My (detailed and spoiler-free) review of BvS

Rating: 9/10 (30 March 2016)

Despite being an IMDb member for well over a decade, I have never written a review on this site before. But in the case of this movie, I feel compelled to... because the critics have got this one so wrong! I'll start by saying it isn't perfect. It does give the impression that they've tried to cram too many major events into one movie, and thus it feels a bit choppy, somewhat rushed, and lacks some overall polish as a consequence. But it is still a well-acted, well-shot, emotionally impactful and visually compelling movie.
To see this movie taking the lambasting it is taking from the critics suggests to me that many of them have a heavy personal bias or agenda against its themes, or frankly lack the critical insight to even understand what this movie is trying to convey. For instance, how can one particular moment in the film resonate so well with with some critics that it reduces them to tears, while others merely scoff and say, "Really, is that it? I don't understand why he'd act that way. Did I miss something?" (Yes, you did!)
I'll give a piece of advice to those of you who haven't seen this movie yet, or those want to watch it again from a different perspective. Take all the preconceptions you have from Superman: the Movie, the Marvel cinematic universe, and every previous CBM you've ever seen, and put them all to one side. Just like you cannot watch Game of Thrones with the same wantonly naïve glasses you watch the Lord of the Rings with. This is not a family friendly movie – nor does it try to be. Don't go in with personal demands of what you want the story to be and then complain when this film doesn't meet them. This is altogether a fresh take on the genre.
Before this movie was even released, Zack Snyder announced there would be an R-rated extended edition when the DVD release came out. What does that tell you?
So, on to the movie itself. There are some powerful scenes right off the bat – no pun intended – introducing us to Bruce Wayne and lining this movie up with the events of Man of Steel. I have to say here that anyone, (including myself), who previously ragged on the idea of Ben Affleck as Batman will be eating their words right now, because I swear Affleck displays a greater range of emotions in these introductory scenes alone than he has in his entire career. Even the harshest critics of this movie have conceded that Ben is awesome in this movie, and most will tell you that his is the best on-screen Batman we have ever witnessed.
From here on the pace of the movie does not relent as we are re-introduced to Lois and Superman, and meet many new characters for the first time. This is where many start to have issues with the film; there is an awful lot of ground to cover. It is because of all these new and old characters, each with their own intrigues and personal machinations, that the film starts to appear disjointed. There is so much going on at the same time, we are often forced to jump from one pivotal scene to another completely unrelated one, just to keep each individual story up-to-date and moving along on the same continuity. Personally, although I didn't find it difficult to follow at all, it did seem a little jarring at times.
The people who are saying it's poorly written don't know what they're talking about. I would argue here that the writing does a fantastic job of integrating so many tangential story lines into a single narrative. The real problem lies with the sheer amount of content that the writers were forced to contend with. And this was a problem many of us foresaw long before the movie came out – the producers were attempting to introduce and pack too many major elements into one movie. It was simply TOO MUCH – an altogether impatient and heavy-handed approach, reeking of desperation to compete with a certain other company.
Despite the film's title, the actual physical confrontation between Batman and Superman is brief but superbly done. It also done in a way that is plausible, and most people should have no problem suspending their disbelief for.
As to the obligatory act 3 showdown... Well, it seems that they tried to make it bigger and badder than in Man of Steel, but instead demonstrated why less is often more. In my opinion, the battle sequences in Man of Steel were some of the most beautiful I'd ever seen in a movie - an epic back-and-forth conflict moving from location to location against a backdrop of city lights and stunning skyscapes. Unfortunately, in Batman v Superman they forego this atmosphere for a cacophony of stupendous explosions, dirt and dust. It seemed like they sacrificed atmospherics for grandiosity, and for me it just didn't have the same emotional impact. (Although, to be honest, it was still leagues over anything I've seen from other cinematic universes.)
Finally, I cannot leave this review without mentioning Gal Gadot. This is the bit where I'm gonna have to swallow some pride because I have been one of the biggest critics of her casting until now. Yet for the few scenes she was in this movie, she was faultless. She looked the part, acted the part, and demonstrated precisely why Wonder Woman is the most kick-ass female superhero there is. I have now officially jumped on the bandwagon for her solo movie.
Overall, I'd give Batman v Superman a 7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 because its critical rating seems so unfairly harsh. And as to its current rating 44 on Metacritic – please, just gtfo!