I figured out way back if God is all-powerful, He cannot be all good.

Rating: 10/10 (30 March 2016)

Ah, the most controversial movie in ages as superhero movies go. Well, since MoS back in 2013. But whereas that film divided the critics 50-50, this film was hit hard with a 41% rating which has currently dipped to 28%. And a lot of people I have talked to about the movie have either: 1.) haven't seen because of said negative publicity or 2.) or hated for several arbitrary reasons or 3.) give it a pleasant rating anywhere from 7/10 to 10/10. So as quickly as possible I will lay out the pros and cons of this movie. Quite frankly I loved it but I can see why some people may not have liked it. Here are flaws that irked me:
1.The Knightmare scene where Batman has a nightmare and/or vision concerning Superman becoming an authoritarian ruler of Earth. This scene is great but then you see the minions of Darkseid raining down from the sky as well. Problem isaudiences (unless comic book fans or even simply a fan of the 90s and early 2000s DC animated shows) have no idea what these creatures are. For a fan, seeing this is awesome. For a casual moviegoer this is probably downright confusing. Although it still begs the question as to why Darkseid's forces are linked to Superman. BUT, if you watched the animated (awesome) show from the 90s, you know it's not entirely impossible for Superman and Darkseid to have joined forces.
2. Right after this already very mind-boggling scene, we are treated to what we assume is The Flash coming from either the future (or maybe another universe?) to warn Bruce about Superman, though it is a tad vague. These two scenes back-to-back were leaving a comic book nerds like me hooked and anxious for the sequel, but I will admit that they are just too much for casual audiences. Perhaps they should've been excluded from the theatrical version, which would have trimmed down the movie and maybe even pleased those who said the story was a mess in their eyes. At the same time it's great for the die-hard fans who in all honesty this film was made for. Moving away from this, the only other thing that bothered me was Jesse Eisenberg's Luthor. His introduction felt off from what I usually expect from Luthor who as far as I'm concerned has always been comedic when represented on film. That being said, as the movie went on I actually came to embrace this version of Lex. He actually encompasses every bit of the inferiority complex-having, power hungry, intellectual showboat that Lex is. He is in my opinion the most sinister version of Lex put on the big screen and he has some of the best lines in the movie. Still, at times he comes off as a bit too quirky and socially awkward but there is more good than bad here. Now to what I liked.
Visually, the movie is breathtaking. Every set looks great, the look of each hero or villain is fantastic, and the cinematography is jaw-dropping. In short, the movie is gorgeous. The performance of every actor and actress in the movie was phenomenal. Ben Affleck really nailed Batman in this movie. He is definitely on par with the greats like Keaton and Bale. As for the whole 'no-killing' thing, I'm just bored to death of this trope. Half the people who gripe about heroes killing bad guys here or there need to actually pick up a comic. Not only that, for goodness' sake the only reason why this became a facet of Batman is because the original writers needed an excuse for Batman to face his enemies in future story lines. I highly appreciate the role of this rule in films like The Dark Knight where the whole point was to test Batman's resolve. However, this film is about a broken and disillusioned Batman so his morals are obviously going to be different. Besides, Batman has killed in previous films (both Nolan and Burton) it never stopped me from enjoying those movies. Cavill was great at portraying the weight on his character's shoulders. All the warnings of Costner's Kent from MoS came to fruition, and all this tension came together perfectly because of the performances and visuals. Gadot really did steal the show at times and I cannot wait to see more of her on the big screen sword in hand. Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, and Holly Hunter all delivered in this movie. The acting really brought his movie to life. And the score by Hans Zimmer was one of the best soundtracks I have EVER had the pleasure of listening to.
This film hints at many popular DC comics story lines, but by far the most used is The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. The themes really carry over very well and it really adds to the motives of the main characters. Yes, this movie is dark and thought-provoking, but unlike a lot of what people have been saying it has touches of humor mixed in as well. More so than MoS admittedly. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie on many levels and I believe there is something in there that every superhero or action lover can see in it. The critics have said their word, but it's really up for you as a viewer to decide for yourself. After all, the word of critics does not always hold up as I'm sure we've all seen on numerous occasions.