Reel Recap: April-August 2019

In case you didn't catch my review of Doctor Sleep, I'm starting a new review format called "Reel Recap." This will enable me to write brief thoughts on everything I watch monthly going forward. In this first Reel Recap, I'm going to cover every 2019 release I watched from April to August. This includes Pet Sematary, Child's Play, Good Boys, The Art of Self Defense, Guava Island, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Reel Recap: April-August 2019

Pet Sematary (2019) - Watched April 4, 2019

Synopsis: Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.
Runtime: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for horror violence, bloody images, and some language)
Who should see it? Adult fans of Stephen King.

In the recent flurry of Stephen King adaptations, horror fans found themselves faced with a new iteration of Pet Sematary. Thirty years after the first attempted feature, directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer chose to take another stab at King's source material. Though it boasts solid performances from a cast of known actors and a few compelling moments of tension, the film's never genuinely gripping. There's plenty to be mined from King's thematic ground, but this remake hardly offers more than a surface level examination. As the title suggests, Pet Sematary is as devoid of life as an empty graveyard and serves as an unfortunate reminder that sometimes, staying home is better.

Film Assessment: C+ 

Child's Play (2019) - Watched June 22, 2019

Synopsis: A mother gives her 13-year-old son a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature.
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for bloody horror violence, and language throughout)
Who should see it? Adult fans of Chucky and the Child's Play franchise.

Lars Klevberg's Child's Play reboot hints at sentimentality but fails to find a convincing connection between a boy and his AI doll. The film never amounts to much more than ninety minutes of a rampant doll on a killing spree with superficial messaging against consumerism. There are some creative kills, and Mark Hamill's voice work is fantastic, but CGI-Chucky was very off-putting, and it all felt a bit too over-the-top for my taste. Though slasher fans may enjoy it.

Film Assessment: C+

Good Boys - Watched July 10, 2019

Synopsis: Three 6th grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for strong crude sexual content, drug/alcohol material, and language throughout involving tweens)
Who should see it? Fans of R-rated comedies.

The premise of Good Boys is simple, it's an R-rated comedy starring 6th graders. That aspect of it can be highly amusing at first. Still, just when the gimmick begins to feel worn out, the film surprises with an endearing message about the value of friendship. Holding it all together are the three lead child actors Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon. They each sell the naivety of their characters as inappropriate, over-the-top hilarity soon ensues.

Film Assessment: B-

The Art of Self-Defense - Watched July 19, 2019

Synopsis: After being attacked on the street, a young man enlists at a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious sensei, in an effort to learn how to defend himself from future threats.
Runtime: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for violence, sexual content, graphic nudity, and language)
Who should see it? Adults who like dry, off-beat humor.

Written and directed by Riley Stearns, The Art of Self Defense employs biting satire to karate chop the hell out of toxic masculinity. Operating as a quirky, off-kilter comedy, The Art of Self Defense is hilarious and pretty profound. Channeling his trademark awkward energy, Jesse Eisenberg's well-suited to play a down-on-his-luck protagonist and makes the most of the role. Amongst the supporting cast, Alessandro Nivola and Imogen Poots are notable stand-outs.

Film Assessment: B+

Guava Island - Watched August 3, 2019 (Prime Video)

Synopsis: A young musician seeks to hold a festival to liberate the oppressed people of Guava Island.
Runtime: 55 minutes
MPAA Rating: TV-MA
Who should see it? Fans of Donald Glover and Rihanna.

Serving as the streaming equivalent of a tropical vacation, Guava Island relaxes viewers with an eye-catching aesthetic and laidback approach. Coming in just under an hour, you'll be left wishing you could stay longer when it's all over.

Film Assessment: B

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Watched August 14, 2019

Synopsis: On Halloween 1968, reclusive Stella and her friends uncover a sinister notebook of stories.
Runtime: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for terror/violence, disturbing images, thematic elements, language, and brief sexual references)
Who should see it? Fans of PG-13 horror.

Translated from Alvin Schwartz's bestselling series of books, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark strings together a collection of short anthology stories into one cohesive narrative. The characters are mostly thinly sketched archetypes realized by subpar actors, and the plot's not particularly strong or compelling in the slightest. Convincing practical effects enhance the scares, but also draw more attention to the hit-or-miss nature of the computer-generated imagery.

Film Assessment: C+

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Watched August 16, 2019

Synopsis: A loving mom becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of devotion to her family. Her leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to a triumphant rediscovery.
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some strong language and drug material)
Who should see it? Fans of Cate Blanchett, Richard Linklater, and the novel.

