8 Things Batman V Superman Did Better Than Captain America: Civil War
Chin up DC, it's not all bad news.
The epic rivalry between Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Captain America: Civil War appears to have a winner, with the latter movie being much better received critically and commercially. The long-awaited smackdown between Cap and Iron Man – and a fair chunk of the other heroes in the MCU – had a better story, characterisation and pacing too, but that’s not to say Dawn Of Justice was a total bust either.
Love him or hate him Zach Snyder refused to play it safe with his movie and made some gutsy decisions that he must have known would land him an earful from comic fans. Now the dust has cleared a little it’s easier to reflect on the positives of Batman V Superman, and admit that it actually did a few things better than its closest competitor.
So in the interest of fairness let’s give Dawn Of Justice a second chance, and focus on what it did right, as opposed to the many, many things it did wrong. Who knows, by the end of this article you might even feel hopeful about the Justice League movies again.
8. It Had A More Exciting Villain
Jesse Eisenberg’s ultra-hammy take on Lex Luthor has split audiences right down the centre; some feel he’s awful and his performance ruins the movie while his defenders think he brought some colour and life to what could be a relentless downbeat ride.
The biggest issue with the character is his clear lack of motive for anything he does, other than seemingly hating the idea there’s another being on the planet more powerful than him. His mix of Mark Zuckerberg and Max Landis is an acquired taste for sure, but he’s infinitely more interesting to watch than Daniel Bruhl’ mopey Zemo.
Zemo’s motive for what he does is an understandably human one, but he’s the latest in a long line of bland Marvel villains. There’s nothing charismatic or mysterious about him, he’s just a dorky guy who shows up, causes trouble and disappears again. At least his motivation helps Black Panther complete his arc, but he’s still a major letdown.
Eisenberg’s performance might be divisive, but at least it’s a memorable one.