Batman vs. Superman vs. The Audience

Rating: 5/10 (8 October 2016)

This is the first time I've ever blamed the failure of a film on the editing. The movie jumps randomly and disconnectedly from scene to scene leaving the viewer in a state of constant bewilderment.
First of all, you have to figure out why Batman has it in for Superman. Apparently, in a misguided attempt to save his unremarkable girlfriend, Lois Lane, Superman manages to inadvertently kill several hundred people. Well, mistakes happen. Unfortunately, among these victims is Batman's father. What are the odds! Then come a series of flashbacks interwoven with a number of story lines that try, and often succeed, in baffling the viewer. The actors themselves seem vaguely confused with their roles and look as if they're not sure what emotions are required in certain scenes.
The movie is, unsurprisingly, targeted at teens, so I watched it with my 14-year-old son. When he frequently asked me what was happening, I could only respond with the look of a dog having the principles of the door knob explained to him. I told him that artistic films frequently had no discernible plot. He didn't buy it.
When the audience is finally on the ropes, the filmmakers tighten the screws by concocting an unending series of false endings. It becomes a battle of wills between the audience and the filmmakers. Who will break first? The deathblow comes when the filmmakers have an ending that threatens the audience with Batman vs Superman 2.
If you want to watch this film, it might be best to try to re-edit it yourself. The good news is that no matter how you put the scenes together, you won't do worse than the original version. You may even produce Batman vs. Superman 2 in the process.