Cate Blanchett shines in Richard Linklater's latest feature Where'd You Go, Bernadette adapted from Maria Semple's novel. Otherwise, the film's fairly pleasant but rarely scratches beneath the surface to reach its full potential. The core family relationships are endearing, and there's some amusing banter, but there's unfortunately little else of interest.

Film Assessment: C+

Alternate Cut Review: 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice- Ultimate Edition'

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice proved to be one of the most controversial comic book movies in recent memory and upon release news soon arose that there would be a Director's Cut including 30 additional minutes of footage called the "Ultimate Edition" that would be in the Blu-Ray release. Technically, the "Ultimate Edition" debuted about a month ago digitally but I like to wait for Blu-Rays because I like getting the Blu-Ray disc, the DVD, and the digital copy all in one for nearly the same price so I waited out and my copy arrived recently but I had to wait till I had three hours to spare to watch it. So yes, this is a lengthy watch but I'll soon be able to inform whether it fixes issues with Batman v. Superman or opens up a new can of worms for Warner Bros. and that's primarily what this review will be, a comparison of the two versions of the film.

I won't exactly re-review the film as you can find my thoughts on the theatrical cut below but I will provide my updated thoughts and my newfound perspective. I also think I'm going to do something different in this review, I'm going to go back and alter my previous Film Assessment score on the Theatrical Cut because I feel I scored it a tad too high and in light of that decision will be modifying it because sometimes it takes a while for my opinion to truly settle in on a film. Be forewarned as in order to discuss the differences, I will be including slight spoilers for both the theatrical cut and The Ultimate Edition.

'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice- Ultimate Edition' Review

Theatrical Cut Review- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

"Ultimate Edition" Review- The Ultimate Edition of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is an improvement over the theatrical cut for many reasons. One, it's competently edited together. The editing in the theatrical cut was a complete disaster as scenes would jump from one subplot to another leading to a convoluted mess. The Ultimate Edition fixes this by allowing lead-in for these scenes so they don't feel misplaced or random and instead one scene flows into the next and the transitions are quite remarkable. 

Two,The Ultimate Edition fills in the major plot holes. In the theatrical cut, there is an African action sequence that is commonly referred to that we never got to actually see. Superman is blamed for killing several people and it seems farfetched since all he did was save Louis Lane but The Ultimate Edition elaborates by actually including the full Africa action set piece. This explains that Lex Luthor hired men to set Superman up and the logic behind it is actually quite smart. This made Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor more of a puppet master figure in the grand scheme of things and a slightly more interesting villain. With that being said, I still found Eisenberg to be too kooky for the role.

Three, it made for a better "Batman v. Superman" movie. No, there's not an additional fight between Batman and Superman and it actually takes two hours and thirty minutes for the two to throw down. However, the buildup to their showdown makes a lot more sense this time around. The Ultimate Edition explains why Superman is opposed to the way Batman has been operating by including a few scenes of Clark Kent investigating the Batman. The theatrical cut felt more like a Batman movie that happened to have Superman in it as a supporting character but the Ultimate Edition balances the heroes more effectively, which in turn makes Superman's death more compelling.

My one major gripe with the Ultimate Edition opposed to the theatrical cut is that the film still feels too long with a three hour runtime. Three hours is a big time commitment for a film, especially one that received such a mixed response, and this is no exception. The Ultimate Edition didn't really do much to alter my opinion of the performances as Ben Affleck's Batman remains to be the best part of the film, Henry Cavill is a serviceable Superman, and Gal Gadot still stole the third act with her full appearance in Wonder Woman regalia.

If you want to read my thoughts on the entire cast, you can find that above in my review of the theatrical cut. The visual effects are virtually the same with the only alterations being the additional footage and I can't really say that this changed my mind on Snyder's directing.

With all that being said, the Ultimate Edition is a competent film as opposed to the sloppy theatrical cut. I've come to my own conclusion that Warner Bros. likely asked Snyder to trim out thirty minutes and in doing so, the remaining patch work simply didn't fit together. I doubt the Ultimate Edition will change hater's minds about the "Martha" moment but it provides testament that a slightly better version of BvS does exist. The film still has problems but they aren't as glaring and numerous as the issues to found in the theatrical cut. From this point on, if I'm ever going to sit down and watch Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, I'll brave the three hour runtime of the Ultimate Edition for a more complete experience.

