Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice [Ultimate Edition] [Blu-ray] [2016]

What the movie gave me that I loved: The first time we ever see any cinematic attempt at a realistic domestic life between Lois and Clark on the big screen. Her fear for him, his confiding in her, how their professional lives work with their relationship and Clark's abilities. But also a Lois Lane who is a completely determined and relentless journalist in the face of bodily danger. The first time we see a truly scary, at times nightmarish, Batman. A broken Batman who has lost his faith and his idealism, who now blurs the line between vigilante and brutal punisher. (Pun not intended... but still applicable.) He drinks, he pops pills, he's restless. He's depressed. And he's ruthless... until he comes back from the brink. A bat cave with rotating podiums for the suit, and a memorial for what is clearly a deceased Robin, his own attire spray painted with what we can only infer are the words of the Joker. (Suicide Squad may or may not reveal more, or perhaps we'll have to wait for the stand alone Batfleck flick.) An Alfred that is a capable strategist, with a wry sense of humor that allows him to match wits with the world's greatest detective. (And even helps him work.) He also, as always, at least tries to be Bruce's conscience, with less than optimal results. The World Engine sound effect while Bruce Wayne approaches his parents' grave, foreshadowing that it's a dream (repeated again at the onset of his Flash vision sequence,) and underscoring how traumatized he was by Superman's battle with Zod and its implications for his own role in the world - and how much that trauma hearkens back to the loss of his parents. The moment Senator Finch defied Luthor being the moment he became resolved to kill her, lending his prior disturbing but ultimately merely awkward manner a far more menacing tone. (And her realization of this through a callback to their creepily adversarial conversation.) Clark's realization that his idealism is not only seen as quaint today ("America's conscience died with Martin, Robert, and John,") but genuinely questioning his own ethical compass. A similar moment occurs when Lois seems aghast that someone would "use live soldiers as guinea pigs," and is told, "And this is what makes you such a good reporter. Stuff like this still shocks you." The implied but not explicit (although much MORE explicit in this Ultimate Edition!) deft manipulation by Lex through subtle mentions of people responsible for creating the negative perception in Bruce and Clark's minds of one another vanishing or having a mysterious aura. A disturbed, genuinely unsettling Lex Luthor who perpetually feels on the verge of exploding. (Who, it is heavily implied, is not Lex Luthor as we know him, but Lex Jr. Whether that is sufficient justification for such a departure of characterization is for you to decide. I for one loved it.) Clark feeling powerless to change the world, doubting his own effectiveness, and having to resort to using Superman to confront Batman. This is why he didn't make more effort to "talk" incidentally. By this point both had already been maneuvered into despising one another. But more importantly, Superman by this point had bought into the same lie Batman has - "No one stays good in this world." He did make a halfhearted attempt, but with his mother's life on the line and already feeling powerless to do the right thing in his own life, he seized upon a "hero" worse than he feared the world now saw him as, in a last desperate attempt to at least save the few good things he still sees in his world. Just as Batman seized upon Superman as the new personification of his own pain and rage. The "Martha scene." Yes, that scene was a pro for me, not a con. It was a complete reversal of the deception described above. At the start of the film, we see Bruce's father laying, dying, mutter, "Martha," to his beloved wife, as a young and shattered Bruce looks on. Later, Superman is laying broken, similarly to Bruce's father, saying "Martha" in his last gasp as well. Bruce has become what he despises. He is taking the life of a man who loves a woman named Martha, laying defenseless at his feet. Only in this moment is Bruce redeemed, recognizing what he has become. When he throws the spear away he's not "freaking out," he's angrily and disgustedly rejecting what he's become: a monster like his own mother's killer. I didn't see it as them miraculously and conveniently "making up." Instead, for me, this was where Bruce regains what remains of his CONSCIENCE. Both learn from one another that their broken faith in good was a grievous error. Thus it became beautiful and powerful, not ridiculous or unbelievable. A Wonder Woman who holds her own (and then some - downright gleeful at the prospect of a worthy opponent in Doomsday) with Superman and Batman, and perhaps more importantly and interestingly... a Diana Prince who holds her own (and, again, then some) with Bruce Wayne. The way Doomsday (even though I do wish they had held off on him - see my only major complaints below) continually grows more powerful and "is unkillable." And the way Wonder Woman takes it to him, even cutting off his hand at one point, but it still rapidly becomes clear that even she is struggling, and that in due course, he would wear