BvS Batman v Superman - Reviews Thread [TAG SPOILERS] - Part 1

[RVIDES]

Kguillou, i agree, it didn't come together like it should have and i feel like the messy story and poor editing is holding this film back from being truly special.

 

[hitmanyr2k]

I don't know where to start. I wasn't a fan of Man of Steel, an understatement lol. I went into this movie with rock bottom expectations and it's hard to find the words to properly describe how vapid this film was. BvS actually somehow makes MOS look good in comparison. I think this movie should be called Batman v Superman: Sh** Just Happens. The opening titles were handled well but then the film just devolved into a complete mess of what seemed to be a random mish-mash of scenes. The editing in all aspects was horrendous. Nothing flowed and after an hour or so I started checking out mentally and just waited on something spectacular to happen and that moment never came.

Even the action was incompetently handled. There was nothing special about any of it and it all had a "been there, done that" feel to it. Superman got a freakin generic montage like we haven't seen that before and none it was even remotely exciting. The car chase scene was like your run of the mill car chase with no thrills and offered absolutely nothing new. It was also shot and edited terribly. The Batman/Superman fight was average at best. Never mind the trailers showed half of it. Once again there was no new ground broken. It felt like no one was truly tested. By the time Doomsday came on the scene I was in full face-palm mode. I just couldn't believe this sh** I was watching. It was like Hulk vs Abomination, except in a dull, dark, color-less CGI wasteland. And the CGI quality looked like it came from the early 2000's. It looked so cartoonish. I was waiting for Wonder Woman to join the fight and blow me away after hearing so many rave about her entrance and fighting. She did NOTHING. She came in with her Guitar Hero soundtrack blaring and most of her actions were hidden by poor framing and terrible editing. After it was all over I wondered how, how, how anyone found her actions thrilling. I thought she was going to show off some awesome skill and agility but she did more posing than anything else.

The only redeeming thing about this film was it sometimes looked pretty. The start with Bruce's mini-origin and witnessing the destruction in Metropolis was handled well. Jeremy Irons was also a welcome sight any time he was on screen. That's really all I can think of that was decent. It was one of those films where 3/4 of the way through I knew I was never going to watch again and I wouldn't be surprised if this film tanked HARD and took the hopes of the DCU with it. It's that freakin bad.

 

[C. Lee]

Affleck just said - This isn't a critic's movie, it's an audience and fans movie....

 

[mclay18]

Yeah, I can see where people are coming from who don't like this movie. And I can see why people enjoy it, like I did.

It just depends on how the film works for you. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[DerekLake]

Just saw the movie, here's my mini review

There are so many great things about this movie, sadly its just put together very poorly, editing is terrible there were so many times were i was interested where the story was heading and then because of poor editing/decisions i was taken completely out of the story.

The movie is at least 20 minutes too long, it starts slow and finishes fast, the pace is uneven and the story/script is a mess, i wish the script would have been smarter, i found all the character motivations of why things happened really stupid and its a shame because there are lot of amazing things in this film.

First and Foremost, Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman was awesome, seriously just amazing, Ben Affleck’s chemistry with Jeremy Irons was great, Jesse Eisenberg was ok, he will take some getting used to, but his performance was passable and wonder women was a badass in the Doomsday fight, but i felt her acting was a little weak in some of her scenes with ben, and that brings me to Cavill, i think he is better in this movie then he was in Man of Steel but i felt like his character took a backseat to Batman.

I have to say though everyone should experience this movie for the actions scenes alone, spectacular work by Snyder in that department especially the beginning of the Doomsday fight, i really want to love this movie but there are just some things that i can’t get past, having said that, i did like this movie and i want to see more of the DC universe, I’m just not sure if Snyder should be the one leading the charge. 3/5

See I don't feel that the film is too long. It feels like it isn't long enough. The Batman/Superman conflict feels like it's missing the part where Clark actually investigates Batman.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that my problems with the film extend beyond just the editing and structuring (which are themselves horrendous). What Snyder chooses to do -- and more importantly, not to do -- with the characters demonstrates a lack of appreciation for the characters, and a poor grasp on how these characters could be developed.