Film Assessment: B-

'Now You See Me 2' Review

Now You See Me 2 picks up a year after the original, although the film seemed unclear on that citing the time difference as 18 months and another point 2 years. Just a small nitpick that I felt the need to address that would have seemed random had I waited to discuss it. Anyways, the Horseman are the protagonists this time around with a few minor shakeups in regards to the cast, Isla Fisher's Henley has been replaced with Lizzy Caplan's Lula, the stakes are higher, the tricks are grander, and the action's even bigger. So yes, Now You See Me 2 should be diagnosed with sequelitis as it aspires to be bigger and better than the first. 

Like Now You See Me, this film hasn't been too well received by critics as both hold rotten critic tomato-meter scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but I enjoyed both regardless and still acknowledge their flaws which I will discuss in a moment. It's relatively rare that I find myself disagreeing with a majority of critics, although this year I feel they've been particularly harsh on quite a few blockbusters and I think this film found itself in the midst of that and it probably didn't help that critics weren't a fan of the execution of the magical Robin Hoods to begin with. 

Critics are primarily poking holes in Now You See Me 2's reliance on a sense of disbelief to wow the audience with magic spectacle, and while that is indeed true, I think that's not too farfetched considering the film is about magic and Fast and Furious gets away with ridiculousness all the time. 

Another weakness being pried at is the screenplay penned by Ed Solomon. The script doesn't really service all of the characters in regards to providing more character depth as some characters earn more focus that was certainly warranted while others remain supporting players and the writers had to factor in new additions to the story. The sequel also doesn't have as many twists and turns as the original, and unfortunately some were a tad predictable. I did enjoy the explanations behind the tricks like done in the predecessor and I was glad that element was carried over. 

Jon Chu takes over the director's chair from Louis Leterrier and brings a flashier visual aesthetic and high energy action. The editing kept a quick pace and allowed for some clean quick cuts that showcased some swanky cinematography. I liked the visual effects work as it looked believable when used, although in some cases the magic tricks they were accompanied with seemed outright impractical. While unfeasible, the magic sequences were quite enjoyable with some nifty tricks ranging from bonkers to amazing. 

The standout sequence in my mind, which wasn't a "trick" per say, but a practical sequence where the Horseman must exchange a card amongst the group. The scene delivered a nice balance of amazement, humor, and suspense. I must commend the action sequences that are vastly improved from the first with some claustrophobic fight choreography that was very cool and incorporated some nice feats by the various Horseman.

The talented cast from Now You See Me return, with a few exceptions, and I feel they elevated their performances for the most part. Mark Ruffalo's role is beefed up providing more for the actor to do as the Horseman's leader Dylan Rhodes and I felt he was the most relatable and sympathetic character this time around. Rhodes gets a cool action chase sequence in China and his character's backstory is more fleshed out with a meaty more well rounded role that allowed for some nice emotional beats. Ruffalo is a terrific actor and I think he was one of the standouts once again as the role cultivates nice ground for Ruffalo to showcase his talents. 

Jesse Eisenberg gets an intriguing arc as J. Daniel Atlas focusing on the qualities of his character, stepping on the toes of others as his ego encourages him to strive towards Dylan's position as leader of the Horseman. I felt Eisenberg did a nice job bringing out the cocky nature of his character and straying away from the awkwardness he exhibited earlier this year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. 

Woody Harrelson plays two roles, and it was so awkward. Harrelson plays both twin hypnotists Merritt, returning Horseman, and Chase McKinney and I liked the comedic relief he brought with Merritt, but found his twin brother to be completely unnecessary and just plain weird. 

Dave Franco is charming as Jack Wilder, but his character once again felt flat. Franco has nice moments, but never felt like a rounded character as opposed to the other Horseman. 

Lizzy Caplan was a very welcome addition as Lula. I liked how her character acknowledged she was the only female in the group and her quirky, fun personality made for a nice shakeup among the group. Caplan exhibited great comedic timing and line delivery and I actually felt while watching that she would have been a great contender for a better female Ghostbusters cast (My issues with that will be reserved for my review of that next month). 

Caplan and Franco exhibit some nice chemistry as a potential romantic pairing and the Horseman cohesively once again carried charisma that made the proceedings all the more enjoyable. 

Daniel Radcliffe made for a delightful young methodical antagonist as Walter Mabry that just felt compulsory to explain the steps of his grand tricks completely foiling the illusion. Radcliffe isn't given significant depth like many of his fellow cast members but makes for an engaging presence onscreen. 