them down and be victorious if not for Clark's ultimate sacrifice. Which is why the Doomsday fight is redeemed for me. I wish it hadn't been Doomsday but... if they were going to KILL Superman, then it HAD to be him. And it does make for a tragic, extremely moving finale. There was no way to stop the beast. Even the golden lasso broke when he began to evolve for a final time. The only thing that could stop him was kryptonite. And the only one strong enough to drive said kryptonite into him once he became more armored... was the one that kryptonite would also weaken enough for Doomsday to kill. Tragic irony in the literal sense: the weapon Batman's hatred and rage drove him to use to kill Superman is the only thing that saved the world... but also ended up still killing Clark, despite Bruce's change of heart. Brutal. Beautiful. Perry White's darkly comedic digs at Clark repeatedly throughout the movie were, in their way, hilarious. Possibly the closest thing to true comedy relief in the whole movie. But still making a point nevertheless. I also loved how when the chips were down, he dropped his callous demeanor to help Lois as a personal favor the moment she said nothing more than, "It's not for a story." He was born to play these sorts of "tough guy, yet unflinchingly heroic and loyal when need be" characters, as we saw on Hannibal. He just conveys so much heart yet authority. Lex's PUNS. This was a great bit of writing in my opinion, rendering the nervously diabolical yet brilliant Luthor as being so far ahead of the curve mentally that he's darkly amused by his own brilliance without even having to try. After kidnapping Clark's mother and expounding on how he believes Superman is essentially God and that total righteousness cannot coexist with absolute power, he quips, "Mother of God, will you look at the time!" When asked by a legless man what he wants he replies, "To help you stand for something." He tells Senator Finch, "You are gonna be on the hot seat in there, June bug," before she dies in an explosion. When Superman arrives after his timer expires he quips,"Late late says the white rabbit... right wabbit? Out of tricks..." (Trix.) And in his final confrontation with Batman he says, "Civilization on the wane (Wayne,) manners (manors) out the window," before snorting at his own cleverness. This was a fantastic character trait. Lex's explanation of the etymology of the world Philanthropist, in contrast to what we know about him. Yes, he "loves humanity," but only as an extension of his own ego and inability to tolerate what he perceives to be a god-like figure in Superman. Also his, "The bittersweet pain among men is having knowledge without power, because that is paradoxical," being played off as an amusing outburst by a socially awkward weirdo, is in actuality an ironic delivery of an existential statement of the human condition. (This moment also gives us a glimpse into the pain behind Luthor's madness.) Likewise, there's a fantastic moment in the movie where a montage of Superman rescuing people throughout the world is juxtaposed over somber music, and a news report featuring Charlie Rose and others debating whether such a being should be celebrated or feared. Clark watches this report after his heroics, sullen and confused as to what he must do to make it clear that his intentions are good. This is a stark contrast to, say, Superman IV in which Clark watches the world "stumble headlong into nuclear annihilation," and decides unilaterally to stop it... and is hailed the world over as a savior, complete with John Williams' beautiful fanfare. Again and again throughout this film we see symbolism drawing sharp parallels between our own conscience and morality as a nation and as a world, with the idealized hero Superman has traditionally been. It's almost as if Snyder is saying to us, "Look. You say you want a hopeful, lighthearted vision of Superman. But that's not the world I see us creating with our own non-super hands and hearts. If Superman really came down to Earth tomorrow... this is what might actually happen." And while I agree movies CAN be just escapism and it might be a tad pretentious for a super hero flick of all things to try to be more... it's still

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE MOVIE REVIEW (SPOILERS): If you haven’t seen the movie, I’m going to go through spoiler territory here. If you don’t want anything told to you, please come back and check out my review for the movie! Before watching this movie, I had a genuine disagreement with the way it was marketed. I saw the trailers, clips, TV Spots, etc. I knew the basic background of the movie but I went into the movie with very low expectations. I saw the movie three times already. Yeah, I know I’m a huge nerd. But whatever, I wanted to see it multiple times. In the end, this movie totally exceeded my expectations. With each of my viewings of the movie, I’ve noticed many things I may have missed before. Before anything else, I would like to explore the philosophy of the movie. If you are looking for a movie that’s for the family and expecting to see your ideal superheroes on the big screen, then this isn’t your movie. If you’re expecting that Superman should be this ideal perfect superhero with little flaws, then this isn’t your movie. If you’re expecting that Batman should be this “dark