I loved Man of Steel. It was an excellent foundation for the DC EU. But this is just a step back, especially for Superman.

 

[Legion]

Just got back from seeing this. The movie was awful. A total cheese fest from start to finish. I wasn't expecting much from the story but the writing was just terrible. So many facepalm moments in the 2 1/2 hour film. Jesse Eisenberg gave a cringeworthy performance. The Justice League cameos were jarring and just felt forced.

I give the film a 4/10.

The polls are closed and the film just came out...this is a severely flawed system.

 

[RadioSha]

I just got out of Batman v Superman.
Oh boy. Um... give me some time to just.... Well, everything on the Batman side of things were extraordinary. *Kisses fingers* Magnificent. Everything else though... when is Civil War coming out again?

(I seriously need time to process and compact my thoughts. There were so much going on. A lot to love and a lot to NOT love like... I swear to god, the trailers I cut were better edited than the first half of this movie)

 

[Nvmyprixgt]

Just got out, shocked people didn't like it. Huge ovation at the end. Thought it was amazing.

 

[godisawesome]

This is a very weird movie for me to review. Part of me feels that this might be too complicated and comic-booky for the "average movie goer," but another part of me feels that the same "average movie goer" will have no problem enjoying it and making it successful. I think this thing has simultaneously some of the best plotting and characterizations in all comic book movies, but that it's also got a lot of rough patches that need fleshing out.

I do think that the director's cut is going to be a different movie, in the same way that Hobbit 3 is a different movie with its directors cut.

Here is the main, generic reason why I do like this movie myself; it's an ambitious movie in every way, and so much so that it's flaws stem more from over ambition than anything else, in the same way its virtues soar high. And when I get disappointed with movies (something that I'd argue is more painful than simply finding things horrible), I find myself far more forgiving if the disappointment is the result of being over ambitious. It's kind of like why I think QOS is a better Bond film than Spectre; the formula and expected archetypes seem tired and worn out to me, whereas fresh ideas or interpretations seem more fertile to me.

For instance, Eisenberg's Lex; yeah, he's a bit over the line of Mad Scientist that I appreciate for the character, but at the same time, he's such a good Mad Scientist that I feel the former is forgivable because the latter is so impressive in the story.

Lex spoilers:

Spoiler

I mean, this is arguably the most dangerous version of the character seen in any adaptive media; the only real interpretation that can compare outside of comics is Clancy Brown's DCAU Lex towards the end of the JLU cartoon. This Lex creates Doomsday, successfully kills Superman, successfully turns Batman against Superman, and did both of the latter with plans that intentionally used Superman's better nature to make it happen. And the entire Granny's Sweet Tea sequence is a perfect kind of Chessmaster move for the character, and really, the second you see the mason jar on Finch's desk, you share her "oh, crap" reaction.

At the same time, yeah, Eisenberg's playing a neurotic mess during some sequences, especially during his charity dinner, where his rambling story goes a bit too far in showing him as an oddball. Interestingly, the film seems to suggest that Lex is already being directly impacted by Darkseid; I could see them using this to have him stabilize once Darkseid steps out of the shadows.

Superman spoilers:

Spoiler

Man of Steel was a better turn for the character, but that's because Superman's stuck as the regular protagonist while Batman arguably plays a heroic antagonist and gets to be far more engaging because of it. I think Snyder played his resurrection hint very well at the end, though I do think it would have been wiser to have them lock Doomsday away somewhere and keep the death later.

Justice spoilers:

Spoiler

I think the director's cut may have a better handle on this aspect; I feel these video clips could actually be an entire subplot between Bruce and Alfred, and I have this feeling that the entire Knightmare sequence (easily the sloppiest aspect of the film to me) may have an expansion in that same cut, and perhaps a scene showing Bruce identifying Flash from his second vision. The sequence feels like the trimmings that had to be left in; they're too important for setup later, and Snyder was too much of a fan to not execute them with effort, but we may have a bunch of gristle where originally there was some meat.

Last, overall view of the film: not among the greats, like the TDK trilogy (yes, all of them; I'm that guy), CA:TWS, MOS, or Avengers. But above the middling superhero movies, like IM2 and 3, Thor 2, most of the Reeves Superman films (STMP is just below MoS to me, while the rest have great moments but all STMP's flaws).

