Spectacular

Rating: 7/10 (22 March 2016)

I will admit this up front, I was skeptical of this film going in. Ever since it started production, I have doubted it. From the title to the casting to the score, I judged every single thing.
I had the opportunity to attend a pre-screening earlier tonight. My review won't contain spoilers.
This film is not what I expected at all. From the trailers, it looked like it was going to a be massive CGI mess. And even though it heavily relied on CGI, it was not a mess. The opposite, actually. One of the strongest super-hero films produced.
I'll begin with the negatives:
CGI usually doesn't bother me, but the final battle in this film was a little overdone. So much destruction and mayhem that it pulled me out of the story for a few seconds. I was not convinced that Wonder Woman or even Superman could survive the damage Doomsday was causing.
And . . . that's it. Honestly my only complaint about the film.
Now for the positives:
I'll begin with the cast.
Jesse Eisenberg/Lex Luthor - Let's just say that Eisenberg drives this film. His psychotic attitude isn't overdone, and honestly, I found myself kinda liking the guy throughout the film. He's funny. His timing is brilliant. And he has some of the most chilling lines in the film. This is one of the biggest surprises I experienced.
Henry Cavill/Superman played Clark Kent perfectly. The emotions that Superman faces throughout this film are extreme, and yet Cavill doesn't overplay them. He doesn't use tears to show you he's upset. It's in the way he stands, in the way his face moves, in the way he looks at the world. There are two scenes that really blew me away with his acting. One time when he's in physical pain, and the second time when he's in emotional pain.
Amy Adams/Lois Lane did really well. Some of the lines she was given were a little cheesy, but she pulled it off. Surprisingly, I really connected with her character.
Gal Gadot/Wonder Woman - Holy crap. Fabulous. That's all.
Ben Affleck/Batman - He's a very different Batman and a very different Bruce Wayne than any we've seen before. He was definitely the casting choice I was most skeptical of, but Affleck pulls it off. More than once, he got me to hate Superman even when knowing Superman's side of things. This film focuses a lot on Batman. It's almost a Batman solo film, really, but that's besides the point. Affleck gets you to hate Superman when you know that Superman only means well. It's amazing and what makes this whole film work.
As for Cyborg, The Flash and Aquaman, well, their introductions are executed perfectly. It wasn't forced at all, and it doesn't bog down or overwhelm the rest of the film. Batman v Superman is a perfect, and I mean a *perfect*, setup for the Justice League films.
The Story - The trailers don't show you most of what the actual story is. I was blown away beginning with the opening scene. This is a deeply emotional story. There's a scene in this film between Batman and Superman that's the most powerful and emotional exchange I've ever witnessed in a superhero film before. It focuses a lot on Superman's and Batman's tragedies (but again, does not bog down the story). And there's a moment where both of their tragedies come together, and ultimately, I believe, it's what's going to be driving their friendship and teamwork for the rest of the DCEU.
The film's resolution is well done. Again, a smooth setup for the Justice League.
And the cliffhanger, though a little bit expected, is exciting.
Overall, the film probably deserves a 7/10 or an 8/10, but I'll give it a perfect 10, because never have I seen Batman and Superman portrayed so humanely. It's the first Superman film that I've loved, and a perfect and fresh execution of Batman as well.
Enthralling, action-packed, emotional, suspenseful, deep and a little bit ridiculous, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the ultimate super-hero film.