knight” vigilante, ideal superhero that goes by a moral code, then this isn’t your movie. Both Batman and Superman are heavily flawed in this movie. Meaning, after the destruction of Metropolis from Man of Steel (2013) there’s been a lot of questions regarding Superman’s actions. This movie conveys a “broken” Batman and the wars he’s been through. This movie opens up with another reenactment of the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents. At first, I asked why do we need to see this? It’s been shown all throughout the history of Batman films. Afterwards, it’s this dream sequence where the bats are circling around Bruce and he’s floating like he’s rising to the surface. Then Bruce says, “At that moment in the dream, the bats took me to the light. A beautiful lie.” But then I noticed the purpose of that scene, in that scene Bruce experiences fear. With that fear, it’s parallel to when he saw the destruction of Wayne Tower in Metropolis during the fight with Superman and General Zod in Man of Steel. Through most of the beginning of the film, many people are questioning Superman’s actions from the fight at Metropolis. Meanwhile, in Gotham, Bruce Wayne is investigating an illegal import operation from this Russian working for Lex Luthor. Then it’s discovered that the Russian is importing this mysterious green rock (Kryptonite) that weakens Kryptonian cells. Lex Luthor obtains Zod’s body and experiments on him. He gets his fingerprints and enters a Kryptonian ship that tells him a vast knowledge about 10,000 worlds out there in the universe. (Ultimately, he gets information about Krypton and other worlds.) Afterwards, Bruce Wayne goes to this formal event where he is questioned by Clark Kent until Lex shows up and they are all introduced to each other. However, later in the film, while Bruce is decrypting Lex’s files, there’s yet again another dream sequence. Where Batman is in the desert attacking armed soldiers until Parademons appear (Troops of Darkseid) and takes Batman to chain him up whereas moments laters Superman appears. Superman kills the people next to Batman and focuses on Batman to kill him too. (This dream sequence to me felt like an alternate universe where something horrible happened to Lois and Batman is framed for this. It sorta resembled the narrative for Injustice: Gods Among Us.) Anyway, Bruce wakes up from another dream sequence where The Flash appears and warns him about something. (Another reference in the film that may possibly link up to Flashpoint Paradox or Crisis on Infinite Earths.) Towards the last hour of the film, Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) opens an email from Bruce Wayne and the appearances from The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg shows up as surveillance video files. Afterwards, the long-awaited fight between Batman and Superman happens because Lex kidnaps Clark’s mother. The only way to save her is for Superman to kill Batman. Towards the end of the fight, Batman is ready to kill Superman with a spear attached with Kryptonite. Until Superman says, “Must save, Martha. Save Martha.” Throughout, the many films of Batman and Superman in the past we all know that Bruce Wayne’s mother’s name is Martha Wayne. Clark Kent’s mother’s name is Martha Kent. I don’t know if the original writers for the comics from both Batman and Superman knew about this or it was accidental. I think it was done purposely because it would somehow draw some light until now. At this moment, Lois shows up and informs Bruce that it’s Clark’s mother’s name. Thus, they set aside their differences and work together to stop Lex along with his sadistic plans. Until yet another villain arises from Lex’s experiment. Doomsday appears and we get a lot more acton. Both Batman and Superman fights him but Doomsday gets stronger. Until Wonder Woman saves Batman, and the fight ensues from there. Meanwhile, Superman obtains the spear with Kryptonite attached to it. Flies towards Doomsday and impales him with the spear only until Doomsday kills Superman as both of them die with a stunning finale. By the end of the film, at the funeral there’s a close up shot with the dirt on Superman’s coffin and you see the dirt floating. Overall, I think the movie has great potential but lacks a lot in terms of narrative and pacing. The pacing was slow but if the writing was told differently then the pacing would have served its purpose. Also, Zack Snyder is a fantastic visual director. The visuals in the movie are absolutely gorgeous and the IMAX scenes are breathtaking. The music for the movie was awesome! Both Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL provided this Greek-like epic score that captures your attention. Love it or hate it, the movie is good but not great. I think the appearances from The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg should have been done a little differently. Lex Luthor was alright but seemed one dimensional in terms with his motives. I wished he would have had more screen time so that way as an audience member we would have a clear perception of his flaws. Nonetheless, I love Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The other supporting cast was great! Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Holly Hunter, Diane Lane, and Jeremy Irons were all fantastic! VERDICT: 3.8/5 Stars!

