Batman v Superman - Spoiler-free thoughts

[rainwaterspark]

I tried to write a coherent review but I think it'll take me some time to synthesize my thoughts in an organized way, so for now, I'll just stick to bullet points.

• I did have some problems with the film, but not at all the same issues most critics had. Overall, I enjoyed the film and I'm very much excited for the lead-in to the Wonder Woman movie and Justice League: Part 1.

Addressing negative reviews:

• I didn't have an issue with the pacing. It does feel slow, but everything that happens does feel necessary for establishing the characters and their motivations. In fact, if anything, I wish there was more in the first half to further illuminate Lex Luthor's background.


• I didn't think the editing was that choppy (except for one part near the end). Honestly I'm not sure I understand the big other problem people have; movies in general flit back and forth between different characters and scenes, and because there were about 5 POVs in BvS, there was a lot to show and cover.


• It is a depressing movie in some respects, but I felt like that was because the movie was deliberately trying to show the worst parts of humanity (mostly in Lex Luthor's extremism).


• There were jokes. Not every five minutes, but the ones that were there I found absolutely hilarious.

What I liked:

• Wonder Woman was amazing.


• The cameos of the other future JL members (the Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg) made me absolutely giddy with glee.


• The movie is very artfully shot, and the pairing with the soundtrack was great. The opening sequence I thought was particularly stunning.


• The action scenes were fun to watch.


• If you like Batman movies, there's a significant amount of Batman detective work in BvS that I really appreciated.

Your Mileage May Vary:

• I would've thought that the ending of BvS would be the most controversial part of the movie. It certainly was for me.


• The movie was very surreal in certain parts; there were about 4 dream/hallucination sequences.


• Batman is a tad more violent in BvS than in previous screen adaptations. In the Nolan movies, there were moments when I thought, "Wow, Batman could've killed someone." In BvS, there were moments when I thought, "Okay, Batman DEFINITELY killed someone." It bothered me a little, but not enough to make me dislike the movie.

What I thought could be improved: (spoiler-free)

• Again, I think because the story was so massive and complicated, some parts I wish were fleshed out more. I was actually prepared to like Jesse Eisenberg's take on Lex Luthor from the start, but by the end of the movie I still felt like there were things about him I didn't completely understand.


• There was one part near the end in which it felt like a character who was separate from the other characters somehow still knew what they knew, which was confusing. (It's only one scene, though.)


• [something I can't really talk about because spoilers]


• [another thing I can't really talk about because spoilers]