Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Three years after rebooting the Superman legend, director Zack Snyder earns the dream job of pitting the last son of Krypton against the Dark Knight detective in the ultimate superhero smackdown. The orphaning of Bruce Wayne is succinctly updated in the opening credits and then it's a swift segue to the climax of 2013's Man of Steel when Superman (Henry Cavill) and archfoe Zod devastated Metropolis. Only here, the wanton destruction is what incites Wayne (a greying Ben Affleck) to revive his nocturnal fight against crime after hanging up his cowl due to unrevealed tragic events. Suffice to say, he's in no mood to tolerate an alien on the loose with godlike powers. The first half of the film is very much a case of franchise aforethought, as Snyder packs in multiple hints and plotlines that will culminate in the creation of the Justice League superteam, DC's equivalent to the Avengers. When Batman finally dons an armoured bat suit to throw down with Krypton's finest, it's an earth-shaking tussle to remember. And with Gal Gadot making a show-stopping debut as Wonder Woman, the wow moments come thick and fast. Christian Bale was a great Dark Knight in the Christopher Nolan films, but Affleck fits the part well and proves to be an older and wiser Batman. If anything, Cavill is slightly overshadowed as his hero struggles with doubt and traumatic growing pains, while Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor may be too manic for some tastes. However, Amy Adams is a feisty Lois Lane, while Jeremy Irons adds vim as Wayne's ever-loyal if acerbic butler, Alfred. The result is a spectacular if overstuffed epic that's a long way from the best of Marvel's blockbusters.