LOVED IT - Will be Seeing it Multiple times...

Rating: 10/10 (29 March 2016)

Let me begin by saying that I don't understand in the LEAST why the critics don't like this film because I not only love it but think it's one of the best superhero films.
One of the nice things about this film and a surprise given the genre, was the attention that was paid to the characterizations and how well these were executed. The actors were all in fine form. Ben Affleck does a great job as an older Batman. He is perfect as the surly, haunted, super vigilante who not only fights criminals but also exacts justice and inspires fear in anyone who crosses his path. Henry Cavill is terrific as a Superman who is committed to doing "good" in the world but that has to grapple with the realities of the collateral damage his confrontations sometimes cause and with a world in which some see him as a god, some as a hero and some as a dangerous alien. One thing that has disappointed me about the more modern crop of super hero films is how the movies tend to go from one action sequence to another with very few scenes showing the characters in their day to day lives or interacting with regular people – the type of scenes that allow a character to move beyond a caricature. This movie is long precisely because it incorporates scenes like these. We see Clark in scenes with Lois and his mother, talking about the issues he's grappling with – we see him arguing with Perry about what journalism should be. We see Bruce discussing with Alfred the path he's decided on with regards to Superman – we see him haunted by nightmares. We get to know these two characters not only as superheroes but as men who both want the same thing but take different approaches to get there.
The supporting characters are nicely fleshed out. Jesse Eisenberg has possibly more screen time than our heroes as he beautifully brings to life a Lex Luthor that is brilliant but deeply scarred and committed to destroying a Superman he perhaps sees as a surrogate for another powerful man he knew in his life, his father. Jeremy Irons as Alfred acts not only as Bruce's sounding board but also his behind-the-scenes partner and frequently, his conscience. Amy Adams is as usual, terrific, reprising her role as Lois Lane and thankfully participating in the story almost as much as the title characters. In MAN OF STEEL I didn't "feel" a lot of the chemistry between Lois and Superman. In BvsS, their relationship is arguably one of the best things in the film. The relationship is more mature now. They have known each other for a while now and you totally get the feeling that these two people know each other well, respect one another absolutely and have a love that has become bone deep. The sweetest and most touching moments in the film come from the interaction between these two.
Holly Hunter is back also as Senator Finch and she also elevates her character beyond a supportive role, giving us a gutsy, smart legislator who is committed to doing right by the people she represents. Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner also reprise their roles as Perry and Clark's parents. Though they only have a few, short scenes, these are some of the better scenes in the film, allowing for that character development in Superman/Clark that makes for a much better film than what we usually get in the superhero genre.
And let me now get to one of the best things in the film – Wonder Woman! Wow. I am SOOOO looking forward to the WW film. Apart from being absolutely stunning, Gal has this exotic, Mediterranean look that makes her perfect for the role of a superhero born as an ancient Greek Amazon. The scene with the three of them standing side by side as they prepare to battle Doomsday is just absolutely EPIC. One thing which I personally appreciated is that though the action scenes/CGI are MASSIVE and will blow your mind, they are also – believable and staged in a way that honors the best of these characters without undermining them in any way. I have always been more of a Superman fan than a Batman fan and one thing I found myself fearing when I heard about the concept for this film is that I figured they were going to have to make Superman seem somewhat inept or weak in some way in order to make a confrontation between him and a human believable, gadgets and armor notwithstanding. Batman's suit of armor is cool but sorry, against a being that can move mountains and shoot fire from his eyes and can blow things to pieces, it just seemed a stretch for that to be what allows Batman to survive. Fortunately, I was very impressed with how the big fight between them was staged. It wasn't really the suit of armor that allows the fight to happen, it's Batman's strategic use of Kryptonite and this was very well done. The moment when the relationship goes from enemies to allies and Batman finally sees the hero behind the alien in Superman is one of the best in superhero films, wonderfully combining a moment of climactic action with one of climactic emotion and it's a terrific thing that it is Clark and Lois' relationship that makes this possible and the simple love the two men had for their mothers.
The ending is "super" emotional and it reminded me a LOT of another film I grew up loving – STAR TREK WRATH OF KHAN with that unforgettable moment of sacrifice when Spock says goodbye to Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise. The next installment in the series should be INCREDIBLE.
Don't let others dissuade you from giving this movie a shot.