A film that can't escape the shadow of its great predecessors

Rating: 5/10 (26 March 2016)

OK ... I have been waiting, like every other male on planet earth for this movie since I'm 12..so this review hurts to write, but it must be done. lol.
Maybe it's the fact the this movie can't escape the shadow of "The Dark Knight" and "The Avengers", maybe it's the over exposure to so many super hero films that we're already exhausted, maybe it's too much of a high expectation, maybe it's the simple fact that the film began with bad credit... or maybe it's that the film positioned itself as a mere financial juggernaut wannabe for DC, but regardless of all the 'maybe's", one thing is clear, the film unfortunately can't escape the shadow of its great predecessors.
That being said, I need to proceed based on my own opinion and quite simply that is: I was dissatisfied with the film.
The final battle was so CG'I that it sucked out the potential for related realism, it was too much spectacle and not enough substance. The first half of the film spends too much time in dialogue and establishing characters that we all know by heart, and for the record... I found superman, or just Henry C. to be very unlikeable.
The film lacks an element of fun, it lacks humor, and lacks psychological dexterity. It's cinematography is not really that unique and the story is muddled by a messy arc.
Finally the only thing that saves this film is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. WOW! Beautiful, sexy, bad ass and having fun as the only hero not psychologically messed up and able to lighten things up. She's presented as strong, fierce and I am for sure going to be in theaters for her solo film. She brought the action to the film and the attitude we expected from the guys. Given she's the first female here to be presented, even if in short version, they got her character right. The intro or preview of the Justice League was decent enough, but could have been better, especially the Aquaman scene.. I mean come one you have everything you need for a killer scene and they still got it wrong.
Ben as a new batman is not terrible, actually he was good... but the story could have benefited from a different approach than the ones we've always seen. As for Lex Luther, he was unbearable to watch, annoying and over the top.
All in all, the film disappoints in many levels, and does not live up to the hype, and for the future, maybe they can hold back on not showing the best scenes in the trailer because as I was watching I remembered "already saw this in the trailer".
The beginning was good, the ending was good. The entire remainder of the film was not, and for something that lasted 2 and a half hours the expectation was that somewhere down the line we could have maybe fall in love a movie we all want to love.
Final Grade C-