Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

EDIT as of March 11, 2020: I’m increasing my rating a bit because even though the over-the-top ending still somewhat stands out, the Snyder-esque visuals with their captivating scenes continue to impress me. And once again, I say: The casting is the best thing this film has to offer (gritty Batfleck deserved a solo film, which we won’t get… hopefully Pattinson delivers a solid performance and pleases most fans). I give it 88%. P.S. For those who gave the film a low rating, I recommend giving it another chance and watching the ULTIMATE CUT with an additional 30 minutes. Many things make more sense afterward. First viewing in 2016: From the first previews and posters, I was immensely excited about the film because, firstly, the master of his craft Zack Snyder took the helm, and secondly, I simply like Batman films. After watching it in the theater, I generally have positive feelings. I must first acknowledge that Snyder did a great job. Some criticize his directing style, but that didn’t bother me at all here. I was also a bit concerned about Ben Affleck as the main Gotham guardian, but it turned out he was the right choice. However, the biggest surprise for me was Jesse Eisenberg, who portrayed the insane son of Lex Luthor incredibly convincingly. I also really liked the soundtrack. As for the story, the first third of the film was more epic than action-packed. The second third of the film, including the Batman vs. Superman fight, was, in my opinion, the best in terms of both the story and the fights themselves. The last third of the film, featuring the joint battle of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman against Doomsday, was the weakest part of the film. It seemed overly complicated and excessive. The action was great, but if the creators had thought it through better, I might have considered a higher rating. In summary, I definitely recommend everyone who has the chance to see this film in the movie theater, as it’s an incredible action ride. But action isn’t everything. As a Batman fan, I have to point out that it doesn’t quite match Nolan and his Dark Knight. I give it 82%. (11.03.2020)

A beautiful example of how something spectacular can be turned into something quite ordinary. Batman and Superman are pitted against each other only to shake hands after a crappy scene, thoroughly destroy Gotham and Metropolis, discover more superhumans, and, well, fly through to the next movie, even though it looks like only one of them will appear in it. But relax, it just seems that way. (18.07.2016)

Seen in 3D – cinema version. This oozes ambition right from the start. Music by Hans Zimmer, Christopher Nolan as executive producer, and a budget of a quarter of a billion. And lo and behold, it doesn't work. I wouldn't give Batman v Superman a Boo!, but in the context of the current boom in comic book adaptations, it's pretty damn weak. For one thing, I can't get my head around the script, which is utterly impotent ("Martha. Why did you say that name?" --- WHAT THE FUCK???). There are hints of Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy (the stylization of Gotham, the interweaving with politics), but Snyder, apparently in a state of psychopathic fear of future accusations that he's blatantly copied Nolan, chooses his own path again in the form of a digital orgy. Thus, in the space of 150 minutes, the motivations of the two superheroes are only very sporadically sketched out, whereas the best-drawn character is Lex Luthor, portrayed by the annoying Eisenberg (and I quite like Jesse otherwise). I purposely watched it in 3D to revel in the epic action scenes, but unfortunately I didn't get any. It's all so rushed, uncertain, and underdeveloped. It's the several years and especially the gradual building of the cinematic universe that really counts for something, because the viewer is better oriented overall and understands why a character does what he does. In the DCEU, they go about it exactly the opposite way and it feels like it too. Killed potential and, once again, after Man of Steel a very embarrassing result. A second disappointment. (03.06.2018)

I'm withholding my final rating until the extended cut. What I took away from the screening was just how incredibly simplified and overall hasty the editing was. Affleck's Bruce Wayne was great and even better than Batman, Superman was incredibly sidelined, Eisenberg was perfectly okay (as opposed to the trailers), and I like Gal Gadot in pretty much anything, but she was superb as Wonder Woman. What I find disappointing is Zimmer’s lackluster soundtrack, which, except for a few exceptions, lacks a memorable motif. Like many others, I have mixed feelings about this movie. My basic or slightly above-average knowledge of the DC world was obviously not enough. After watching it, I started browsing the Internet to find out what I had missed and, apparently, there were a lot of things. Indeed, Dawn of Justice is not a movie for the masses, but for true hardcore DC fans. For them it must be a near-orgasmic experience. After the second viewing and the subsequently watched solo movies, my rating is bound to go up. (31.03.2016)