I want more films like this. I want them perfected, mind you, but forget this whole "This is the worst thing for this franchise!" thing. This is a C+ to B- movie to me; if it were one of my students, I would still see it as a potential honors kids with a bit of maturation.

 

[Karelia]

I really liked the movie a lot. I saw why critics did not like it right away.

The pacing of this movie. Moves from scene to scene to scene... No breathing in this movie. It doesn't really feel like a complete film, more like a chain of events. Things comic book readers will automatically know, others will be like "huh?" so I get why critics are ripping it.

My main gripe is Jesse Eisenberg as Lex. I'm sorry, but he really does remind me of Jim Carrey's Riddler. I was hoping I'd end up liking him... but nope. Just a little too quirky.

How Doomsday was made bothered me a bit, but it didn't ruin it for me.

Ben Affleck as Batman was phenomenal and I can't wait to see more of him.

Henry Cavill also did an amazing job as Superman and all the emotions he was going through. He deserves a lot of praise, IMO.

Gal Gadot was pretty amazing as Wonder Woman. I'm excited for her movie.

Now the cameos, I wish their would have been more to them.

I liked how the movie sets up for JL.

Screw the critics, I enjoyed this. It has a lot of flaws, but I don't care. I had a lot fun watching this. If Snyder directs JL, I do think he needs somebody to help him craft an overall better/cohesive film.

7-8/10

 

[NateHevens]

Apparently the poll is closed? I tried to vote and it said that the poll was closed...

 

[jmc]

We need a new poll thread for everyone.

 

[Nvmyprixgt]

I don't know where to start. I wasn't a fan of Man of Steel, an understatement lol. I went into this movie with rock bottom expectations and it's hard to find the words to properly describe how vapid this film was. BvS actually somehow makes MOS look good in comparison. I think this movie should be called Batman v Superman: Sh** Just Happens. The opening titles were handled well but then the film just devolved into a complete mess of what seemed to be a random mish-mash of scenes. The editing in all aspects was horrendous. Nothing flowed and after an hour or so I started checking out mentally and just waited on something spectacular to happen and that moment never came.

Even the action was incompetently handled. There was nothing special about any of it and it all had a "been there, done that" feel to it. Superman got a freakin generic montage like we haven't seen that before and none it was even remotely exciting. The car chase scene was like your run of the mill car chase with no thrills and offered absolutely nothing new. It was also shot and edited terribly. The Batman/Superman fight was average at best. Never mind the trailers showed half of it. Once again there was no new ground broken. It felt like no one was truly tested. By the time Doomsday came on the scene I was in full face-palm mode. I just couldn't believe this sh** I was watching. It was like Hulk vs Abomination, except in a dull, dark, color-less CGI wasteland. And the CGI quality looked like it came from the early 2000's. It looked so cartoonish. I was waiting for Wonder Woman to join the fight and blow me away after hearing so many rave about her entrance and fighting. She did NOTHING. She came in with her Guitar Hero soundtrack blaring and most of her actions were hidden by poor framing and terrible editing. After it was all over I wondered how, how, how anyone found her actions thrilling. I thought she was going to show off some awesome skill and agility but she did more posing than anything else.

The only redeeming thing about this film was it sometimes looked pretty. The start with Bruce's mini-origin and witnessing the destruction in Metropolis was handled well. Jeremy Irons was also a welcome sight any time he was on screen. That's really all I can think of that was decent. It was one of those films where 3/4 of the way through I knew I was never going to watch again and I wouldn't be surprised if this film tanked HARD and took the hopes of the DCU with it. It's that freakin bad.

Been there done that with the action?? Wtf? It was unlike anything I've seen. Better shot and very crazy, but amazing.

 

[RVIDES]

See I don't feel that the film is too long. It feels like it isn't long enough. The Batman/Superman conflict feels like it's missing the part where Clark actually investigates Batman.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that my problems with the film extend beyond just the editing and structuring (which are themselves horrendous). What Snyder chooses to do -- and more importantly, not to do -- with the characters demonstrates a lack of appreciation for the characters, and a poor grasp on how these characters could be developed.

