Marvel remain the favourite with their Cinematic Universe as DC’s marquee match-up Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is a crushing bore. Zack Snyder’s direction proves an oppressive burden; the darkness and heavy-handed approach leaving no room for humour or levity as Batman (Ben Affleck) rages with anger and Superman (Henry Cavill) sulks. Even when the two eventually come to blows after a tiresome chunk of brooding build-up, it’s anticlimactic and altogether difficult to understand what’s happening, let alone what anyone’s saying against the booming soundtrack and endless destruction. It’s something of a relief, then, when Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) turns up for her two minutes of fighting screen time that’s over far too quickly and only hints at what could have been had a more gentler hand been behind the wheel. The other supporting cast members – Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter – are all but wasted, while Jesse Eisenberg wins no favours for his psychopathic Lex Luther. Considering how long the film takes to end (it clocks in at an exhausting 2.5 hours), it’s amazing how quickly it fades from memory.
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