Flash

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2016)

My take on Batman vs Superman. Spoiler has been marked and is at the end of this review. Just going to single out the issues I had with it. Critics gonna nag. I would giveit a 7.5 out of 10.
The Positive - I felt Ben Affleck's dark performance of the Bat was well done. Henry Cavill, again in my opinion, is the best thing to happen to the Superman. Of course, I liked his first Superman movie more than most...Lex Luthor's character is delightfully Jokerish. He is the best thing to happen to Lex Luthor. The decade's long anticipated fight scenes between the Bat and Sup didn't disappoint me, it seemed to disappoint many others. Brains vs brawn is the main entrée. Luthor's thug-like play to make the Superman go after the Batman belonged in another decade though. Granted, the setup for the Barman wanting Superman was psychotic.The fight with Doomsday could have been more technical. Sarcasm alert - why were there no childhood memories of Doomsday(via Luthor's DNA)? I'd want to see how the little beast/Luthor became so evil. Okay, sarcasm off. We had way too much backstory in the movie as it is. I loved how Wonder Woman seemed to actually enjoy the battle vs Doomsday. Not as single minded determined like Superman or grim like Batman. I can't see many not liking that one aspect of her character. **Minor spoiler**Several future Justice League members are given 15-60 seconds of screen time via Bruce Wayne's decryption of Lex Luthor's files on the "Meta-Human Project.". Aside from Diana Prince(Wonder Woman) we "briefly" see Barry Allen (The Flash) but he has an important 2nd scene, Arthur Curry (Aquaman), and Vic Stone (Cyborg). Cyborg's spot was the longest but I had to look it up to even know it was him for sure. People always love to poke fun at Aquaman and his powers being useless outside of being in water(unless he summons a can of sardines). By the looks of it, he's going to be a real harda** when Justice League premiers.
The negative - Disappointed in a few spots such as starting the movie with a 5+ minute montage of young Bruce Wayne seeing his parents killed, pearls hitting the ground, running and falling in a cave the same thing several Batman movies have already done. If you miss the first 5 minutes or so you miss nothing. Except for maybe the line "Martha" you miss nothing. Several big scenes in the trailer are misleading as they are no more than visions or dreams and had no business being in the trailer, let alone the movie - The BIG one is Superman marching up to a captured Batman with determined hatred in his face and unmasking him. Based on another observation, these visions given to Batman, "Knightmares" if you will excuse the pun, may be hints of a dark parallel universe tied into Flash for a flash of a scene giving Bat a warning. Wonder Woman's character has no real direction or even explanation. She has her own movie next year(or year after) so maybe that's it. But her indecision and even walking away from the crisis at first sucked and do not show strength or resolve. Her character has always been written stronger than that. She has maybe 10 lines in the entire movie. Weak. I enjoy long movies with long sub plots most of the time but there are several minor scenes and plots that had no real purpose to either enhance the story or give character fill-in. It's almost as if they were taken off the cutting room floor. The ending is not strong. See below... ***Potential BIG BIG spoiler*** - Anyone who is familiar with the Superman vs Doomsday comic encounter knows how it must end. Movie sticks to that. It leaves the Bat and Wonder Woman in an awkward scene talking about gathering the others like them. But there is hope in the last 2 seconds of the film. I saw it coming. I think it is tied to the ring Lois was given.
In conclusion, Superman vs Batman was an action-packed movie with at least as many misses as hits. I feel it is worth the ticket. Purists will not be very satisfied and haters were always going to hate anyways, if for no other reason than to pick on the 2nd big hit of the year(Deadpool being the 1st) in an attempt to be part of a counterculture sticking it to the mainstream from their Apple device in their Mommy's basement. Nuff said.