Although flawed, BvS delivers plenty of action and excitement to satisfy fans

Rating: 6/10 (6 April 2016)

Okay, I'll admit, at first I was skeptical, but after seeing the film yesterday I've got to say; the film isn't nearly as bad as the critics make it out to be. Sure, the film isn't perfect and there are definitely many flaws and plot holes but the positives outweigh the bad. Does the film live up to all the hype? Probably not, but there is enough action and excitement to satisfy fans.
One of the biggest issues I had with the film was the writing and pacing. The story was filled with too many subplots and too many characters were squeezed into the narrative for the sole purpose of building up excitement for the future 'Justice League' film. The pacing was slow and many of the plot lines were either dragged out or unnecessarily long. Although it is a very compelling and complex story, it could've easily be done in a shorter amount of time without the unnecessary characters and subplots. The editing was a bit of a mess but despite the sloppy editing and writing, the film is saved by the stunning visuals and action sequences, one of the many highlights of the film. The action sequences definitely lived up to its expectations, even if the anticipated fight between Batman and Superman lasted for a mere five minutes. Personally, I would've preferred if the focus of the story was on the conflict between Batman and Superman instead of a complex, overly-long introduction to the Justice League. Although I felt the addition of Wonder Woman was forced and unnecessary to the plot, Gal Gadot did deliver a lot of charisma and charm to the role and it was nice to see the character make her big-screen debut. The story, I believe, had a lot of potential, unfortunately, it wasn't well-executed and could've been better.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ben Affleck's rendition of Batman and I've got to say, he's the best on-screen Batman to date, hands-down. Jesse Eisenberg's performance as Lex Luthor, however, was a bit over-acted and felt like an impersonation of Heath Ledger's Joker from 'The Dark Knight'. Unfortunately, the popular villain was miscast. Jeremy Irons also steps into the role of Alfred and gives us a new rendition of the character that differs from previous on-screen portrayals in a positive way. Many of the cast members from the film's predecessor 'Man of Steel' return and although they put on good performances, they appear quite bland and perhaps under better direction and a well-written script, could put more life into the iconic roles.
The Batsuit worn by Affleck heavily resembles the one in Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns' and is a lot closer to the comics than previous adaptations. It feels as though you're watching the Arkham games, one of the things I admired about the film. There are some people whining about how Batman isn't supposed to kill people, but word has it that in the earlier comics, Batman killed criminals all the time. Thing is, this rendition of Batman differs from previous on-screen renditions of Batman, which I believe is a good thing as it gives us a fresh and intriguing take on the character.
Critics complained that the film was too 'dark' and 'gritty' and that it was 'humorless'. Well, sorry to burst your bubble but this isn't Marvel. It's not meant to be funny. It's not meant to be humorous. If anything, the darkness and grittiness support the film's atmosphere and narrative. It wouldn't have worked well with too much humor. If you want 'funny', then I suggest you watch the 1960s Adam West series or Joel Schumacher's 'Batman & Robin'.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and thought it was a vast improvement over 'Man of Steel'. Although not great, I definitely recommend the film to fans and anyone with an open mind. Just don't see the film with high expectations because you may leave the theater feeling disappointed. Just enjoy the film for what it is.
My rating: 6/10