Eighteen months have passed since the city-smashing events of Man of Steel, and while much of the world has embraced Superman (Henry Cavill), there’s still a lot of mistrust – especially from vigilante Batman (Ben Affleck), who’s become increasingly bitter and violent in his old(er) age. But while Batman merely remains suspicious of Superman, Metropolis’ own billionaire Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is offering to provide a working anti-Superman defence based on some glowing green rocks he found at the bottom of the Indian Ocean – but only if the government lets him play with all the Kryptonian gear left behind after the last movie. This is not a good idea.
The story is a complete mess but this largely turns that to its advantage, relying on strong central performances and well-drawn characters to anchor the film while throwing in flash backs and flash forwards and pointless subplots and a somewhat annoying Joker-esque performance from Eisenberg. There’s a lot of superficial bombast – the score is about as subtle as a bat-punch to the back of the head – but there’s also recognition here that even at their grimmest these characters are kind of silly and fun. It’s a mess, but if you’re a fan of superheroes at their superhero-est, it’s also a fun one.
Reviewed by Anthony Morris
