Story
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is set 18 months after the events in Man of Steel. In that movie, there was a titanic battle between Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon), which almost destroyed the city of Metropolis. People including Gotham’s Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) think that Superman is responsible for all the death and destruction. They also think Superman is a vigilante who is a threat to the entire world. Superman has a similar opinion of Batman and is determined to publicly expose him.
The rivalry between Batman and Superman is fuelled by criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), who wants to get rid of both men. Luthor convinces US Senator June Finch (Holly Hunter) to import Kryptonite recently found at the bottom of the Indian Ocean so he can use it as a weapon against Superman. Senator Finch also gives Lex access to General Zod’s body and his crashed Kryptonian spaceship, which Lex intends to use for evil purposes.
While Batman and Superman are trying to destroy each other, both are also determined to defeat Lex. Simultaneously, the mysterious Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is investigating Lex. When Lex unleashes a monstrous genetically engineered creature with superpowers, Batman and Superman must put aside their differences and work together if they are to have any chance of saving Metropolis.
Themes
Aliens; superheroes; genetic engineering
Violence
Violence
There is a lot of intense violence in Batman v Superman. For example:
Sexual references
Batman v Superman has some sexual references. For example, a woman goes into a men’s toilet to talk to a man. The man says, ‘With balls like yours, you belong in here’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Batman v Superman shows some use of substances. For example:
- Adults drink socially in several scenes.
- Bruce drinks a lot of wine.
Nudity and sexual activity
Batman v Superman shows some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Women wear tight-fitting and revealing clothing.
- A naked woman lies in a bath full of water. We see her bare shoulders, upper chest, the tops of her breasts and knees. A man enters the room and climbs fully clothed into the bath. The couple kiss passionately.
Product placement
Batman v Superman features some brand-name motor vehicles.
Coarse language
Batman v Superman has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a superhero action adventure that targets older teenagers and fans of DC comic books. It’s likely to entertain these viewers, who are also likely to be pleased with the promise of more movies to come.
You should be aware that the movie is very dark and full of intense violence, mass destruction and scary characters. These things will disturb younger viewers. At 151 minutes it’s also very long. It’s not recommended for children under 13 years, and we also recommend parental guidance for children aged 13-15 years.
These are the main messages from this movie:
- Cooperation and working together can overcome all obstacles.
- Knowledge is power.
- People can be manipulated to distrust and fight each other.
You could talk with your children about the two superheroes as role models and what the movie reveals about them.