It's a shame really, this is a great movie once you understand everything that's going on. SPOILERS First off, everyone gives this movie a lot of flack for being hard to understand, and they're not wrong. The movie assumes you know a lot about several pieces of Batman and Superman (and indeed the whole DC universe) lore. The actual fight between Batman and Superman, pulls a lot from Frank Miller's Batman Returns when B and S go at it there. In that Graphic Novel, Batman uses power armor and kryptonite to weaken and defeat Superman. Also in that comic Superman takes a direct detonation of a Nuke which leaves him looking like a zombie until the sun regenerates him (Superman gets his powers from the radiation of earth's Sun); and actually, in the comic Superman pulls life from plants and the earth itself to heal himself, but you know, details. Anyway, then there's Doomsday and the Death of Superman. This is a (very) quick pull from that event as well, though about all they really had to do with each other is Doomsday kills Superman. If you knew anything about it at all, you knew that was gonna happen. Another complaint is the "dream sequence". Everyone complained it was jarring and didn't make any sense. So what's going on there is in Batman's dream (I tend to think of it as a vision) he sees a future in which Superman has taken over the world and rules with an iron fist, Batman is the leader of the resistance. Bruce then has an inception moment where he has a dream inside a dream about the Flash showing up "too early" and warning him that Lois was the key to everything and that Batman's fears about Superman were correct. This whole sequence was taken from the Injustice Series, where Superman takes over the world after the Joker kills Lois Lane (and their unborn child). In his rage and sorrow he simply takes over and make the world his own. It's a good series you should pick it up. And then there's the "Martha" scene. It's just kind of cheesy. But if you're following the movie you'll understand what Snyder was going for, even if it is still kind of cheesy. So where Synder fails is not showing just how much Batman is affected mentally by the events of Man of Steel. One thing Batman does not do is kill, and one thing he cannot accept is the death of children or children being orphaned. In the beginning of the movie he saves an obviously orphaned child. He's lost friends and the fallout of Superman and Zod's battle have hit him hard. Several times it's mentioned in the movie that Batman "is angry". Alfred chides him from branding his targets. This is an older Batman, and Batman that is tired. He says it "I take down own another just pops up" comparing criminals to weeds. His illusions to what he is doing, even his justifications are gone. And after Superman, now he's angry. He starts killing people, not directly but indirectly, something Batman wouldn't stand for. He's focused all that at Superman, at his FEAR of Superman. Of what Superman could do if left unchecked. He gets so blinded by his fear and anger that he doesn't stop to consider Superman may not be his enemy after all. Superman tell Lois that he has to go talk Bruce into helping him, and only fights Batman after Batman forces him to. The whole "you're letting them kill Martha" thing snaps Batman out of his blindness. The realization that Superman is a man, with a mother and father, makes him realize that he was right on the cusp of flat out murder. And from that point on we see a different Batman. He's coming back to himself. He fights and he's not trying to kill. He could have opened fire on the entire floor of goons in the Batwing but doesn't. He disables where he can. The rest of the movie is really well done. Lex is appropriately crazy (Jesse Eisenberg does a great crazy person, even if you don't like him as Lex), Affleck is a great Bats, Jeremy Irons as Alfred is a good fit as well. The cast is back from Man of Steel and they do well, though I didn't like how they handled Jimmy Olsen, but it's a small gripe. Overall I really enjoyed this movie. The action was awesome, the Batmobile is awesome, the music is awesome and anytime we get to see Wonder Woman it is a treat in my book. Pick up the Ultimate Edition for sure and for the price if you like Batman or Superman at all you really can't go wrong.

