download the new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

It's unsettling how closely the supposed hero and the villain resemble each other in their thinking and their actions: Both decide that the only solution is to humble Superman, break his will, and then kill him. Batman, both of whom resent Superman's failures, envy his power, and fear his potential for destruction. The script channels its Man Of Steel reactions through bratty rich kid Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) and sullen rich man Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), a.k.a. Instead, the new film doubles down on the grimness, the ugliness, and the indifference to human life. Batman v Superman addresses Man Of Steel's problems in words without learning anything from it in tone. Goyer seem to be taking advantage of the criticism to boost drama, without really comprehending the human source of it. But mostly, Snyder and screenwriters Chris Terrio and David S. Occasionally it's graphic and horrifying, as in an early sequence showing the Superman/Zod fight from a ground's-eye view, confirming all the collateral terror it caused. Occasionally, the self-awareness is hilarious, as when secondary characters go out of their way to point out that the climactic battle is taking place in a series of unpopulated areas. The sequel, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, isn't just a sequel to Man Of Steel, it's a pointed referendum on the debate that followed the film.

Man Of Steel portrays that decision as painful and personal, made at great cost-but it doesn't bear any resemblance to the more than 70 years of Superman stories that preceded it. And ultimately, to some fans' horror, he kills Zod to prevent him from doing further harm. That comes to a head when he fights fellow Kryptonian General Zod (Michael Shannon) in the middle of downtown Metropolis, destroying half the city and undoubtedly killing untold numbers of civilians. Snyder's Superman is haunted by his own powers, while simultaneously blind to the harm those powers cause. He struggles with the memory of his adoptive father Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), who advises him to hide his abilities, then chooses to die rather than let Superman publicly save him. The film's version of the man from Krypton, as played by Henry Cavill, is noble and powerful, but removed from the people he's protecting.

Back in 2013, Zack Snyder's cinematic Superman reboot Man Of Steel stirred up plenty of controversy with its dour take on a beloved icon.

Download the new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice