Masterfully directed; brilliant acting; a dark story we care for.

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2016)

A NON-SPOILER REVIEW OF BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
This is not your typical action-packed-CGI-filled movie. In fact, "Batman v Superman" plays out more as an epic drama that produces tense emotions. It's a character driven story rather than a plot one, and it's here BvS succeeds where "Man of Steel" failed: its character development. The motivations of each character are clear and justified. It is ultimately the characters who drive the plot, rather than the plot driving the characters (a formula that has been a success for Marvel).
Henry Cavill's Superman is an inexperienced one. He is conflicted, and ultimately...more Human than Kryptonian. It is because of this the audience can relate to him. Cavill is the first Superman ever that can truly be love by a modern day audience. Ben Affleck IS Batman/Bruce Wayne. He is a man haunted by the past, be it his parents' deaths, his fear of bats or the battle of metropolis. He is a cruel Batman, and shows no mercy to anyone. He is a true Dark Knight. I can't say enough good things about Gal Godot's Wonder Woman. She is shrouded in mystery, but as an audience we learn she is able to put her own agenda aside for the protection of mankind. Jesse Einsenberg's Lex Luthor is a brand new take on the character and in many ways seems crazier than what we have seen of Jared Leto's Joker so far. This Luthor is a true maniac and a master manipulator. A proper villain: something many Marvel movies lack.
This is a dark superhero movie. This has never been done before with the exception of Nolan's "The Dark Knight". The difference here, is that not only is the story dark, but so are the characters. It may shock a lot of the general audience, but it is a pleasant shock, and one does not leave the theater feeling dissatisfied. "Batman v Superman" is everything the DCEU should be. Zack Snyder does a magnificent job in creating the universe and more surprisingly learns from the mistakes made in MoS. He creates a world where the audience cares about the fates of every character, even minor ones like Lois Lane, a feat that other Superman movies fail to accomplish. I look forward to seeing more of the Snyderverse. Marvel better keep an eye out, because DC is on the move.