An entertaining and unwieldy mess

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2016)

What could I possibly say that thousands of people haven't already said? Probably not much, but I'll try. BATMAN V SUPERMAN was one of my most anticipated films this year, although the polarized reaction toward it certainly made me lower my expectations a little bit. One thing I noticed on first viewing was that the pacing was a little off, particularly in the first and last half hours. Early scenes seemed heavily edited, and it took way too long for the different narrative threads to come together. The central conflict, while built up satisfactorily, was almost anticlimactic and resolved way too quickly. To avoid spoilers, I won't divulge what happens afterwards, but it did feel very tacked on, almost an afterthought. Lastly, the action was over-CGI'ed and mind-numbing at times. It looked cool, but lacked heft and believability. Still, one has to admire the scope and ambition of Zack Snyder & Co. It touches upon some interesting philosophical themes, however lightly. It also has some great character moments/development, that build upon what MAN OF STEEL started. Ultimately, I look forward to seeing the story fleshed out more in the Extended Cut where, hopefully, the editing and pacing will be a little better. The only element I hated outright was Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve movies was stupid, yes, but Eisenberg's rendition pushes it into extremely annoying territory. As for the score, it was appropriately epic and emotional when it needed to be. My favorite themes were, ironically, Lex's theme, and Wonder Woman's theme. All things considered, I liked the film despite its flaws, but it was undeniably messy and unwieldy.
ULTIMATE EDITION: This is the version I was waiting for. While it doesn't eliminate the flaws inherent in the theatrical cut, it features improved editing/pacing and provides much-needed connective tissue that fleshes out the story and makes it more comprehensible. The majority of the additional 30 minutes were placed before the title fight and expand upon the various investigations by Lois, Clark, and Bruce that lead up to the central brawl. Character motivations were made clearer (particularly Lex) and, more importantly, the narrative was able to breathe a little. I still think that Lex's plan was kind of stupid and ridiculously complex but, thanks to the extended running time, his role was diluted somewhat and made his presence a little more tolerable. There were also some additional shout-outs/fan service/references to the DC Universe, like Steppenwolf and Arkham Asylum. Overall, I still found myself cheering and tearing up at the same places, but this Ultimate Edition is definitely a step up from its theatrical counterpart and is a fuller, more satisfying story.