Good news: the negative reviews are overly harsh. The bad news? It's not by much...

Rating: 6/10 (27 March 2016)

It's perhaps fitting that this review be written on Easter, the most important Christian holiday there is, in the context of a superhero film whose core message boils down to a line Ben Affleck's Batman utters in the trailer: "Tell me (Superman) do you bleed?", echoing a similar philosophical question asked of God.
This is essentially the kind of superhero film we were given when everyone else was expecting an all-out brawl between the title heroes and the eventual setup for the Justice League.
Set about two years after the events of Man of Steel (2013), the world is still wrestling with the reality that they are not alone in the universe. Many people turn to Superman (Henry Cavill) as a savior figure (heavily hinting at a Jesus parallel, although the film never out and says it.)
Opinions are divided as to whether Superman's actions are for good or evil, and out of this chaos a new vigilante emerges in Gotham, one who brands his criminal victims with the sign of the bat.
Before the eventual promise of the film's title is fulfilled, however, we are also introduced to Jessie Eisenberg's Lex Luthor; a cunning yet unstable man who seems to get whatever he wants and is always two steps ahead of Superman and Batman.
Without revealing any key plot points, here's the rundown. Batman and Superman do fight, but only after you sit through two hours of solid back story and deep moral debate bantered back and forth, but mostly forth by Lex Luthor. Wonder Woman does show up, but again, only at the end. Finally, except for small teases, none of the other Justice League members show up. Sorry, we'll just have to wait for the full Justice League movie in a couple of years.
If you were expecting a full-on Batman vs. Superman experience on par with the major superhero fights in The Avengers movies, prepare to be disappointed. If you didn't want to sit through two hours of debate about the morality of heroes being above the law before any real action starts, you too will be disappointed.
However, all hope is not lost. As a continuation of the events of Man of Steel it serves as a solid film. It also serves as a wonderful teaser for Wonder Woman out next year. Moral of the story: if you market a film as an action film, less preaching more punching. Honestly, this film could have really used more Wonder Woman...
As for the religious overtones: to be offended by this is a bit of a stretch, then again it's a stretch to think Superman would be practically worshiped. Either way, whatever moral questions you may have had going into this film, don't expect to walk out with answers.