Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. Distributed by Warner Bros., it is a follow-up to 2013's Man of Steel and the second film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It is directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, and stars Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman, and Henry Cavill reprising his role as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together, as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, who Luthor is obsessed with destroying. The film was released worldwide on March 25, 2016 by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Following a strong box office debut that set several new box office records, the film experienced a historic drop of 81% in its second weekend and never recovered. Against a budget of $250 million but also a break-even point of $1 billion, despite turning a profit with a gross of $873.2 million, the film performed below expectations. It received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, with criticism aimed at its poor characterization, story, Eisenberg's performance, and a high number of plotholes, although the visuals, musical score, and Affleck and Gadot's performance received significant praise.
An extended cut, dubbed the "Ultimate Edition", features 31 minutes of additional footage and was released to home media formats later in 2016. The extended cut received positive reviews from critics, with nee praise earned for its improved story due to the removal of many plotlines. The Ultimate Edition also won universal acclaim from fans, with many deeming it one of the best DCEU films to date.
Plot[]
Spoiler Warning: The following contains important plot details of the entire film. |
Eighteen months after the destructive battle with General Zod in Metropolis from Man of Steel, Superman has become seen as controversial. Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego, has moved in with Lois Lane. Bruce Wayne, who has operated in Gotham City as the vigilante "Batman" for nearly two decades, sees Superman as a potential threat to humanity. After learning of Batman's activities, Superman also views him as a threat, and seeks to stop him via the Daily Planet articles authored by him as Kent. Wayne learns that Russian weapon-trafficker Anatoli Knyazev has been contacting LexCorp's mogul Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, Luthor tries to convince Senator June Finch to allow him to import kryptonite retrieved from the Indian Ocean following the results of Zod's terraforming attempt, claiming to use it as a "deterrent" against Kryptonians, but she denies the request. He also makes side dealings with Finch's subordinate and demands access to Zod's body and the Kryptonian scout ship.
Wayne attends Luthor's party at LexCorp, where he meets mysterious antiques dealer Diana Prince, and retrieves encrypted data from the company's mainframe. While decrypting the drive at the Batcave, Wayne has a dream of a post-apocalyptic world, where he leads a group of rebels against Superman. He is snapped out of the dream by an unidentified time traveler, who warns him of Lane's crucial role in the distant future, and urges him to find "the others". Wayne later realizes that Luthor is not only experimenting with Kryptonite, but also investigating metahumans. One of them is Prince herself, who is an immortal warrior. Wayne admits to Alfred Pennyworth that he plans to steal the kryptonite to weaponize it, should it become necessary to fight Superman.
Luthor orchestrates a bombing at a congressional hearing where Finch is questioning Superman on the validity of his actions, which have resulted in deaths of civilians. The bomb kills dozens of people, including Finch. Frustrated by his failure to save people, Superman goes into self-imposed exile. Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite, planning to use it to battle Superman by building a powered exoskeleton, and creating a kryptonite grenade launcher and a kryptonite-tipped spear. Meanwhile, Luthor enters the Kryptonian ship and learns of its functions, as well as recorded alien worlds.
Luthor kidnaps Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother. He reveals that he has manipulated Superman and Batman by fueling their animosity for each other. Luthor demands Superman fight and kill Batman in exchange for Martha's life. Superman tries to reason with Batman, but Batman instigates a fight and ultimately gains the upper hand. Before Batman can kill Superman with the spear, Superman urges Batman to "save Martha", whose name is also shared with Wayne's late mother. Lane arrives and explains the situation, convincing Batman that Superman is not a threat. Upon learning of Luthor's plan, Batman leaves to rescue Martha, while Superman confronts Luthor on the scout ship.
Luthor executes his backup plan, unleashing a genetically-engineered monster with DNA from both Zod's body and his own. However, Diana Prince arrives unexpectedly. Revealing her metahuman nature, she joins forces with them to fight the creature. They are soon outmatched by its power, as it can absorb and redirect energy. Realizing that it is also vulnerable to kryptonite, Superman retrieves the kryptonite spear. With Batman and Prince's help distracting it, Superman impales the monster. As it dies, the creature stabs and kills a weakened Superman with one of its bone protrusions.
Luthor is arrested, and while confronted by Batman he gloats that Superman's death has made the world vulnerable to powerful alien threats. A memorial is held for Superman in Metropolis. Clark is also declared dead and Wayne, Lane, Martha, and Prince attend a private funeral for him in Smallville. Martha gives an envelope to Lane which contains an engagement ring from Clark. After the funeral, Wayne reveals to Prince that he plans to form a team of metahumans, starting with the ones from Luthor's files, to help protect the world in Superman's absence. After they leave, a faint heartbeat echoes from Clark's coffin and the dirt around it begins to levitate.
Spoiler Warning: All spoilers have been stated and have ended here. |
Cast[]
- Henry Cavill as Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman
- Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman
- Amy Adams as Lois Lane
- Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
- Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
- Diane Lane as Martha Kent
- Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennysworth
- Laurence Fishburne as Perry White
- Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman
- Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg
- Holly Hunter as Senator Finch
- Tao Okamato as Mercy Graves
Critical Reception[]
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice received negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 29% based on 436 reviews and an average rating of 5/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story – and some of America's most iconic superheroes – in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action." Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average to critics' reviews, gave the film an average score of 44 out of 100 based on 51 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. It earned "B−" from men, "B" from women, a "B" from those under 25 and a "B−" from those over 25. According to PostTrak, 73% of audiences graded the film "very good" or "excellent", with a 60% giving it a "definite recommend". BBC News reported that "the film had been widely praised by fans after its first screening in New York".
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Films directed:
Dawn of the Dead (2004) •
300 (2006) •
Watchmen (2009) •
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) •
Sucker Punch (2011) •
Man of Steel (2013) •
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) •
Justice League (2017)
Films produced:
300: Rise of an Empire (2014) •
Wonder Woman (2017) •
Wonder Woman 1984 (2019)
See also:
Cruel and Unusual Films •
Deborah Snyder