I loved Man of Steel. It was an excellent foundation for the DC EU. But this is just a step back, especially for Superman.

It does feel like the movie could have been longer, but i think its because there was too much story, and quite simply there was not enough time to flesh out the characters and plot, its like there were 3 films rolled into one, a Superman sequel, a Batman film, and a mix of the dark knight returns and

Spoiler

the death of superman

which are two storylines that deserve their own separate films but it was all crammed into one big mess of a movie.

The more i think about it, the more convinced i am that WB should have taken their time, starting with a Man of Steel Sequel, a Batman solo film, a Wonder Women solo film and then Justice League.

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

8/10 for now... but these scores tend to sink after the novelty wears off.

Age of Ultron > Dawn of Justice > Amazing Spider-Man 2

And they have a lot in common. They are all overwhelming, they all have too much going on and none of them were worth the quarter billion dollar price tag.

It's a good start to a DC franchise, but not a great one.

 

[RadioSha]

I will have a proper review for this movie tomorrow some time. Right now I'm sitting on a 4.5/10.

Initial reactions

Cons:

Spoiler

Zack Snyder wanted to shock you and I wasn't buying it especially with what they did with Martha Kent. The photographs were gratuitous. For some reason that particular thing stood out for me and left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know. Just distasteful in my opinion.

The piss jar thing. Actually, Lex Luthor in general was truly unbearable. He had his moments, but they were so few and far between. I'm all for taking chances with characterizations and trying to do something different, but Lex was just so off that I couldn't help but be annoyed every time he's on screen. It could've been a new character for all I care. WHY WOULD YOU TREAT THE MOST CALCULATING, LASER SHARP DEMAGOGUE OF A VILLAIN AS SOMEONE WITH DADDY ISSUES WHO DOES THINGS FOR S***S AND GIGS. Slap on some religious mumbo jumbo too and there you have it. Approaching Lex as a Joker-ish type of character put me off so hard. I miss Goyer's Zod.

Complimentary to that thought, I wished Batman and Superman talked more and engaged one another. They are so different and have such different experiences and ideologies throughout all media and all popular culture and I just felt that the movie did not exploit the gold mine at all. The conflict could've been presented much more organically, but Lex. Fricken Lex. Such a forced device.

The first half of this movie was incredibly boring too. My friend and I walked out and it was the first thing that we talked about. He wanted to leave the theater, but then Bruce's training montage happened and we relaxed. So poorly edited as I mentioned before.

Terrible dialogue and terrible acting in some places. Not a lot. But I was cringing so hard. For example Superman telling Lois he had to leave to kill/not kill Batman.... as he's floating. Oh my god. What was that? And also just before Batman attempts to Krypto-impale Superman, Superman delivers his line about saving his mom. Jesus.

Justice League email. Um. Wow. That's where this is going? Clearly, there were better ways to set THAT up without being SO. ON. THE NOSE. Right? Someone explain to me why exactly Lex keeps tabs on meta-humans?

Intrusive music. I was feeling one moment and the music tells me to feel another thing and I was frustrated every time.

The movie could've ended 7 scenes ago. Or better yet, STOP INTERCUTTING. Let Lois's mourning play out, then maybe move to Bruce and Diana, and END IT NOW. NO. DON'T GO BACK TO... oh goddamnit. Lex again. Jesus Christ...

Those were just some.

Pros:

Spoiler

Opening sequence and Superman Clark funeral (good parallel of Birth of Batman and Death of Superman, although like I said, it should've ended in a more linear fashion)

Everything on the Batman side of things *kisses fingers once again*

Wonder Woman.

All the action scenes

And... maybe some more.

 

[Kanon]

4/10 for me.

The story is indeed a mess, it opens plots that lead nowhere, and pretty much all the time you can't answer the question "why x character is doing that?". Visually, is good, there are good intentions everywhere, a great cast (misused as I'll point in a moment), but it's all worth nothing with character with unexplainable actions and motivations from start to finish.