(Introduction) I was pretty excited for this film even though I wasn't a huge fan of the trailers, my love for Batman sucked me into the anticipation. And the question is, Was it Worth the Wait? Is Batman V Superman A Good Movie? Well, I'm pretty mixed on all those questions. This is a film I really have multiple opinions on. There are so many aspects of the film I LOVED and so many aspects I just HATED. There is just so many Pros and Cons of this film that the film just seems so mixed and variant but in a negative and positive way. (Performances) Let's get right into the acting performances. Ben Affleck as Batman is "Phenomenal." I will most likely get a lot of hate for this, but Ben Affleck just might be my favorite Batman. I'm still mixed on this decision but it just tells you how much I loved Bruce Wayne/Ben Affleck in this film. Every scene with Batman in it is so perfect, Batman in this film is definitely my favorite aspect of this movie. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams did great in their roles and did solid performances. I also enjoyed Jeremy Irons performance as Alfred and I can't wait to see him in the next DC film. Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, really didn't work for me. His character just came off as very "Jokerish" which sounds like that's a positive thing but it just comes out as "Over the Top." I can tell he was very committed to his role which I can respect but his character as Lex Luthor was just not serious enough. His role was not something that speaks the character "Lex Luthor." (Plot/Script Writing) The plot and pacing of this film is the hugest problem I have with this film. This films plot is so messy, everything is just all over the place. The first hour and a little more than a half is so unnecessarily long. The first hour and a half is just a bunch of random scenes that tie up into this huge bundle of bore. Like the first half of this film could have been condensed into 20 to 30 minutes and this film would have been way better. Nope, there's just a ton of unnecessary scenes that could have been just gotten rid of the film completely. The problem is there isn't enough links to the main event which is "Batman V Superman." The actual Batman VS Superman fighting doesn't happen until like almost 2 hours into the film which is disappointing because the lead up for them fighting is really lazily made. Also the tie-ins to the Justice League film is really lazy as well. It just feels like the script writers and plot developers of this film cared more about tie-ing in other future films than actually working on what should've been the main story which is Batman fighting Superman. (Action Sequences) Now on to the positive, holy whatever, some of the action scenes in this film are absolutely perfect. Zack Snyder knows how to make a good-looking film, maybe not a well plotted one, but a good looking film. This film is amazing in action ways mainly having to do with Batman. Every scene with Batman in it, is perfect and I love it. The look of Batman in my opinion is the best looking Batman ever! The action scenes especially the hand to hand combat with Batman in it, is just pure entertainment. I cannot critique anything about most scenes with Batman in it. Also when Batman and Superman fight (Don't Worry No Spoilers) is absolutely worth it. When "Batman VS Superman" actually happens, it is epic. Also Wonder Woman in this film is pretty sick in most the scenes she is. I like Gal Gadot as Wonderwoman and it makes me pretty excited for her stand alone film. So what is pretty much keeping this film from being a complete fail is the action and Batman in this film. I couldn't ask anymore of Batman in this movie and I think the majority of the action is top notch. The only problem I have is that in the end (DON'T WORRY NO SPOILERS I PROMISE) there is a certain character (That is shown in the trailers so I assume you know who I'm talking about) is so poorly CGI'ed and introduced that it kind of took me out of the story. Also the final battle and 3rd act was absolutely horrific. Like the 3rd act of the film really just took everything downhill. The fight scenes in the last act are somewhat interesting to watch but it just comes off as an excuse to add more action and CGI. There is also a choice they make with a character in the end that was ballsy to make, but in the very end they totally dis that choice and it just comes off as unnecessary and stupid. (The Overall Pros) Affleck is a Phenomenal Batman Batman is a Perfect Batman Action Sequences are Terrific Batman Fight With Superman is Very Entertaining Cavill and