There's a good film in here....underneath the rubble

Rating: 6/10 (6 August 2016)

I followed this film throughout its development. I was not a fan of Man of Steel at all, but I had hoped that the filmmakers had learned their lesson and plus, if you add Batman to anything, you have my attention. So it was, with cautious optimism, that I eagerly awaited this film. Then the reviews came out. Oh....
I had planned to see it in theaters, but the bad reviews drove me away. Now that it's out on DVD, I've finally gotten around to seeing it and I must say that it's not as bad as critics make it out to be. In fact, I believe there's a great film hiding in here somewhere, but it was unfortunately smothered by the insistence of setting up other films, some bad editing decisions, unclear motivations and, worst of all, falling back on the Snyder crutch of green screen 'splosions and confusing fights.
First, the good:
1. Ben Affleck was a good Batman. I was seemingly one of the few people who gave him the benefit of the doubt when he was first announced and he delivered an interesting Batman/Bruce Wayne. He is certainly the most authentic looking Batman we've ever seen, but he also finally captures the detective element and the paranoid, possibly crazy element as well. Like most people, I'd be interested in seeing him in a stand alone film.
2. Gal Gadot was good as our first big screen representation of Wonder Woman. There's a grace and mystery there combined with her ability to kick-butt that leaves you wanting more.
3. On a technical level, minus the CGI and score, this film was very interesting. The cinematography was stunning at times and the costumes were amazing. It shows that Snyder is a master of bringing comics to life. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what to do with them once he brings them to life.
4. Finally, I do like that DC is trying to do something different with these films in examining the real-world ramifications and ethics involved.
The negatives:
1. This film is just too overstuffed. The attempts to set up future films bloats this film to the point of boredom. Many of these scenes are simply unnecessary and cutting them could have reduced the run-time by 30-45 minutes, or could have filled in some sorely missing plot points.
2. Lex Luthor's motivation is dubious at best and the lengths at which he is willing to go to so he can accomplish his goals border on self-damaging. Why is he willing to potentially destroy the world to destroy Superman? Why does he hate Superman in the first place? Daddy issues? Jealousy? The genuine fear of powerful beings? All of the above? Possibly! Because all are explored and none make sense.
3. Jessie Eisenberg's performance was just too manic and annoying, and not at all like the cold, smooth and calculating Lex Luthor we know and love.
4. Superman is mopey, depressed, dark and brooding. He is not who Superman should be at all. He is, by far, the weakest and least interesting of our three heroes. There is some attempt at tension and doubt with the world being very suspicious of Superman and he himself wondering if it's all worth it, but in the end, those interesting parts are smothered by all the brooding.
5. The film's editing decisions are questionable as you get the feeling that a lot of potentially important information was left out.
6. The CGI was awful. It was genuinely laughable for a film of this budget. Either get some better CGI, or don't be so over-dependent on CGI in the first place because it was truly unacceptable.
7. The music was awful. This is shocking coming from the great Hans Zimmer, but it was loud, obnoxious, crude and added nothing to the overall film. I guess Hans is burnt-out on all these superhero movies.
8. MARTHA: This makes no sense no matter any way I look at it. It's just a poor decision for what could have a very powerful scene a la "I'm with you to the end of the line" from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
9. Finally, the final act seems tacked on as if Snyder & Co. had no idea how to finish it, or thought that audiences expected a final battle with lots of BIG 'SPLOSIONS! The resulting battle of Doomsday is a very muddled, confusing, headache inducing mess that hearkens back to the final battle with Man of Steel. The poor CGI, as you can guess, only adds to issues.
So as you can see, not a perfect film by any means. There are tons of issues, but it's not nearly as bad as some critics made it out to be. It certainly superposes Marvel films such as Thor and The Incredible Hulk. The real tragedy is that you CAN see a great film trying to get out, it was just smothered by bad creative choices and studio interference. If you love these characters, definitely give it a look. If not, you may want to give it a pass.