Reviewing this film feels surreal. Batman v Superman wasn’t just a movie for me. It was a cultural moment. A film I waited years for. A film I needed to love. I watched it nine times in the cinema. Not because it was perfect, but because I was desperately trying to believe in what it was trying to be. It’s the film equivalent of a beautifully toxic love affair. A piece of cinema that promised me the world and then left me heartbroken. And here I am reviewing it after having watched it (the directors cut), for the first time in a few years.

Zack Snyder swung for the fences with this. His vision was bold, uncompromising, and drenched in grandeur. There are moments in this film that feel biblical in scale. But for every awe-inspiring visual or iconic scene, there’s a frustrating narrative choice or a jarring tonal shift. This is a film that contains greatness inside of it, but never manages to bring it all together.

Story & Themes

At its core, Batman v Superman is about fear, legacy, power, and divinity. It asks the question: What happens when a god walks among men? And how do men respond? Thematically, it plays with mythic weight. Superman isn’t just an alien, he’s a symbol, a mirror for human insecurity. Batman isn’t just a vigilante, he’s a broken man who has lost his faith in everything except fear and control.

That ambition is admirable. But the story itself is overstuffed. There are too many plotlines fighting for attention: the conflict between Bruce and Clark, the philosophical questions of Superman’s existence, Lex Luthor’s convoluted schemes, Doomsday, and the shoehorned Justice League setup. It’s all too much. None of it gets the breathing room it deserves. And so the film buckles under the weight of its own expectations.

Character & Performances

Ben Affleck as Batman is, in my opinion, one of the film’s strongest choices. His Bruce Wayne is weathered, angry, and disillusioned. There’s a physicality to his performance that feels genuinely intimidating. He sells the idea of a Batman who has been doing this for twenty years and is losing himself in the process.

Henry Cavill’s Superman is more complex here than in Man of Steel. He is burdened, alienated, and clearly unsure of his place in the world. Some criticize his lack of warmth, but to me, that was the point. This isn’t the Superman of old, it’s a man caught in the machinery of global fear and politics. Cavill plays that internal conflict well, even if the script gives him too few chances to express it.

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor is a divisive take. I personally found his portrayal grating and out of sync with the tone of the film. His erratic, Zuckerberg-meets-Joker performance felt like it belonged in a different story altogether.

Direction

Zack Snyder’s direction is both the film’s greatest strength and its downfall. He directs with unwavering conviction, with a total commitment to mood and symbolism. He doesn’t care about mass appeal. And for that, I respect him.

But the pacing is uneven. The first half is actually quite thoughtful, slow, deliberate, even poetic at times. But the second half tries to tie together too many threads. The Doomsday fight, the “Martha” twist, the Justice League teases... it all happens in such quick succession and feels structurally rushed. Snyder was clearly playing a long game here , but he forgets that this film also has to stand on its own. A weakness of Snyder which we also saw in his direction of his god awful Rebel Moon films.

Cinematography & Visual Storytelling

Visual Aesthetics
Visually, this film is stunning. Zack Snyder is a painter before he is a director. The imagery is rich with symbolism and grandeur. Snyder’s signature style is all over it: high-contrast lighting, rich shadows, and a warm, muted colour palette that gives the entire movie a painterly, almost mythic quality. Snyder uses light and shadow like a mythmaker. The film often feels like it’s borrowing from Renaissance art, statues, crosses, gods descending through fire, angels falling from the sky. Batman in silhouette against the Bat-Signal, Superman hovering godlike above a flood of onlookers, Wonder Woman stepping into battleall these frames are iconic and bursting with dramatic energy.

However, the film’s heavy reliance on CGI undermines this aesthetic at times. Doomsday, for example, looks like a clunky, outdated video game boss rather than the terrifying creature he’s meant to be. Similarly, the scene where Superman absorbs the sun’s energy in the final battle falls flat. Instead of feeling majestic or awe-inspiring, it looks like a cutscene from a PS3 game, which is disappointing given how emotionally charged that moment should have been.

‍

Storytelling through Cinematography
The cinematography works hard to elevate the film’s larger-than-life story. Snyder uses framing and lighting to convey the characters’ mythic status. Superman is often shot from low angles, bathed in heavenly light, while Batman is shrouded in shadow and darkness. The contrast between them visually underscores their ideological clash, which is one of the movie’s core themes.

One standout sequence is the nightmare vision of the desolate, apocalyptic future. The camera work here, paired with the gritty, desaturated visuals, creates a sense of chaos and foreboding that perfectly sets up the stakes for the story’s larger conflicts.

That said, there are times when the storytelling through visuals feels a bit heavy-handed. Some shots are so overtly symbolic they verge on melodrama, which can take you out of the moment instead of pulling you deeper in.

‍

Camera Work
The camera work in Batman v Superman is as dynamic as the characters it portrays. Snyder’s use of slow motion is one of his hallmarks, and it’s on full display here, most notably in the warehouse fight sequence where Batman dismantles a group of thugs. The slow-motion punches and grapples give the action a brutal, visceral weight, making it one of the best-shot fight scenes in the film.

The handheld, shaky camera style during the Battle of Metropolis flashback brings a raw, ground-level perspective to Superman’s earlier destruction, effectively making you feel the human cost of the superhuman clash.

On the flip side, some of the fast-paced action sequences, particularly those involving heavy CGI, lack the clarity and focus that would make them truly impactful. The chaotic camera movements during the Doomsday fight feel more disorienting than engaging, and that’s a missed opportunity.