Irons Commit Great Performances (The Overall Cons) Terrible Plotting Okay Script Writing Slow Pacing for the First Half Lazy Justice League Tie-Ins Some Very Lazily Exposited Motivations An Okay Lex Luthor (Jessie Eisenberg's Performance) The Final Act and Character Choices (My Overall Rating and Thoughts) Overall I actually wasn't expecting that much of the film. I was more than happy with Batman in this film. Batman was way higher than my expectations could ever reach. The movie looks visually fantastic and has some fan service in it. The lazy plot and script writing though really took me out of the film. So overall I'm going to give Batman V Superman and overall rating of… Grade: C+ IMDb Score: 6.5/10 Stars: 3.25/5

(Introduction) I was pretty excited for this film even though I wasn't a huge fan of the trailers, my love for Batman sucked me into the anticipation. And the question is, Was it Worth the Wait? Is Batman V Superman A Good Movie? Well, I'm pretty mixed on all those questions. This is a film I really have multiple opinions on. There are so many aspects of the film I LOVED and so many aspects I just HATED. There is just so many Pros and Cons of this film that the film just seems so mixed and variant but in a negative and positive way. (Performances) Let's get right into the acting performances. Ben Affleck as Batman is "Phenomenal." I will most likely get a lot of hate for this, but Ben Affleck just might be my favorite Batman. I'm still mixed on this decision but it just tells you how much I loved Bruce Wayne/Ben Affleck in this film. Every scene with Batman in it is so perfect, Batman in this film is definitely my favorite aspect of this movie. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams did great in their roles and did solid performances. I also enjoyed Jeremy Irons performance as Alfred and I can't wait to see him in the next DC film. Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, really didn't work for me. His character just came off as very "Jokerish" which sounds like that's a positive thing but it just comes out as "Over the Top." I can tell he was very committed to his role which I can respect but his character as Lex Luthor was just not serious enough. His role was not something that speaks the character "Lex Luthor." (Plot/Script Writing) The plot and pacing of this film is the hugest problem I have with this film. This films plot is so messy, everything is just all over the place. The first hour and a little more than a half is so unnecessarily long. The first hour and a half is just a bunch of random scenes that tie up into this huge bundle of bore. Like the first half of this film could have been condensed into 20 to 30 minutes and this film would have been way better. Nope, there's just a ton of unnecessary scenes that could have been just gotten rid of the film completely. The problem is there isn't enough links to the main event which is "Batman V Superman." The actual Batman VS Superman fighting doesn't happen until like almost 2 hours into the film which is disappointing because the lead up for them fighting is really lazily made. Also the tie-ins to the Justice League film is really lazy as well. It just feels like the script writers and plot developers of this film cared more about tie-ing in other future films than actually working on what should've been the main story which is Batman fighting Superman. (Action Sequences) Now on to the positive, holy whatever, some of the action scenes in this film are absolutely perfect. Zack Snyder knows how to make a good-looking film, maybe not a well plotted one, but a good looking film. This film is amazing in action ways mainly having to do with Batman. Every scene with Batman in it, is perfect and I love it. The look of Batman in my opinion is the best looking Batman ever! The action scenes especially the hand to hand combat with Batman in it, is just pure entertainment. I cannot critique anything about most scenes with Batman in it. Also when Batman and Superman fight (Don't Worry No Spoilers) is absolutely worth it. When "Batman VS Superman" actually happens, it is epic. Also Wonder Woman in this film is pretty sick in most the scenes she is. I like Gal Gadot as Wonderwoman and it makes me pretty excited for her stand alone film. So what is pretty much keeping this film from being a complete fail is the action and Batman in this film. I couldn't ask anymore of Batman in this movie and I think the majority of the action is top notch. The only problem I have is that in the end (DON'T WORRY NO SPOILERS I PROMISE) there is a certain character (That is shown in the trailers