What it is/isn't

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2016)

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Ben Affleck surprised me in the role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I was not prepared to like him at all, and ultimately thought he was perfect. Can't wait to see the stand- alone, especially if it's penned by Geoff Johns (according to some rumors I read).
I think where a lot of reviews have gone wrong is that they mistook what this movie is. This is NOT a stand-alone movie, but is a first episode. Not only that, it is a first episode in a series of movies about familiar characters that we have loved and admired for decades. (I consider Man of Steel to be prologue.)
As a First Episode, Batman v Superman did a great job of introducing lots of characters that we will get to know much better later on. It set many things in motion that we will witness in full in later movies.
Furthermore, I felt that this was a film written very much for fans, especially fans of some of the darker story lines. Many nods to classic moments in DC comic history provided enjoyment throughout the film. There are some story lines that have NEVER been remotely covered in film (except some average cartoon representations), and this film tackled them tastefully and enjoyably.
There is more to the DC mythos than origin stories, and I'm glad to see the studio attempt them. Can't wait to see all of the upcoming films. I truly believe that as those films are released, Batman v Superman will be vindicated in hindsight and appreciated for the solid cinematic work it is.