I am a fan and wanted to love it, but cannot.

Rating: 5/10 (24 March 2016)

This movie tries so hard... and falls flat on almost every level. It is further proof that DC may be a master of the animated movie and they may be brilliant in the way they approach many of the TV properties but when it comes to movies they still can't pull it together. This is a long movie that feels even longer. Ben Affleck does a GREAT job as Batman, that doesn't mean I LOVED this Batman (I did not) but he does a great job and any problems there are with the character fall on the writer, producers and director. The problem with this Batman is no that he is brutish and violent and angry.. it's that he's not smart. He's not strategic and intellectual , brilliant and a world class detective. He is consumed by anger, hatred, vengeance and brutality (and not in a good way). He is blind in his rage and directs it towards Superman.
The ending, which should be amazing and outstanding fell flat in both viewings I went to. One a sneak peek and one to which I had purchased tickets on opening night and went to see with friends. The ending should be exciting and fun and amazing.. and it just... wasn't. It completely fails on every single level.
You should leave the theater with your mouth wide open from awe unable to withstand the anticipation of the next chapter... most people who were leaving the theater were tired, worn down and felt like they had gone a few rounds with Superman. The movie is tedious and boring with characters that I just did not care about at all. Oh no Louis is in trouble... oh look Batman is Angry, oh look Superman is Angry, oh my Martha is Angry. The problem with a bunch of characters who are essentially the same in attitude is that you just don't care.
The preview of the justice league, which people know is coming was forced as is but would have made a magnificent after credit sequence. It would have at least of given people something to talk about on the way out rather then just shaking their heads in disappointment or yawning.
I liked Man of Steel, I didn't love it but I liked it. This was no where near as good. While I have been a long , long time DC fan and unlike many fan boys have little problem with taking some creative liberties with characters (there are things that work well in years of comics that don't translate on screen), there are things that should evolve but not completely change. Doomsday was sadly, a disaster. In the comic he is a Goliath , matching Superman's physical might and that's pretty much it. His punches are so powerful they shatter buildings (which Snyder seems to really, really, really like to do).. there was no need to alter him to the point they did.
This movie would have been better served had Lex made a clone from Zod's body of Bizarro (makes more sense) and had it been only Batman and Superman, getting to know one another, learning about each other, discovering their differences and ultimately their similarities as they came together in the end to defeat a Superman level menace. After the credits , an email to Wonder Woman with Batman letting her know that he has discovered who she is.
You could even have had wonder woman in it, she was a delightful character (in this film) and I enjoyed her scenes (she gets little screen time but I felt was one of the best characters). As it is it just falls flat.
I enjoyed one of the sequences with who I believe was the Flash (doesn't say) but I do wish it was Grant (CW) as he is the true flash. This movies wrongs can still be righted in the next one and I will likely see it when it arrives but I am not looking forward to it and have no real anticipation of it's arrival. If I got word it was canceled I would shrug my shoulders and hope they got it right next time around.