One of the top 5 best in the Superhero genre.

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2016)

A lot of people are calling this film depressing, but that's because it treads on many topics that people would rather not hear about;-- topics that people would rather shut out, and focus on comedies instead. A lot of movie-goers don't want to hear about the world's ills, and how to make the world a better place. But it's a story we need in the Superhero genre.
Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are depicted as forces of nature and forces of politics. Superman is the embodiment of an angel, and Batman the fallen angel. Superman is essentially a representation of America, a country that has reshaped the modern world with technology and many are questioning whether or not Superman has failed mankind. The same could be said for America today in the real world, as more and more people are wondering if America is doing more harm than good by trying to spread modernity to countries stuck in their antiquated ways.
I loved how Superman was treated in this movie. He is almost a silent character, But his actions do speak volumes in this movie! As for Batman, well he is more of a cynic. Unlike Superman, Batman lost his child-like innocence a long time ago, and to see Superman heading down the same path as Batman is heart-breaking.
As for the political insinuations, Superman is beginning to cross the line of fascism, and Batman of course, wants to maintain democracy. But as democracy continues to fail in the world, Batman starts to become the very dictator he fears Superman will one day become, and as for Wonder Woman, she is the old soul, never giving up on humanity and ensuring that Batman and Superman keep the faith as well.
The film's tone is so much different than Man Of Steel. It's dark, somber, and even more so than Watchmen, which was a rated R film. Of course, Batman v. Superman is intended as a rated R film, but the theatrical cut is PG-13, even though it doesn't feel like one. Batman is a Batman that will do anything to survive a fight, including shoot, stab and kill his way to victory;--albeit, usually in self defense.
Ben Affleck steals ever scene. Not only when fighting, but even as Bruce Wayne. Never have I seen such a wise Batman before. This Batman bears the carriage of a leader. He's smart, intuitive, confident, tormented, an insomniac and demonic. Affleck is without a doubt, the best Batman ever depicted on the big screen, and even though Affleck didn't redefine the role like Christian Bale did, he surely had a better written role to work with than Bale had and so that is why I think he's the best Batman ever.
Jesse Eisenberg was also one of the film's standouts and to sum his performance in one world, I'd say he was maniacal; even Joker-like. I did feel that his motives were questionable though. I would have preferred a few more scenes regarding his back-story, telling us, the audience, why he would hate authoritative people other than the fact that his dad used to beat on him. I felt as if we were thrown into this DC cinematic world, sort of like jumping in the middle of a comic book run.
Snyder sort of did this with Watchmen, as we were suddenly introduced to a bunch of characters that have known each other for a long time and had such good chemistry and history together, without ever seeing much of that history on screen. Note, that I will revise this review once I watch the directors cut.
I loved the way the other Justice League members were featured in this film. Very mysterious ! I didn't think they would fit into the story but they did, and never did they feel like they were just throw into the mix. Especially the Flash! He mattered!
There are some other gripes worth mentioning, like Wonder Woman's short cameo and the Batmobile car chase. I would have preferred less CGI and more real car stunts like in the TDK trilogy. I also disliked the Doomsday fight scenes. The choreography was great, but the setting was a mess. Wouldn't it be better if they used a rubber suit for Doomsday? Like something that looks like the Predator? That would've been epic!
Now I can't end this review without once again mentioning Henry Cavil as Superman. I'm still feel disappointed in his role. He still feels like a baby in this film, confused, new to the world, unsure, and child-like. He never displayed the wisdom that Kara Danvers displays on CBS's Supergirl show for example. However, I still cared for him in the film because of this naivety. When he fought Batman, I cringed whenever Batman got the upper-hand, because I had more invested in his character than Batman.
For me, it's all too easy to overlook the film's flaws. I'm a big DC fan, and I consider this film a masterpiece superhero film more than film, and although not as cohesive as MOS, its just as esoteric and theological. I also thought that the heroes aren't as charismatic as those in Watchmen. If you ever wanted to know what a real-life Superhero must be like in real life, then go watch this film. Chances are, they'd be depressed as hell, and misanthropic nihilists with zero personality whatsoever. The film is full of great philosophical dialogue, poetic cinematography, with deeper meanings beneath the surface of many scenes and the film has a real world gravitas to it. It's a human study, and a political study, in poetic fashion! 10/10! Simply one of the best Superhero films of all time!