A Spoiler-Free Review

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2016)

I'm gonna get straight to the point here, because all you really wanna know is if Batman v Superman is a movie worthy of its titular characters, and in my opinion, it totally is. While some might be thrown off by the notion of Batman and Superman fighting one another the first time they're actually in a movie together, director Zack Snyder and writers David Goyer and Chris Terrio, make it believable.
The whole notion of this series of DC Comics movies is that these are what-ifs. What if these superheroes actually existed in our real world? In this movie, Superman has to deal with the political ramifications of his actions in a way that is not too dissimilar than the political debates we find in our day-to-day. Superman can't win for losing and Batman's distrust of him only exacerbates the problem. Of course what makes this movie such a joy is not the depth of the material, but it's seeing these classic characters -- Batman, Superman, and yes, Wonder Woman -- fighting alongside one another for the very first time in live action.
If you were like me and did not like Man of Steel as much as you wanted to, this movie might rectify a lot of the issues you had with that movie. With that said, this movie certainly wont please everyone. I can already tell you Batman v Superman is going to go down as one of those love it or hate it movies with very little in-betweeners. The movie often has a slower pace than most will be expecting, and it also doesn't like to always spell everything out for the audience. Every now and then a scene transpires and it's not till after its completion do you even know what the scene was. There are a fair few dream sequences in this movie, almost all of them belonging to Bruce Wayne's nightmares and are setting up future sequels. Sure, the movie could have done with a little less teasing of the upcoming Justice League movie and been a tighter affair because of it, but the movie that exists is a good one that I found myself invested in, both emotionally and cerebrally.
The action sequences are top notch and exciting, and the drama, in particular the finale, is executed very powerfully. While I know there will be other fan boys complaining about Batman or Superman doing this or that that they never did in the comic books, both of these characters go on a journey in this movie, and if you hang with it, you'll see the two of them evolve into their traditional comic book counterparts by the time the credits roll. And rest assured, Ben Affleck is really, really good as Batman, while Henry Cavill continues to prove his chops as Superman. As for Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, she certainly holds her own alongside the other two and left me wanting more. All in all, I just wish the Justice League was already out so I can see what happens next! Yeah, I liked this one that much.
I give Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice an 8 out of 10!