Intense and Bombastic Superhero Blockbuster

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2016)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It's the moment many comic book fans have been waiting for- myself included -and while it's far from perfection, it was a good, intense and bombastic ride that I won't forget, with a battle between two iconic superheroes that was actually quite outstanding in itself.
I thought Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne was superb. He brought a different kind of gravitas to the role, where in this universe he's more broken, hardened and brutal in his skills, mind-set and personality. He also shows that tragic side we saw with Christian Bale's Batman, but I don't think one did it better than the other (and I do personally think Bale is still #1 for being Batman, but Affleck can be better with more time in the role). Cavill's Superman was good, but I felt he was more a supporting role before the big battle of the movie, which I didn't mind, but felt a little underwhelming, considering this is technically supposed to be the "Man of Steel" pseudo-sequel. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, honestly, I thought was really cartoonish and, while not a complete disservice to the character, wasn't good enough; Kevin Spacey's was better in Superman Returns. Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, on the other hand, was pure brilliance in her short screen time, and I'm dying to see her solo film. Zack Snyder's direction, I personally felt was better here than Man of Steel, but it felt incomplete, which makes sense since there is a Director's Cut coming later this year. The script, too, co-written by Chris Terrio, was solid, but showcased too much content. For instance, Doomsday. The inclusion of this monstrosity was completely unnecessary, as he was wasted in the final act of the movie, being "cannon fodder" for the fight, prolonging the epic conflict. Instead, what should have happened is they should have ended the film with his creation, showing that there will be an even more diabolical and insidious threat on the horizon (even though there still is one, subtly hinted at).
Batman v Superman was a solid action film with some great visuals, stunning musical score to accompany the disastrous destruction and sweeping fight that's gorgeously filmed, and boasts a few great performances amidst a few other decent to mediocre performances. I also have to say, to end my review, critics are being quite foolish and ignorant by comparing this to Marvel's MCU, being too grim and dark instead of "fun" and a little more heart. They aren't movies, but have critics forgotten Daredevil and Jessica Jones? Marvel can do grim, dark and violent, but that's what separated DC from Marvel, the penchant to stick with the truly awful and horrifying forces in the dark. I just hope they can continue an uphill climb, because this is a marathon, not a sprint.