyed at the fact that character traits and personalities have been changed for the movie. Bruce Wayne is no longer a hero who fights for justice and avoids killing at any cost; he is now more of a vigilante that comes closer to being The Punisher than Batman. He mindlessly kills a few people throughout the movie and doesn’t seem to care whether Superman might be good or bad.

An aspect of the movie that could be seen as positive or negative, depending on people’s opinion, is that the movie is more focused on Batman than on Superman. It is understandable, as this is this version of Batman’s first movie, and it was a good thing that some time was spent introducing and developing his character; Superman fans, however, might be disappointed to see the spotlight favoring Bruce Wayne over Clark Kent.

While Batman fans might enjoy the movie more than Superman fans, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is just slightly above average and a disappointment for anyone who has waited years to see their two favorite superheroes battle on the big screen.