SHOULD I TAKE THE KIDS? Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Editor’s Note: The following movie review is a new style of feature article for us. On occasion we will be publishing reviews of this type, which are meant to go beyond MPAA ratings and be an additional resource to parents who are trying to decide whether or not a current release is an appropriate one to take their kids to see.


The Man of Steel from Metropolis and the Dark Knight of Gotham finally share the same title and screen. Continuing from the story of 2013’s Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice deals with dark themes in a grim tone – much different from that of Marvel’s fluffier superhero pictures. Due to its heavier content, it’s a far cry from the classic heroism of Christopher Reeve’s Superman and even the stoic nature of Christian Bale’s recent Batman.

THE PLOT:

Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) has become bitter with age. After witnessing the collateral damage of Superman’s epic fight with Zod, Batman devotes himself to stepping up his crime-fighting tactics and preparing an offense against the so-called hero of Metropolis. But the darker presence of Batman’s brutal war on crime has attracted the attention of Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), currently conflicted with how to stand for what’s right in the new world he has shaped. The big instigator of their eventual showdown is the billionaire Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) who stages threats against the two heroes with gleeful anticipation for fight night.

REVIEW:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a rather bloated movie in how much ground it wants to cover and rarely develop. There’s a deeper theme of vigilantism and public fear, but it’s hardly given enough time to be developed past typical popcorn dialogue. There’s a teamwork tone when Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) joins the fight, but it came so late and fragmented that it felt as though it were lifted from another movie. And for making Lex Luthor a common enemy, he isn’t given much of any motivation for his evil actions. In addition, the cameos and hints towards future DC Comics movies are so forced into the picture that the movie becomes more of an extended trailer. Viewers familiar with the source material will be able to quickly spot how the script clumsily stitches together various graphic novels without consistency. The glue in this messy epic is the exceptional cast (namely Ben Affleck’s spot-on Batman) and the thrilling fight scenes that range from warehouse gunfights to city-smashing brawls. Director Zack Snyder proves that he has a firmer grasp of heroes trading blows than trading thoughts.





CONTENT:

The movie attempts to display the adult side of our two leads with their vices and relationships. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) spends most of the movie in Clark Kent’s embrace, at one point sharing a bath with a clothed Clark while she is seen naked from the shoulders up and legs down. In contrast, Bruce Wayne finds himself awakening in bed after a bender of many drinks with a naked woman’s back beside him. There is some mildly salty dialogue littered with instances of “damn” and one beat punctuating “oh s—t.” As far as male nudity goes, there are a few shirtless scenes of Clark and Bruce, as well as the naked corpse of Zod in which the camera strategically hides his genitals.

Given the nature of the title implying a fight between heroes, there’s plenty of violence in the picture to warrant its hard PG-13 rating. Buildings topple and explode with people inside them as heroes and villains battle across city skylines. Guns are fired at close quarters, limbs are twisted, grappling guns become harpoons for goons and there is a brutal stabbing for one shocking moment of self-sacrifice. Batman brings out his Batmobile and Batjet for sequences that involve a heavy amount of bullets and exploding cars. Wonder Woman breaks out her sword when battling a monster and you better believe she’s going to sever a monster limb. Superman spends most of the movie delivering fast punches, but has a rather scary dream sequence where he vaporizes two people with his heat vision before shoving his hand through Batman’s chest.

SHOULD I TAKE THE KIDS:

NO: 6 And Under
Between the moody moments of brooding and the dark battles of fists and guns, it’s a movie that is terrifying for kids under age 6. The running time of 151 minutes will also make them squirm in their seats.

MAYBE: 7-10
Kids that can handle gutsier and louder violence may be able to stomach the bombastic fight scenes and grim atmosphere. If they’re familiar with the current tone of DC Comics and don’t mind a heftier dose of darkness with their superheroes, they may dig the movie if they can sit through the lengthy banter about vigilantism in the first act.

YES: 10 And Up
Older kids will be invested in a more challenging superhero plot that is as blunt as the loud action scenes. The themes explored will give their minds a little more to chew on from the usual superhero movies and the explosive battles will offer them plenty of eye candy. They may even enjoy it more than the adults if they’re forgiving of the inconsistencies in the plot.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice certainly won’t bore with its big action and daring plot elements, but may frustrate audiences in how the picture never settles on a tone, arc, or ending.

RATING: B-


_Mark McPherson has been writing about movies since 2010 for various websites and is the author of The Great Animated Movies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Animation and lives in Minnesota. You can learn more about Mark by visiting his professional website Madness Mark.