Disappointment

Rating: 7/10 (4 June 2016)

This is for the first time in movie history when we get to see on the big screen the two most important comic book characters of all time: Batman and Superman! Not only that, but they also fight each other!
Batman v. Superman is set in the same cinematic universe as Man of Steel, with Zack Snyder returning to direct and starring Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.
The takes place right after the events shown at the end of Man of Steel, when Superman makes himself known to the rest of the world in a, no pun intended, explosive manner. The ending to Man of Steel generated a lot of controversy among the fans of the character, many complaining about the mass destruction and the heavy civilian casualty shown. This is where Batman makes his entry. He was a witness to this battle, he was right there on the ground while Metropolis was destroyed and he starts to think that this alien has way too much power and cannot be trusted, therefore he has to be put down.
Zack Snyder proves himself again as a great visual director. Fans of his other movies like 300 and Watchmen will be very pleased to hear that this movie is visual feast. The fight scenes between the two titans look absolutely amazing and the special effects, for the most part, are grade A. Unfortunately, similar to his other movies, he rather fails in delivering a good plot and good character growth. The movie is edited in a sloppy way, the way some scenes transition makes no sense to the plot and might confuse a lot of people who are not really versed in the source material. Also, the way the want to establish connections with the rest of the DC Universe is really lazy and unoriginal. It basically hits you in the face with "heeey look who else is going to show up in future movies".
When it was first announced that Ben Affleck is going to be the new Batman the internet blew up in rage (I myself was not a big fan of the choice) but, I have to say, he is one of the best things about this movie. He is absolutely great in portraying an older dark knight, battle worn, with one foot in retirement. Affleck dedicated 100% to the role and it shows, he is completely transformed in both Bruce Wayne and Batman, at times showing a clear distinction between the two personalities. Henry Cavill is good as Superman, if you enjoyed him in Man of Steel, you'll also like him in this one. Jeremy Irons is a very different Alfred than what we're used with. He is not a simple butler for Bruce but more of a mentor and a field tactician during his missions. The one thing that did not work for me was Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, him being more of a hyperactive kid with a cartoonish demeanor. If you've seen him in the trailers, he's like that during the whole movie. If you like what you've seen from him, you're going to love him in the movie, bur for me it didn't work at all.
By far for me the biggest surprise in this movie was Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. When I first heard of her casting as Wonder Woman I was a bit skeptical, I'll admit. I've only seen her before in the Fast & Furious movies where she didn't stand out at all acting wise. She doesn't have the biggest role in this movie, but still she manages to steal every scene she's in. Gal Gadot combines perfectly the diplomat, intellectual side of Diana Prince with the warrior, ruthless amazon side. Plus, she has the best character soundtrack theme from the whole movie. When she makes her entrance, it is absolutely amazing!
Overall, Batman v. Superman is a decent enough movie that has a lot of problems. The plot is not very good and sometimes downright silly but the movie is saved by the amazing performances of most of the actors and the visual spectacle in the vein of Zack Snyder. There was a lot of potential but sadly, they didn't know how to use it. Batman v. Superman gets a 7 out of 10!