‍

Cameras Used
Zack Snyder and cinematographer Larry Fong used a mix of digital cameras to capture the film’s iconic visuals. Most of it was shot with the ARRI ALEXA XT Plus and RED Epic Dragon cameras. These are digital workhorses, chosen for their ability to capture sharp, high-resolution images with incredible dynamic range, which was crucial for Snyder’s high-contrast lighting style.

The ARRI ALEXA XT Plus was primarily used for scenes requiring a more grounded, filmic texture. Its natural color science excels at rendering skin tones and subtle shadow details, which makes it a great choice for the close-up, emotional beats like the intense face-offs between Bruce and Clark. The RED Epic Dragon, on the other hand, was deployed for sequences requiring greater flexibility in resolution and frame rates, such as high-energy action scenes. It’s also known for its ability to retain sharpness and color accuracy under extreme lighting conditions, which was crucial for scenes like the apocalyptic “Knightmare” sequence.

‍

Lenses
The production relied heavily on Panavision Primo Anamorphic lenses, known for their ability to create a slightly distorted, dreamy aesthetic with rich, oval-shaped bokeh and subtle lens flares. These lenses helped emphasize the larger-than-life, mythic tone Snyder was going for. In scenes like Wonder Woman’s heroic entrance or Superman hovering in the light, the lenses added a sense of grandeur and timelessness.

The choice of anamorphic lenses for much of the film speaks to Snyder’s intent to craft a visual epic, these lenses exaggerate the scale and drama, giving scenes a cinematic, operatic feel. This works beautifully in scenes like the Batman warehouse fight or the wide shots of Gotham and Metropolis, where the anamorphic lenses emphasize the depth and scale of the environments.

However, the reliance on digital cameras paired with extensive CGI became a double-edged sword. While the ARRI and RED setups are industry-leading, they sometimes struggled to seamlessly integrate the CGI-heavy scenes. This is most noticeable in the Doomsday battle, where the digital sheen of the creature contrasts sharply with the otherwise textured, filmic aesthetic.

‍

Use of Space and Environment
The environments in Batman v Superman are as much a part of the story as the characters themselves. Gotham is gritty and oppressive, with towering skyscrapers and narrow alleys that reflect Batman’s world of fear and violence. In contrast, Metropolis is bright and open, representing Superman’s hopeful, larger-than-life presence, though its destruction is a grim reminder of his unintended consequences.

One standout sequence is the Senate explosion. The use of space in this scene is chilling, the camera lingers just long enough on the crowded hearing room before the blast, creating a moment of gut-punch silence. It’s an excellent example of how space and pacing can amplify tension.

The final battle, however, is where things falter. The battleground is a CGI-heavy wasteland of rubble and fire, which lacks the tactile realism of the earlier settings. It feels generic and uninspired, making the climax less impactful than it could have been.

‍

Visual Weaknesses
‍The CGI-heavy third act breaks the visual spell. Doomsday is clunky and unconvincing. The action becomes too loud, too messy. The final battle, for all its stakes, feels emotionally hollow.

‍

Consistency and Intent
The cinematography in Batman v Superman is ambitious and consistent with Snyder’s style, but it doesn’t always serve the story effectively. There’s a clear intent to craft a visual epic that feels larger than life, and for the most part, that’s achieved. However, the reliance on CGI and some overly stylized choices dilute the impact of the more grounded, emotionally resonant moments.

While the film’s visuals are undoubtedly striking, they can sometimes feel like they’re trying too hard to impress, rather than allowing the story to speak for itself. It’s a case of style slightly overshadowing substance.

Music & Sound Design

Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL created a score that fits the tone perfectly. It’s thunderous, ominous, and occasionally heart-stopping.

• Batman’s Theme: Percussive and aggressive. You feel the rage in every beat.
• Superman’s Theme: Reprises elements from Man of Steel but adds a layer of mournfulness.
• Wonder Woman’s Theme: One of the best things to come out of the entire DCEU. Her introduction, backed by electric cello and pounding drums, is unforgettable.
• Sound Design: Heavy, textured, sometimes overbearing. But it matches the film’s maximalist approach.

Emotional impact on me

Emotionally, this film hit me hard, not because it was flawless, but because of what it tried to be. It aimed to be something operatic and grand, something reflective of our post-9/11 world. It asked big questions: What does it mean to be a hero? Can Gods be trusted? Do men become monsters in pursuit of justice?

But the emotional payoffs are inconsistent at best. The “Martha” moment, which should have been powerful, becomes unintentionally laughable due to clumsy execution. Superman/Clark’s death, while moving in theory, doesn’t fully land because the narrative didn’t earn it yet. The DCEU could have had their 'Ironman's sacrifice' moment, years before the MCU did... and yet they squandered it! Big time!

Conclusion

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a cinematic paradox. It is both brilliant and broken. It's ambitious and ridiculous. It is filled with unforgettable moments and maddening missteps. It’s the kind of film that makes you wish you could edit it yourself, just to bring it closer to the masterpiece it almost is. It's a visually ambitious film with moments of genuine brilliance. The painterly frames, dramatic lighting, and mythic imagery are stunning, and there’s no denying Zack Snyder’s talent for creating iconic shots. But the film’s over-reliance on CGI and some distracting stylistic choices hold it back from being truly great. For me, it will always be a personal experience.

A reminder that sometimes, loving a film has nothing to do with whether it’s perfect. And sometimes, disappointment cuts deeper when your hopes were sky-high.

My Favourite Frames