10 Things To Know Before Watching Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

One of the most highly-anticipated superhero movies in, well, just about ever will finally hit cinemas this weekend in the form of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. What do we know about the movie so far? Well, as is common knowledge, this is the real launch of the so-called DC Extended Universe, after 2012’s Man of Steel. Other than what Lex Luthor likes to call “the greatest gladiator match in history,” we know that it will also feature Gal Gadot’s debut as Wonder Woman as well as Doomsday, thanks to that spoiler-y trailer. But what else should you be aware of before heading into theatres this weekend? In this article, we take a look at 10 important things to know before checking out Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. From the tone of the film to the way that certain characters are portrayed, it'll be important to keep these things in mind before you watch this massive superhero showdown. 10) It Makes The Dark Knight Films Look Cheery Something that can probably be gleaned from the trailers is that Batman V Superman is a pretty dark affair. The reviews released so far have confirmed that this is not just something the marketing has played up. If anything, it is even gloomier than it looked. The Guardian said that “the influences of director Christopher Nolan’s furrowed-brow Batman films… loom large” over BvS while Den of Geek thought “the heroes spend so much of the movie locked in their private emotional labyrinths that, even in their day-to-day guises, Batman and Superman are guarded, scowling enigmas.” IGN also commented that “those expecting BvS to be DC’s answer to Marvel’s Avengers will find it more akin to Snyder’s Watchmen instead.” So, if you’re the sort of person that thought The Dark Knight films were too much like Batman & Robin, then this might be the superhero movie for you. 9) Gotham And Metropolis Are Neighbours The biggest question surrounding BvS is, of course, “who will win?” But another issue pressing on the minds of hardcore fans is “where will Metropolis and Gotham be situated?” The comics have often left these details vague, but the film, in its aim to be more realistic, will have to address this properly. Director Zack Snyder has previously revealed that: “The big rule that we broke is that we put Gotham and Metropolis right next to each other. It made sense to us and worked for our story that they were kind of sister cities across a big bay. It’s like Oakland and San Francisco, kind of.” That is a change that would seem to make sense for the movie’s storyline. And, even if some fans are offended by the change, we are sure that there will be plenty of other things on their mind when watching the film. 8) Clark Kent Is Different From Other Interpretations While we saw a new version of his origin story in the movie, something Man of Steel steered clear of for the most part was depicting the usual image of Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent as a bumbling journalist, with the character only joining the Daily Planet at the end of the movie. As such, BvS will be the first time we get to see Henry Cavill take on this iconic aspect of the role. So, how does he do? Well, basically the best thing to do would be to not compare him to the traditional Clarks. Den of Geek says that “Clark Kent lacks the affable, unassuming quality that Christopher Reeve bought to the role. In fact, Cavill looks so poised, commanding and conspicuously muscular in his Clark guise that it’s a wonder why Perry White doesn’t shout at him for spending more time down the gym than at his desk.” 7) Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor Won’t Please Everyone From the glimpses we got of his hyperactive antics in the trailers, it was clear that Jesse Eisenberg’s take on Lex Luthor was going to be a radical reinvention of the character – not least the fact that he has a head full of luscious locks. As such, it is safe to assume that he won’t please everyone. Our very own review stated that “Eisenberg plays as a scattered, twitching weirdo, a corporate-playboy Joker with none of the depth and all of the tics. It’s a profoundly irritating feat of overacting.” Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly believed the film was “seriously crippled by Eisenberg’s over-the-top performance.” On the other side of things, Cnet thought that “Jesse Eiseinberg’s jittery Lex Luthor is fun to watch, his entitled Silicon Valley nerd a Zucker punch of reinvention.” It’s safe to say, then, that how much you enjoy Eisenberg’s Luthor depends on personal taste. 6) But Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman Will While Luthor has split people down the middle, one thing reviewers have been uniformly agreed on so far is that Gal Gadot is amazing as Wonder Woman. She might even be the best part of the movie. HeyuGuys think that Gadot makes “a star making performance” while Digital Spy was of the opinion that she was “a bright spot in the film.” Listen out as well for her theme tune as apparently “the score knows she's the best thing in the film too, with a rocking theme that plays whenever she goes into action.” This is something that is very reassuring to hear. Despite being almost as old as Superman and Batman, this is somehow Wonder Woman’s debut appearance on the silver screen. Going by how well she is being received, let’s hope she has many more to come. 5) Many Important Scenes Have Been Cut BvS will already be a hefty film – like a lot of blockbusters nowadays, its runtime stretches past two and a half hours. However, many scenes were cut from the theatrical release of the movie to get it down to that long, but still more manageable, length. The most significant cut to the film is that all the appearances of Jena Malone’s still unrevealed character have been removed. It was previously thought that the actress was playing Barbara Gordon – either in her Batgirl or Oracle guise – in the film, something that is still a possibility. She will presumably play a bigger role in the upcoming solo Batman movie, but won't appear in BvS. These lost scenes will be reinstated for the extended DVD edition though, which will also have an R-Rating. After Deadpool got people excited for R-Rated superhero action, some fans might actually be more psyched for this version of the movie than the one we're going to see in theatres. 4) Ben Affleck Is A Worthy Batman Ben Affleck’s casting as the older, grizzled Batman of this movie received a strong backlash at first. It is good to know, then, that the actor’s take on the role has been largely well-received so far. Variety calls the Batfleck a “winningly cranky, charismatic presence even when out of costume,” while Empire thought “Affleck underplays the role nicely…dispelling any lingering memories of Daredevil.” On the other hand, some have criticized the presentation of the character. Crave Online said “If you thought that Superman didn’t act like Superman in Man of Steel, you will probably disapprove of Zack Snyder’s version of Batman.” 3) You Have To Wait For The Fight Though the film is, you know, called Batman V Superman, we've heard that the central fight between the two superheroes might not actually be as core to the film as we had been led to believe. Chiefly, the thing to know is that you shouldn’t expect the Bat of Gotham and the Son of Krypton to lock horns straight away. There is the little matter of the plot that has to be set up first… Empire, for instance, praised the conflict as “a tightly choreographed, berserkly overwrought treat.” However, they also said that “Snyder makes you wait, and wait, and wait for the championship bout.” Forbes, however, thought that, once the fighting arrives, one of the heroes comes across as such a “ghoulish bully” that “you desperately want the fight to end as soon as possible.” Basically, be careful what you wish for. 2) It Is Ridiculously Polarizing As you may have realised by now, the reviews of BvS so far have been pretty mixed. In fact, this looks set to be the most polarizing film of the year, as some wildly different opinions have been flying around. The general consensus is that it is a very busy, probably unwieldy film but one that definitely can be enjoyed. Our own review, however, labelled it as “bad,” explaining that it suffers from a “dreary, disjointed narrative.” Metro swings completely the other way, though, believing it to be “the best superhero movie ever made” and that, though it has flaws, “you are meant to experience it with your heart not your head.” While it might be disheartening to hear this, then, the variety of reactions to the film so far proves that how much you enjoy it is down to the individual. One thing is (mostly) for certain, though... 1) But Still Better Than Man of Steel (Probably) One thing all the early reviews agree on is that the movie is better than its divisive predecessor Man of Steel. Well, nearly all of them. Rolling Stone thought the BvS was “better than Man of Steel but below the high bar set by Nolan’s Dark Knight… the stuff that DC comics dreams are made of.” On the other hand, /Film commented: “I personally liked Man of Steel better, but I’m guessing I will be in the minority on this one.” Clearly, BvS hasn’t received the most glowing reaction ever. However, on its own terms, it is clearly a good sign that the films of the DCEU are improving as they go on, even if they are still receiving mixed reviews. Arguably, the real test of a movie is how much audiences take to it, and that's one thing that we won’t know until after Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theatres.