Spoilers Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Grading & Discussion

[The Nth Doctor]

The only improvement I saw was making Lois' investigative storyline more sensible. Unfortunately, as others have indicated, the storyline not really necessary in the first place, other than to give her something to do. A slightly better movie, but still not a good movie at all.

 

[Reverend]

The bullet sub-plot is meant to show that Lex is intentionally turning people against Superman. Which they really didn't need to do since the carnage of the previous movie should have been sufficient to at least raise the same questions.

It also shows that Lois really is an investigative reporter. Which is good in theory but falls flat on it's face since she never gets to tell Clark or anyone that matters any of this until it's too late. Lex would have probably kidnapped her and pushed her off that building if she spent the rest of the movie watching TV and eating delicious product placements instead of running around investigating. And just to hammer the point home, all that evidence she gathered on Luthor is meaningless because he's declared insane and thus unfit for trial. Again, if she had done nothing, he'd still have ended up in a straight-jacket.

Same basic problem with Clark's investigative journalism. None of it really comes it anything. Admittedly now we see *why* he has a bee in his bonnet about Batman, but all that falls immediately by the wayside. It would have been different if we saw him figure out Bruce's identity, but we never do. He just magically knows it in the third act an we're left to fill in the gaps with out imagination.

 

[The Lensman]

It would have been different if we saw him figure out Bruce's identity, but we never do. He just magically knows it in the third act an we're left to fill in the gaps with out imagination.

Clark? Clark figured out his identity at the party when he overheard Alfred and then followed Bruce IIRC.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

I watched the UE last night, and it was an improvement. The narrative makes sense, the editing is better, Clark/Superman are both given more to do (it's less of a Batman movie than the theatrical), and Lois' subplot is fleshed out.

 

[Set Harth]

Um, what's the second creature that Lex activated? Darkseid? Apokolips? Brainiac?

He's not activating him, just contacting him, as far as I know.

Apokolips is a planet

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Um, what's the second creature that Lex activated? Darkseid? Apokolips? Brainiac?

The New God, Steppenwolf. One of Darkseid's generals and his uncle.

I really hope Guillermo Del Toro get in on this DCEU. With the whole Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy vibe Snyder is going for.

 

[The Lensman]

So is this him in person, or is he communicating via that silvery 3D stuff that made up the Kryptonian history lesson in MoS?

 

[dahj]

^^
Looks like the Kryptonian stuff.

 

[Reverend]

Clark? Clark figured out his identity at the party when he overheard Alfred and then followed Bruce IIRC.

That's what I assumed, but it's not made clear and there's no follow up on it. Nothing about him looking into Bruce's past, nothing about him connecting a billionaire up to shenanigans (that for all he knows could be industrial espionage) to a masked vigilante. And it's over an hour later that Clark even says his name, so whichever way you cut it, it's a poorly constructed narrative.

 

[ichab]

Clark? Clark figured out his identity at the party when he overheard Alfred and then followed Bruce IIRC.

I thought that was pretty self explanatory myself as well.

 

[DEWLine]

As did I.

 

[Reverend]

It's obvious he knew Wayne was up to something as we saw that he heard Alfred over the radio and turned and saw it was coming from Bruce as he was walking away in the middle of Lex's speech. But there's nothing in what was said or that Clark saw that linked Bruce to Batman. For all Clark knows Bruce could have been stealing corporate secrets from Lex.
Their little exchange later seems to imply they're onto each other, but that's only obvious because we the audience know. Objectively we're given no basis for how either of them could draw that conclusion. So as I said, it's a very poorly constructed plot.

The stupid thing is that it could have been fixed with one shot and two words. In the scene where Superman trashes the Batmobile and faces off against Bruce, all they could have done was add a POV shot of Clark X-Raying through his cowl and end his warning with "...Mr. Wayne."

 

[Tosk]

They seem to be avoiding his x-ray vision for some reason. There are other times it could have come in very handy too.

 

[Reverend]

^The line about the wheelchair being lead lined shows they haven't forgotten about it.

 

[Tosk]

I said avoiding, not forgetting.

 

[theenglish]

The X-Ray vision can be defined with more specific limitations. For example, if it actually acts in a fashion similar to x-rays then Clark should not be able to identify facial features with it.

 

[Reverend]

^IIRC in MoS we saw a young Clark get an explicit full colour view of his teacher's internal organs, so not, not exactly like actual X-Ray imaging.

 

[davejames]

Ok finally saw the extended cut and I have to say I thought it was a huge improvement over the theatrical and helped the movie flow a LOT better. There's no longer that distracting jumping around every 2 minutes and scenes now have proper time to breathe. And I also liked how it fleshed out Superman's arc and motivation a bit more and made him not so maddeningly aloof as before.

Unfortunately the movie still has some fundamental story problems that keep me from liking it as much as I'd like (or as much as MOS). It's way too slow and takes itself far too seriously, Lex is more annoying than truly threatening, and the central conflict feels incredibly forced and contrived. And there's also just a curious lack of thrilling and exciting superhero moments... until Wonder Woman finally shows up at the end to liven things up.

Ultimately I'd probably have to raise my grade from a C- to a B- for the extended version. And it's definitely the only version I'd ever recommend new viewers watch. Because while it might still have the same story problems, it at least feels like a cohesive, fleshed out movie now. And it also restored some of the faith I had in Zack Snyder as a director (who I'm really hoping has a much better story to work with for Justice League).

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

It's way too slow and takes itself far too seriously,

...because its supposed to be serious. This is a dark universe, and has little room for Guardians-style quips, or heroes running around grinning. If that was the aim, they could have repackaged the 1979 Legends of the Super Heroes...

...and just let the audience reaction determine the fate of the new DCCU. Light moments should be few and far between.

And there's also just a curious lack of thrilling and exciting superhero moments... until Wonder Woman finally shows up at the end to liven things up.

Its called a gradual build up--as in the first confrontation between Superman & Batman. The plot was not like a video game, where the giddy cattle prod needs to hit the player every 12 seconds.

 

[JD]

The New God, Steppenwolf. One of Darkseid's generals and his uncle.

I really hope Guillermo Del Toro get in on this DCEU. With the whole Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy vibe Snyder is going for.

Spoiler: Steppenwolf's DCEU future

Steppenwolf is also going to be the villain in the first Justice League movie

.