And I have to say, it gets annoying how they go out of their ways to mentions ALL THE TIME during the 3rd act that there is no people in the zone of conflict (the filmakers trying hard to avoid another SuperGate)

Of the 3 main players, Batman is the best, an almost flawless incarnation (there is stuff here and there that would displease fans, but overall, the best Batman on film). Superman is the same from MoS, not my cup of tea, but whatever. Lex Luthor... jesus, is Jesse Eisenberg playing the Joker. I was hoping that the goofy stuff was just a facade, but behind closed doors, he remains goofy, it doesn't show as much 'cause he is not interacting with anyone. But he is a clownish psychopath all the time. I don't get it, who do we have to kill so people will understand that Gene Hackman wasn't the definitive Luthor?

Overall, the movie had all the right ingredients to do justice to a classic match/team up from comics, but the story development worthy of a 10 year old made it a missed opportunity.

 

[LostSon88]

Main issues for me was the first and second acts. Way too much going on with really bad editing...a lot of WTF moments for me.

But the third act is hands down the most AMBITIOUS act I've ever seen in a Superhero movie ever and I loved every second of it...until we got back to the awkward editing at the end. Haha.

That 3rd act alone is worth the price of admission but it was clear that Snyder left ALOT on the editing floor and I feel the movie suffered because of it. Here's hoping the BluRay cut will help the movie flow better.

Overall I'd give it a 7/10. I will likely be seeing it again.

 

[KingKane88]

Just to give everyone a heads up... There is an official "Rate Batman v Superman" poll in the "stickies" (as this poll is closed), if you have already voted in this poll it will not count towards the final average, please place your vote again in the poll mentioned if you wish to have your vote accounted for "

 

[Val_Zod]

I'll comeback here tomorrow to give my review. This film was exhausting to go through.

 

[RadioSha]

I'll comeback here tomorrow to give my review. This film was exhausting to go through.

Thumbs up? Thumbs down?

I want to actually talk about this movie with someone. So much going on.

 

[def28]

Movie is a jumbled mess. But I still enjoyed sections and elements alot. Really liked Afflecks Batman and it was cool seeing Wonder Woman on screen. The audience cheered really loud for her so that was great to hear.

6/10

 

[Poni_Boy]

Overall - BATMAN V SUPERMAN was made front to back, top to bottom for diehard comic book readers who want to see comic book panels ripped from the page and realized in live action regardless if the story is translated with equal care. It is another overlong, bleak, and at times thrilling entry into WB/DC's cinematic universe. It's not a hopeless movie, even though it is a movie devoid of hope. The filmmakers also don't seem to understand what has made these characters so timeless aside from their visual appeal. Much like last year's Avengers: Age of Ultron it outpaced itself trying to get to any and all big visual spectacles, steamrolling over dramatic nuance and character arcs. If blockbuster spectacle is why you're here, you won't be disappointed. See this movie on the largest screen possible. But take note on its very violent visuals that are definitely not suitable for kids.

Full review [2/4]: http://www.gotham-news.com/news/2016/03/22/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-review

 

[TX85]

Tyrone Magnus loved it!
[YT]yndQpShUZfM[/YT]

 

[Mace Dolex]

Im posting this while still fresh in my head, first off the Justice League movie had better be damn good if BvS is any indication how things turn out, Geez!

Maybe on a second viewing my opinion will favor it more but for now I'd say the film was just "ok" and leave it at that, and why does the film have to be so dreary? I also feel this suffers from Amazing Spider-Man 2 syndrome, too much teases of things to come and the story takes a back seat to play fanservice by hinting at the other DC heroes, I mean seriously Jason Momoa as Aquaman looked more like he was caught by surprise stepping out of his trailer.

I didn't care for Wonder Woman or Doomsday thanks to the damn movie trailer spoiling and also didn't feel any sort of emotional impact when [blackout]Superman gets struck down but I felt really mad at the thought of waiting 2-3 years for the sequel, how the hell do you kill off one of the main lead characters and expect the audience to wait patiently, [/blackout]it might have worked with Empire Strikes Back but now in the internet age fans want their news up to the minute.

And you know the worse part is that I'm afraid I will enjoy Captain America Civil War than this.

So for now I give it a 3/5 rating, it wasn't terrible but it should have been better.