TRUTH Review: Batman v. Superman

I went to see the new Batman v Superman movie last Friday. I would call it good, not great, and give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

First, some caveats to anyone before they go see this: You know Superman and Batman's history, right? We don't need no steenkeeng origin stories, right?




Seriously though, BvS does rely a lot on what you already know, and that is ok for most people. Both Batman and Superman are integral parts of American culture.

If anything, the movie does spend a little more time on Batman's character, since he is being introduced here. On the other hand, Superman was introduced in Man of Steel. You didn't see it? Me neither. But don't feel bad, because they basically give you the full rundown on that movie too.

The acting quality in this film is a mixed bag. Best performance goes to Ben Affleck, whose Batman was far better than I expected. A close second goes to Jeremy Irons' Alfred, who was the main comic relief in the entire film (don't expect much comic relief from this film's doom and gloom, of which there is plenty).

Worst performance goes to Henry Cavill, who was wooden in The Tudors too. I think Superman smiled twice in the movie? When an actor makes you long for the acting range of Christopher Reeve, you better check his pulse.

Second worst performance goes to Jesse Eisenberg for his Lex Luthor. I think he was trying to make Lex seem a little crazy, and that just isn't Lex. Next time, shave Daniel Craig's head, or hire Patrick Stewart, or even bring back Kevin Spacey. Jesse isn't Lex on his best day.

Amy Adams as Lois Lane? Meh. I wasn't impressed, but she wasn't bad either.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman? There is potential here. Unfortunately, you will have to wait for the Wonder Woman movie to find out if it is real or a mirage. BvS gives WW the gloss job, giving us a few minor scenes with her throughout the film, before letting her fight in the big battle at the end.

In the end, this movie is just one really long trailer for future movies. But the truth is, the future movie I want to see is Affleck doing Batman. With Affleck, and a bit more screen time for Jeremy Irons, that could actually be worth the price of going to see a movie.