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman return and I actually liked their inclusion as the continuation of their respective character arcs injected some surprise into the proceedings. A few nice additions in the supporting department are Sanaa Lathan as the FBI's Deputy Director Natalie Austin and Jay Chou's Li.

One thing to keep in mind if you plan on seeing Now You See Me 2 I would highly recommend either watching or rewatching Now You See Me as the film begins expecting the audience has seen the first film. This wasn't an issue for me since I rewatched it last week for a Throwback Thursday Review. 

In summation, Now You See Me 2 is without a doubt bigger than it's predecessor, and I personally feel that it was indeed better, but I can acknowledge the story flaws, lack of character depth, and over reliance on disbelief as weaknesses. However, the film's entertainment value is amplified thanks to Chu's extravagant aesthetic, cooler action sequences, and the talented cast making it a slightly more enjoyable experience in my mind.

Film Assessment: B

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Now You See Me'

This week I will be reviewing Now You See Me to coincide with the release of it's sequel this weekend. I recall being surprisingly blown away by the film as I went in with somewhat tempered low expectations based on the mediocre marketing put forth for the film and came out really enjoying it. This weekend there are three wide releases like last weekend and I anticipate at least reviewing Warcraft and Now You See Me 2 within the next week or so. I did end up seeing Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping yesterday and found it to be funny but not worth reviewing, I had a similar case with Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising as typically I don't think there's enough elements to discuss in comedies. The remaining Throwback Thursday Reviews I have planned for June include Finding Nemo, Independence Day, Tarzan, and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial to correlate with the releases of Finding Dory, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Legend of Tarzan, and The BFG.

'Now You See Me' Review

Now You See Me can best be described as a mystery crime thriller that finds four illusionists called the Four Horseman (not to be confused with Apocalypse's Horseman found in X-Men: Apocalypse) performing a series of bank heists as acts of their stage show and the FBI's pursuit of the aforementioned magicians.

Louis Leterrier directs the sleight of hand heist flick and cultivates a quirky energy thanks to the awe and wonder commonly found with magic tricks that succeeds in maintaining audience interest, especially on the first viewing as there's a plethora of unpredictable twists and turns. Speaking of magic, there's plenty to be found behind the scenes with a riveting screenplay written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, and Edward Ricourt that caught me off guard with it's clever reveals that explain the logic and reasoning behind each of the film's big twists.

The cinematography looks great throughout with some gorgeous shots to be found in the two hour magic trick heist bonanza and Now You See Me also boasts big splendorous visuals due to the nature of magic created both practically and through CGI. While Now You See Me's action sequences aren't particularly memorable, it relishes in plot. The film entices the viewer with seemingly meaningless cheap tricks that turn out to be more vital with additional inspection that the film purposely downplays to outsmart the viewer.

Additionally, the film's cast brings quite a bit of energetic charisma to the table and there's no weak link to be found. Jesse Eisenberg seemingly leads the pack of Four Horseman as the cocky yet charming illusionist, J. Daniel Atlas with washed up hypnotist Merritt McKinney played by Woody Harrelson, former assistant turned solo act Henley Reeves brought by Isla Fisher, and sleight of hand pickpocket Jack Wilder portrayed by Dave Franco.

The four illusionists carried such great chemistry amongst their group that serviced the plot and made the mind games all the more fun, but these characters unfortunately weren't fully realized beyond their one note personalities. Not to say the performances were any less enjoyable, as all four actors give likable turns as the delinquent magicians.

Mark Ruffalo and Mélanie Laurent made for interesting protagonists as FBI investigator Dylan Rhodes and French Interpol agent Alma Dray and the two paired well off one another bringing out the best in the other's performance. Ruffalo and Laurent's characters' unique relationship allowed for some insightful verbal exchanges diving into their respective characters.

It was also nice to see seasoned actors in the cast with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman both bringing great supporting performances as the stately elder gentlemen that are surprisingly quite integral to the plot.

In conclusion, Now You See Me makes for one of the more charming original summer blockbusters in recent years and actually held up quite nicely to repetitive viewing despite it's reliance on surprise for awe and wonder. To sum it up, Now You See Me is a fun mind game with lots of twists and turns, great visuals, and an all star cast that does however have some story weaknesses but these ultimately don't detract from the entertainment provided.

Film Assessment: B-

'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Review

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is finally here. This film has been surrounded by so much controversy since it's announcement and due to this controversy I will be including a similar prologue as I did in my Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Review. I must say that I myself had some concerns about the film due to a multitude of things. 

