Misguided and unnecessarily dark.

Rating: 2/10 (10 August 2016)

I was disappointed in the Theatrical cut of this movie. REALLY disappointed. But, I insist on having complete collections, so I bought it anyway. I was hoping the "Ultimate Cut", which is 30 minutes longer, would be better. But, I was not getting my hopes up. The following are my unedited thoughts.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I actually like the whole prologue where Bruce is dealing with the assault on Metropolis firsthand. But, it begins to go astray as soon as "Jimmy Olsen" is introduced. I am a fan of Superman's Pal and I despise how he is treated in this.
Superman and Batman are supposed to be two sides of the same coin. Both fight for what is right, but one is bright and happy and full of life and color (Superman) and the other is dark and mysterious and remains in the shadows (Batman). In this , they are both figures of the darkness. There is no contrast. No distinction.
I like the interaction between Clark and Lois in the bathroom, mainly because Clark smiles, something he does not do as Superman.
I really wish Lex Luthor had been a self made man rather than a legacy. And how did he so easily convince the government to just give him access to the Kryptonian tech? He was not that charming.
Love Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. She is charming and exotic and stunning. Because of her real life past in the Israeli Military, I know for a fact she could hold her own in a fight. I just wish she had more to do in the movie.
A big deal was made about actress Jena Malone being cut out of the Theatrical Version of the movie but being reinserted in the Ultimate Version. She had a few scenes and any other actress could have been cast and then cut and no deal would have been made.
Why does the Bat-Brand equal a death sentence? I would have thought that criminals would stand by each other over it rather than kill one another.
I do not understand Bruce's future dream. Was it a dream? Was it a premonition? Are they spoiling "Justice League"? Why was The Flash there before he was introduced as a character? The whole sequence makes no sense at all.
Batman does not use guns to kill. He uses them as a ballistics weapon, like a battering ram, not to put down criminals. He also does not run them over with the Batmobile.
I HATE that Superman did nothing during the Senate bombing. He could have at least been shown to try to save the people. He saw something was wrong but he did nothing but stand there looking sad. He is faster than a speeding bullet after all. He could have done more.
In the Theatrical Version, I wondered how Lex infiltrated the Kryptonian ship and used their tech so easily. In the Ultimate Version, they explain a bit more. I still don't like it, but now it at least makes more sense...kinda?
Why does LexCorps files on the other Meta Humans include their insignia? Some of them have yet to be active heroes let alone have Superhero Symbols. Also, even though we as an audience did not see it, Bruce had to have looked at the other files. When Bruce saw the file on Barry (The Flash), did he recognize him? Like, "Holy Crap! That is the dude from my dream!"
Kevin Costner did a better job as Jonathan Kent in one scene than he did in the entire run of "Man Of Steel".
I really don't get Lex's motivation to pit hero v. hero. Okay, he's a nutter, but there has to be more than that. To show Superman is an fraud? Why? What beef does he have with Batman?
"WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?" So stupid. All is forgiven because their mothers are both named Martha. Ugh!
Doomsday. The character was created in the comics for one purpose, to kill Superman. It was also the first comic I read. So, the monster has a special place on my heart, because without him, I would probably never have gotten into this hobby. So, I am glad he is used in the movie for his intended purpose. But, in the second film? The audience had no real emotional connection to this version of Superman before he is killed. Big deal. And to be created by Luthor? Even worse.
Yeah, Superman dies. But so does Clark Kent. They show his funeral. This means, when Superman comes back, and we all know he will, he can never be Clark again. That, makes me sad. Because Clark is just as important as Superman.
What the heck was that thing standing before Lex when he gets arrested? I paused it, walked up to my television to get a good look at it and I still have no idea. Also, was Lex napping at that moment?
For the most part, I like the Batman scenes. They set the tone of the characters pretty well. It is the Superman scenes I have the most issues with. I kind of think that two directors would have been beneficial. One to film the dark and another to film the bright.
I am glad to hear that, because of the negativity around BvS, DC and Warner Bros. have changed direction on their films. Hopefully going forward they will be better. I mean, they can't get worse right? Right?