Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Many of you know the high regard in which I hold film critics. Quite often, that Tomatometer score is my deciding factor as to whether or not I want to see a movie. It might be a bad idea to put so much weight on other people's opinions, but it typically works quite well for me, so I haven't changed the way I choose what movie to watch.

Why am I telling you this, you ask? Because I want you to know how hard it is to say that I enjoy a movie that critics hate...

...like Batman v Superman.

I liked this movie. Yes, there were some elements that made me a little uneasy at times, but on the whole this is a great example of how to make a really fully stuffed superhero film.

That being said, there are some gripes I have with Batman v Superman that make me dock it more than a little bit, and there are still others that I'm not decided on yet. In light of that, I'm going to try a new format for this review in which I'll separate the different aspects of this film by my reaction to them. Let's dive in.

The Good

• Ben Affleck as Batman...or really anything with Batman in it. You're going to be hearing this a lot from pretty much everyone who has seen Batman v Superman, but I'll say it anyway: this is quite possibly the best on-screen Batman we've gotten so far. (And I give all three of Nolan's films incredibly high marks, for what it's worth.) There are a couple little things that I'll talk about later that were a little questionable, but this is a great version of Batman. He's dark, intense, really cynical, and a total badass. Affleck's performance is fantastic as well. 
• Zack Snyder's direction. If you've seen any of Snyder's previous films (most notably 300), you know that he's got a good eye for the visual side of filmmaking. It definitely shows here. There's a lot of sequences where he uses slow-motion and score incredibly tastefully, in particular the death of Martha and Thomas Wayne. This is a great-looking film all-around. 
• The film's tone. I don't think we've had a superhero film with this kind of tone before. It feels very operatic between Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL's score and the dramatic shots Snyder uses. At times it verges on being too much, but the tone is typically well-placed and quite rewarding. 
• The acting on the whole. With one possible exception, everybody is at or near the top of their game here. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, and Gal Gadot all turn in some great moments throughout Batman v Superman, with Irons being my favorite. 
• Wonder Woman. If you had any doubts before seeing the film, you won't after. I'm looking forward to her solo film almost as much as Batman's. 

The Bad

• The length or the editing, but I'm not sure which. Batman v Superman is incredibly stuffed, but I'm not sure what I could cut from it because it all needs to be there (which is probably indicative of a larger problem). However, there are a lot of character motivations and plot elements that lack adequate explanation or explanation at all. I'm really curious to see what this director's cut on the Blu-ray brings because Snyder has said that there's a lot of important things that are fleshed out in his cut that are unexplained in the theatrical cut. 
• The handling of Doomsday. This kind of ties into my first gripe, but his origins are a little too convenient and quick, even though I love the premise of them. Also, I don't love his look, but that's OK because it fits in with the tone of the film. There's also a really gutsy decision that they make regarding him that I love, but they reneged on it in the final seconds of the film that made that choice lose some of its effect. 
• Lex Luthor in general. I don't think it's because of Jesse Eisenberg because, although at times he overacts a lot, his interpretation of the character is decent. There's just a lot of things surrounding both the origins and actions of this incarnation of the character that make him a really ineffective villain. 
• The fight between Batman and Superman. It's not emotionally charged enough and ends for a really forced reason. Besides those gripes, though, it's probably the best sequence of the film. 

The Huh?

• The way the Justice League is introduced. It's a really cool idea, but I'm still not sure if the idea was handled in the best way. It seemed a little last-minute in its execution at times. 
• Some of Batman's morals. This is a far different version of the character in the fact that he (possible spoiler, but not really) kills people. Bale's Batman had one rule, and the Batfleck has none. I'm unsure of how I feel about this, as it fit the film but is very different and hard to process due to how we've seen Batman portrayed so far. 
• All the dream sequences. Yes, I know that some of them are setting up the Justice League film's possible villain, but they take you out of the film so much. I like them better in the flow of the film than I think I would if they were post-credit scenes, though. 
• This being the second film in the DC expanded universe. A direct sequel to Man of Steel with the political stuff or a solo Batman or Wonder Woman film might have been better placed second than this, but Batman v Superman also gets us closer to Justice League, so this could go either way for me. 

Overall, Batman v Superman is a really entertaining film with some problems in a very similar way to Man of Steel. However, I'm not sure if some of the things that I see as problems will end up being problems after some of the future films in the DC expanded universe, hence my conflict. Also, the director's cut that we'll see on the Blu-ray might help clear some things up. For now, I'm recommending seeing Batman v Superman if you have any interest in the DC universe or in being entertained for a few hours on a big screen. It's good, but with some issues. 

My recommendation: See it, preferably in a theater. 

My grade: 67