For one, I wasn't dazzled by the first teaser trailer, was caught off guard by the second San Diego Comic Con trailer which I did enjoy, disliked the third trailer, and loved the final trailer. The third trailer was ripped to shreds across the internet for unveiling one of the film's villains, Doomsday, and showing the DC Trinity united and essentially taking the focus away from the conflict between these two titans. I will say that I am in the camp that thought that was a poor decision for the marketing campaign. I think I understand the rationale behind it as Warner Bros. probably wanted to ensure the public knew Batman and Superman would team up, but that was something I know I would have liked to have waited and seen the first time I watched the film. 

However, the marketing campaign quickly got back on track releasing many TV spots and soon a final trailer that brought the focus back to the conflict between the heroes. Another concern of mine was with the cast. I decided I would reserve judgement till I felt I had seen the cast's work, but when Jesse Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor, red flags were certainly raised in my mind. 

The casting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman also seemed to be a bit odd to me as she was primarily a model before recently becoming an actress and I was curious if she would have the acting chops to do more than look great as Wonder Woman. I never really had a problem with Ben Affleck's casting, but was always curious why Warner Bros. didn't just hang onto Christian Bale for this version of Batman. However, I was sold the instant I saw him running into a cloud of smoke and debris in that second trailer. I totally bought the casting of Jeremy Irons as Alfred and Jason Mamoa as Aquaman because they seemed like interesting creative decisions. 

It didn't help for me to also know that it was coming from the same creative team as Man Of Steel. I wrote this prologue before watching the film to help establish my concerns with no knowledge of whether I loved, liked, or possibly was disappointed by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Since writing this prologue, the embargo was lifted and surprisingly critics are bashing it and it currently has a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes so be prepared for me to address the film in as honest a way as possible and inform you if the critics are justified or not. 

'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Review

Wednesday evening I attended an early screening of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and there is so much to talk about. It seems that this film is already more divisive than Man Of Steel due to the negative backlash it's receiving from critics and I'm very curious to learn how the general audience perceives it. Many of you are probably biting your nails wondering "Is it good or not?" or "Are the critic's thoughts justified?" and I can say I think it's a solid B-movie comic book movie that has some issues I will delve into and I think critics are just nitpicking the problems rather than relishing in any of the glorious moments, to which the film has a multitude.  

However, I think it should be expressed that this movie despite being PG-13 is not for kids, in fact it would probably bore children and some elements seem too dark to really appeal to children. I recommend that parents see the film ahead of their children if they plan on bringing them and make the call themselves as to whether or not they think their children can handle it. With that out of the way, a majority of the issues I found with the film were almost all creative decisions and not really involving the performances with one exception. 

First off, the film is too long. I can think of at least 20-30 minutes of footage that should have been cut out on the cutting room floor that was left in for some reason. As some of my readers may know, there will be an extended Director's Cut for the BvS Blu-Ray and I don't understand why Zack Snyder didn't just trim out the fat and save it for the Director's Cut. One thing that makes the film feel so long is that it takes an entire 2 hours for Batman and Superman to fight. I completely understand that the conflict required set up, but in a film titled Batman v Superman you would think it would involve more skirmishes between the two. 

Also, the first act of the film seems disjointed due to the way the film is edited. The film jumps back and forth between one story arc to another and they seem unconnected and don't really come together till later on. Snyder takes it upon himself to try to do a lot in this movie, it not only establishes conflict between Batman and Superman, but also tells Batman's origin, directly follows the events of Man Of Steel, follows Lex Luthor's antics, and sets up the DC Extended Universe. 

That's a lot of plot points and one of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's weaknesses is that it bears the burden of all of these subplots and it seems to be one of the scabs the critics are picking at. It's somewhat similar to the problems that plagued Iron Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where they made the set up of their cinematic universe a priority over the film itself, but nowhere near as bad. I think this is much more tolerable here and flows more naturally. 

The other creative decision that bothered me were these strange dream sequences that come out of nowhere. These dream sequences are plopped in the film and some of them probably should have been saved for the Director's Cut. That's the bulk of my negative thoughts and frankly some of these problems are nitpicking, but I couldn't help but feel there were problems plaguing the film and had to dig further into my viewing experience for some of them. As I stated in my Man Of Steel Review, Zack Snyder tends to implement style over substance in his films and that's once again the case. However, I think Chris Terrio's screenplay is stronger than Man Of Steel's, and I like how he managed to balance these elements to where an audience member won't feel too overwhelmed. I also liked how the film successfully feels like a direct continuation of Man Of Steel. The visuals are gorgeous and seem like they leaped straight out of a comic book at times. All of the visual effects used for the various powers on display looked incredible. 