so I assume you know who I'm talking about) is so poorly CGI'ed and introduced that it kind of took me out of the story. Also the final battle and 3rd act was absolutely horrific. Like the 3rd act of the film really just took everything downhill. The fight scenes in the last act are somewhat interesting to watch but it just comes off as an excuse to add more action and CGI. There is also a choice they make with a character in the end that was ballsy to make, but in the very end they totally dis that choice and it just comes off as unnecessary and stupid. (The Overall Pros) Affleck is a Phenomenal Batman Batman is a Perfect Batman Action Sequences are Terrific Batman Fight With Superman is Very Entertaining Cavill and Irons Commit Great Performances (The Overall Cons) Terrible Plotting Okay Script Writing Slow Pacing for the First Half Lazy Justice League Tie-Ins Some Very Lazily Exposited Motivations An Okay Lex Luthor (Jessie Eisenberg's Performance) The Final Act and Character Choices (My Overall Rating and Thoughts) Overall I actually wasn't expecting that much of the film. I was more than happy with Batman in this film. Batman was way higher than my expectations could ever reach. The movie looks visually fantastic and has some fan service in it. The lazy plot and script writing though really took me out of the film. So overall I'm going to give Batman V Superman and overall rating of… Grade: C+ IMDb Score: 6.5/10 Stars: 3.25/5

Here is the first thing that needs to be understood about Batman V Superman (BVS): it is not a feel good super hero movie for kids, rather it is a movie that is basically rated R, in fact the director's/ultimate cut is rated R, and is a movie that explores the dark and dangerous side of having "super heroes" exist on Earth. The second thing that needs to be understood is that BVS received disastrous reviews when it was released in theaters and mostly because critics felt the movie "took itself too seriously." So if you are going to give this movie a chance I ask that you put everything you heard aside and make up your own mind. As a helpful measure to understand if you'll even like this movie try to remember if you enjoyed Man of Steel, if you did then think of this movie as Man of Steel 2 mixed in with The Dark Knight and you've got a good idea of the serious tone and weighty, mature themes that the film will deal with. The third things that has to be understood is that if you missed the theatrical release of this movie but are still on the fence about seeing it then it's best you watch the Director's/Ultimate cut of the movie that fleshes out what was already a solid story and connects the dots of the plot more precisely, most specifically in regards to Lex Luthor's devious plan. I look at BVS as the super hero movie that a lot of grown up comic book/and even action fans have been waiting for that deals with tough subjects ranging from the nature of God, the nature of having power (superhuman and human/scientific/technological), to what true justice means, to what the obligations of individual citizens are to uphold the law and protect basic human values. You have to realize that Super Heroes are great metaphors for all our fantasies, desires, and the best and worst aspects of who we are as humans. This movie is a celebration of the power of comic books to help us look inward and examine exactly who we are and what we stand for. And don't get me wrong there is plenty of action and the Blu Ray is a blast with a first class audio and video that will give your home theater a workout but this movie is best enjoyed when you are not comparing it with other movies (Marvel specifically) and just let it play out as it's own story. So for serious comic book fans and action movie fans and those looking for something different in a super hero film, I encourage you to add BVS to your collection, especially for the Ultimate Cut. This isn't cheap DC Universe World Building, this is a stand alone movie about the price of having Superman existing on Earth. So it is a sequel to Man of Steel but also the introduction to arguably the best Batman on film. Oh and Wonder Woman is truly ready to win the hearts of cinema goers world wide. She's one of the classic superheros finally brought to life on the big screen and she stands strong besides Batman and Superman. I've watched this movie several times and it gets better with each viewing because it has a lot of heart and a lot to say. It's richly packed with big themes, great action, strong performances, and will reward patient views who like their movies to take chances once in a while to say something.

