Expectations - do yourself a favor and set them outside the movie hall

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2016)

Welcome to Zack Snyder's first great movie.
His previous foray into the DC universe, Man of Steel failed to maintain a focus on its hero, instead succumbing to the comic book genre's fatal flaw of letting the villain's story take precedence, with fisticuffs being the protagonist's only response in the film's final fight scenes. The one thing it did accomplish was to return the Superman story to its science fiction roots. We got a first contact story, an intriguing premise that was let down by a badly structured script.
Snyder's experiment with the comic book movie genre didn't begin there however. 300 and Watchmen were fairly decent, albeit dark attempts and had some success as films. Watchmen's multiple character viewpoints where lines between hero and villain were blurred made it more watchable than Man of Steel.
And that's what Snyder brings to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Pitting hero against hero, he switches rapidly from torture interrogation scenes to the deceptions of a debonair playboy, from iconic hero shots to the condemnations of senate hearings.
Ben Affleck's Batman is as true to the character as comics and animation have presented him. An escape artist in his fleeting introduction, he is presented as a tenacious detective, brooding vigilante, fearless tactician and someone finally masterful at combat. There are few gadgets he doesn't employ here with the aid of Alfred, played true to form by Jeremy Irons. Batman is devastatingly versatile with a grappling hook, more than Spider-man was with webbing in Sony's last reboot. When he disappears behind smoke, you realize this is the definitive take on the iconic character.
Affleck's Bruce Wayne is just as versatile. A suave, drawling billionaire socialite who runs a business empire, rescues employees and spies on international mercenaries.
There's also Lex Luthor. A manic, creepy, genius level intellect whose possession of information puts him ahead of all the other characters. Played competently by Jesse Eisenberg, it's a departure from the source material but intriguing in its own way.
Wonder Woman's character was a joy to behold. Gal Gadot holds great promise for future installments. She conveys a spirited warrior with grace and her civilian identity of Diana Prince with elegance and poise.
Henry Cavill aided by Amy Adams provides the emotional core of this movie. They bring a vulnerability to their respective roles as Clark Kent aka Superman and Lois Lane. Cavill is given a more rounded arc in this sequel and the character has greater depth.
Snyder tempers the spectacle he is famous for with character building. The visuals convey conflict on scales that can only be described as Epic.
If you don't go into it with preconceived notions about what the movie, its story and its characters should be about, then you will find a very rewarding experience at the cinemas. Deserves to be seen on IMAX or equivalent for the full effect.