Very Well Done Action, but Crowded and Rushed Story

Rating: 6/10 (24 March 2016)

Batman v. Superman is finally here, and it's now official that DC is trying to match Marvel, but lacks the skillfulness. Batman v. Superman is probably one of, if not the most, hyped films of the year, where 2 of the most iconic comic-book characters finally come together on the big screen. Batman v. Superman is action packed, crowded, and rushed making it a true mixed bag. For those who want to enjoy a great action film, and don't care about some of the finer details, this will probably live up to expectations.
As with it's predecessor Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman handles the action sequences really well. The film's special effects are also very good, and the character designs are very well done. It seems with this film most of the positives revolve around Ben Affleck and Batman, as he seems to be the main focus of the film. Batman's characterization seems to be the not just a shining spot in the cloud of carnage that is this film, but possibly one of the best Batman characterizations ever.
On that note Batman saves this film, because the rest of the film is in a word, a mess. The film tries to do too much, which seems odd since Marvel's The Avengers was able to handle the same task perfectly. When looking at it Superman, Lois Lane, Wonder-Woman, Lex Luthor, and other various characters are underdeveloped simply because they aren't given enough screen time. Not only are they not given enough screen time, but the writers rush through shoddy plot points simply to get back to Batman, as if they know the only thing they were getting right was Batman.
The issue with that is if the focus is Batman, then they made the wrong film here, and the film comes across as a wasted opportunity. The problem is the objective of the film, which was to do too much, and therefore rush through the underdeveloped story. Looking at it they either should have done a Batman standalone film or a smaller version of this, which focuses on Batman and Superman, not Wonder-Woman, Lois Lane, Perry White, and countless other throwaway characters. This is where Marvel gets it right and DC still hasn't figured it out.
In the end Batman v. Superman is a decent popcorn flick, that contains amazing visuals and action sequences. The film isn't really bad, it just isn't great, when it really could have and therefore should have been. It should be said that while the film is rushed, crowded, paper-thin, and a little repetitive Ben Affleck and Zack Snyder did do a pretty good job getting Batman right, and that leaves potential for this franchise, but it's hanging on a thread. In the end if you're on the edge about seeing this film, it depends on what you want, if you want great action and visuals this is your film, if you want great story and characters, this is a weaker film.