Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams

Synopsis:
Superman sets himself against Batman for his brutal style of vigilante justice while Batman in return sees Superman as a potential threat to humanity, all while Lex Luthor hatches a plot of his own to bring down the Last Son of Krypton.

Impressions:
I really wasn't looking forward to seeing this and if it wasn't for my circle making an adventure of it, I would've at best finally broken down and given it a shot once it hit cable, as I did with Man of Steel. I had a lot of issues with Man of Steel and generally don't like films by Zack Snyder. The critical hammering the film has suffered seemed to support the impression I already had going in and it could just be a result of my low expectations or the fun I had riffing on it with my sister, but I didn't find it as bad as what I thought it'd be. Oh, I still had my problems with it, but I'd say anyone who actually liked Man of Steel should be fine with it. I had serious doubts about Ben Affleck as Batman, but he does fairly well in the role. I thought it was really cool that Jeremy Irons played Alfred. I won't say anything bad about Henry Cavill because I believe my problem isn't with him but rather the way Superman is written. People weren't too jazzed about Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but I thought she was good enough for what limited screentime she had. (It would've been better if her onscreen appearance had been kept out of the trailers, but so it goes.) Jesse Eisenberg makes for a terrible Lex Luthor, but he was pretty good as the Joker. Seriously, just imagine him with the makeup and it'll make a lot more sense. I wasn't a fan of how they brought Doomsday into the story and felt he was sorta shoehorned in so we could have big destructive action for the finale. Honestly, the movie would've been better if Doomsday was left out entirely. If you want to do a "Death of Superman" treatment, do it right. I can't give the film a solid recommendation, but I believe about as many fans will be happy with it as not. Not much of an endorsement, I know, but it was more than what I was expecting to give.

Rating:
50/50