Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

When Christopher Nolan made his grim Dark Knight trilogy, he laid the groundwork for Batman as a somber, emotionally tortured vigilante hero. Now, director Zack Snyder pushes the envelope even further, beginning with a shadowy introduction to Bruce Wayne—aka Batman (Ben Affleck)—via a childhood dream sequence. Meanwhile, following the destruction of downtown Metropolis in Snyder's Man of Steel, Superman—aka Clark Kent (Henry Cavill)—is busy saving spunky journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams), who was captured by terrorists in the desert. As tech prodigy Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) maniacally manipulates, Batman and Superman find themselves bickering over moral imperatives and ideological differences. One thing leads to another and soon two of the most iconic figures in comics are grotesquely battling in the streets of Metropolis and Gotham, which apparently are situated so close together that one can spy the Bat-signal from the rooftop of the Daily Planet. The film's highlight is actually the appearance of Wonder Woman—aka Diana Prince (played by Israeli ex-soldier Gal Gadot). Convolutedly scripted, this is a thematically confusing yet also visually dazzling film with star-power supporting turns by Jeremy Irons as Wayne's butler Alfred, Holly Hunter as a skeptical senator, and Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Kent's parents (as well as cameos by Anderson Cooper and Charlie Rose). But, as per Shakespeare's Macbeth, this is ultimately a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Accelerating Design: The New Batmobile” (23 min.), “The Warrior, the Myth, the Wonder” (21 min.), “Uniting the World's Finest” (15 min.), “The Empire of Luthor” (13 min.), “Gods and Men: A Meeting of Giants” (12 min.), “Batman: Austerity & Rage” (8 min.), “Superman: Complexity & Truth” (7 min.), “Wonder Woman: Grace & Power” (7 min.), “Batcave: Legacy of the Lair” (7 min.), “The Might and the Power of a Punch” (5 min.), and “Save the Bats” (5 min.), as well as trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing superhero flick.] (S. Granger)