Regarding movie, I enjoyed it. Critics said the movie was too dark and lacked humor. Got to remember this movie was patterned after the Dark Knight trilogy which did well. I just felt that DC/Warner tried covering too much ground at once. It was a long movie based upon at least three separate storylines that each would've made good stand alone movies. Thought special effects in movie was done extremely well. Movie alone I would rate 4 stars. Regarding the hard cover graphic novel and ultimate edition combo package: For $40, I expected to get the $30 ultimate edition case plus a graphic novel. I bought online so guilty of buying before expecting. The inside of the back cover serves as the blue ray and ultimate blue ray disc slots and a small sticky sleeve for the DVD disc. It just makes it awkward to store entire graphic novel of different size with other DVDs\Blu-Rays. Also awkward to give graphic novel to kids with discs missing and having to store them in a generic case. As mentioned earlier, the graphic novel is a hard cover. It's nice summary of about 3-4 different novels of "Greatest Battles". If you already collect many of the Batman Superman novels, this probably won't be a huge bonus for you. If don't, then would like It does include a digital HD download redemption code. If you are fine with that combination especially for disc storage arrangement, then guess it's OK for novelty. For myself, I would've been fine with just the $30 Ultimate Edition set. The recommendation of No is for the Ultimate Edition & Graphic Novel set. For the movie alone, the recommendation would be a Yes. You would enjoy it.

Maybe minor spoilers... It's unfortunate that Ben Affleck's debut as Batman was in this film. Overall it was a great Batman film, but the direction was so scattershot that I had no idea what the focus was supposed to be. I was waiting for some "ah-ha" moment that never came and just ended up with more questions. Now I will say, I am not the biggest DC fanboy so some references were over my head anyway, but I went into this film with a clean slate in terms of cinematic universe lines. Just some quick points for me: -Best thing by far was Ben Affleck as Batman. UNFORTUNATELY, his best part was spoiled by the trailer and it was the perfectly done "warehouse" scene. I am a huge gamer and the second I saw him move the first thing I said was "Arkham." He pulled it off perfectly. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look up Batman Arkham Freeflow fighting and you'll see. -Jeremy's Iron (Simpson joke there...I know it's Jeremy Irons :) was perfect as a younger Alfred. Nothing against Michael Caine (he's already amazing in everything), but it's good to see a more youthful and smart-mouthed Alfred to keep Bruce in line. -Although people didn't seem to think so, I thought Diane Lane was, is still, a perfect Martha Kent. She was the lone bright spot in any Superman parts for me. I like their little talk when she says something like "be their everything, or be nothing. You don't owe these people anything." That's very true and I like how she tried to keep Clark in line to what they tried to teach him on how to use his powers. UNFORTUNATELY, Superman decides to mope around for hours on end watching CNN and how they badmouth him. Let's face it, Superman could basically solve most of these "problems" in a blink of an eye but he's just kind of wasted power. -Worst part was almost everything else unfortunately. Superman was average at best, but the sloppy story had me just kind of along for the ride. Whatever they were trying to do with Lex Luthor was a terrible idea in my opinion. A very wasted opportunity as he seemed so twitchy and, again all-over-the-place attitude. -If you haven't seen already, the trailers spoil so much, especially the "epic" end battle that came out of nowhere. Speaking of fighting in general, for a film billed as Batman v. Superman there was very little fighting for a movie this long. -Lots of wasted talent. Okamoto Tao...not really sure what they were trying to do with her as she just kind of walks around in her scenes. She's a beautiful woman and was wasted entirely. The entire Justice League thing was way too tacked on...and also Wonder Woman. Again, so sloppily thrown together plot that basically saw the DC Universe trying to put some cohesion together for a big team movie it seems. Instead of this method, I would have liked to have seen more flushed out characters and DC/WB make coinciding films so that we can get a feel for these characters more than just a quick blirb of videos. Oh well...so goes the film industry. Recommend only when on sale or if you're a huge comic book fan.