Forget the Critics ... This Movie is Great

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2016)

The negative reviews directed at this movie from such publishing powerhouses as The Verve or Telegraph or The Daily Beast (none of which I've heard of until their bad reviews were being broadcast across the web) are so far off base it really makes me wonder if they are on Disney's Christmas Card list. Well, these reviewers can watch some of THEIR favorites like Birdman or Big Short or Revenant - none of which I watched past 20 minutes, btw - and I will enjoy movies like Batman v Superman. BvS is a GREAT MOVIE. We just saw the 7pm show here on Thursday night with a packed house. My kids loved it, my wife loved it and I loved it. The family grade was a consensus A- which is pretty high for a movie only I was really looking forward to.
There are a lot of surprises in this movie. I won't spoil them because I enjoyed the surprises. But hardly a half-hour goes by without something shocking happening. The crowd we were with cheered out loud several times, loudest when Wonder Woman appears in uniform ready for battle. The ending was met with loud applause, as well. As we exited the theater there were long lines of fans eager to get inside, so hopefully the film is on track to be a huge hit. It should be.
Affleck IS Batman. Sorry fans of Keaton or Bale but it's true. Ben looks great and plays both Batman and Bruce wonderfully. Jeremy Irons is the best Alfred yet (and has the funniest lines). Batman's battle with Superman is very exciting and well-staged.
I was surprised that the female leads other than Wonder Woman all had very good, very valuable roles. Holly Hunter, Amy Adams and Diane Lane are all crucial to the proceedings. Nice surprise using these fine actresses the way they should be and not wasting them.
I am SHOCKED at how much I enjoyed Jesse Eisenberg's Lex. I hated Social Network and have never voluntarily watched him in a film. But as the part is written, he is an ideal choice and is very menacing and (again) surprising in the role. He's twitchy and nervous but is pretty scary by the end. VERY scary at the end, in fact. Almost every critic pans his performance; clearly they want their villains to be suave Englishmen like Tom Hiddleston. Guys that won't really harm you (they'll just steal your girlfriend or hurt your feelings). Well, DC prefers really scary bad guys and this Lex actually gets to take his place with the group as a wholly original creation.
Superman takes a lot of punishment in this film, to the point I felt sorry for him. Thankfully, Henry Cavill plays the part with such dignity and even sadness that a pretty touching scene develops out of nowhere that changes the direction of the film a lot.
There's a lot of movie packed into 2 hrs 31 minutes and a lot of easter eggs as well. There are many, many "Oh wow" or "Oh cool" moments, particularly when introducing future JLA members, which everyone knows will happen by now.
Many say Wonder Woman steals the show and that's pretty accurate to say. Her arrival was met with a huge cheer and its not the only one she gets. Gal nails it.
If you avoid this movie because of critics, that is your mistake. I'll enjoy having an open seat next to me the next time I go see it. And there WILL BE a next time, guaranteed.