One nitpick of mine with the effects was the look of Doomsday, that I feel didn't quite do the villain justice and just looked terrible. I'd equate it to a mashup of orcs from The Lord Of The Rings/The Hobbit films and the new versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and if you hated it in the trailer, it doesn't really get much better than that. 

I also think it's interesting to note that the movie's surprisingly low on action compared to how it's being marketed, but the action sequences certainly don't disappoint because of the epic scale. The fight between Batman and Superman is awesome to watch and a great homage to The Dark Knight Returns comic by Frank Miller. I couldn't help but feel very giddy watching these two titans clash it out. Another key fight that I enjoyed was the inevitable moment where Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman fought Doomsday that I'll discuss a bit more in a moment. 

What makes the film so engaging is this incredible cast that has been assembled. I think it's only fair to comment on the two titular heroes first and work my way down through the cast. Ben Affleck is incredible in the role of Batman. All of the Ben Affleck nay-sayers will have to back-track their hate because he is without a doubt the best Batman and Bruce Wayne I've ever seen on screen. Affleck gets to dive to new depths with his more layered version of Bruce Wayne and his edgier Batman and both work incredibly well in this DCEU. 

Everything Batman-related in the film worked wonders for me. I really liked the designs and functionality of the new Batmobile, Batwing, Batsuit, and the high tech Power Suit along with all of the Dark Knight's gadgets and gizmos. Hardcore Batman fans may take issue with one thing regarding this Batman though,

**Minor spoiler** 

I'm pretty sure this Batman murders people in the movie.

**End of minor spoiler**

There's one scene in particular where Batman infiltrates a warehouse and takes down an entire hoard of bad guys that is honestly one of the best cinematic Batman action sequences I've ever seen and when the movie ended I knew that the world needs a Batman solo film that is directed by and stars Ben Affleck, if the rumors are true. 

Henry Cavill is a very solid Superman, but sadly the character is significantly overshadowed in a movie featuring his name in the title. Though, Cavill finally gets to jump into the duality of Clark Kent and Superman and does it masterfully. I think the character of Superman is portrayed in a better light that rectifies the mistakes in Man Of Steel in that he's much more heroic going out of his way to save others and must face that he has become a figure of controversy due to the collateral damage he caused in Man Of Steel. 

Another standout is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Gadot doesn't have that many lines, but she delivers them quite well and there's a big deal of mystery around her character. However, where she really commits and sells herself to the audience is in the Doomsday fight where she kicks butt and takes names. Needless to say, seeing her work here made me stoked for the upcoming Wonder Woman solo movie. 

Meanwhile, the film has a strong supporting cast around both heroes. Jeremy Irons makes for a perfect Alfred and is terrific every time he's onscreen. As for the Superman side of things, Amy Adams is once again exceptional as Lois Lane, although she still suffers from the damsel-in-distress trope. Diane Lane returns as Martha Kent to offer Clark guidance and Laurence Fishburne gets to yell a little more as Perry White, but both these actors are great in the capacity used. 

And now what many of you have been waiting for, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. It's a very different interpretation of the character and if you liked him in the trailers, you'll like him here, otherwise be open to change if you hope to like his performance. Jesse Eisenberg is a bit eccentric throughout and it just seems very odd and too reminiscent of other roles he's done. Eisenberg does hit all the notes of downright creepy in some scenes and at times is generally scary, but his weak motivations for his actions ultimately hurt the performance even more. 

My readers that have't seen the film yet are probably wondering when I'm going to discuss Ezra Miller's Flash, Jason Mamoa's Aquaman, and Ray Fisher's Cyborg since all three were confirmed to show up. I can't really comment on their performances, because they're all basically cameos, but I can comment on the look of each character. I thought Aquaman and Cyborg looked pretty cool, but I'm not a fan of this interpretation of the Flash's suit. Really the film does a terrific job laying the foundations for the DC Extended Universe. At times, some of it feels a little forced, but all the cameos and easter eggs were pretty exciting to spot. 

In conclusion, I can say that there is a lot of enjoyment to take out of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it is by no means perfect, and that's ok because very few movies are. I can definitely recommend seeing it, but temper expectations or you will find yourself a bit disappointed. One things for sure though, Marvel better watch out because I think the future of the DCEU looks pretty bright.

Film Assessment: B- C (Revised)