Jacob Martin (formally known as The Movie King)’s review published on Letterboxd:
Batman v. Superman is a good movie. There I've said it. I know there's a anti-Zack Snyder/DC hate from so many people who want this franchise to freakin fail, and yes, there are some problems with this movie, more so than in Man of Steel, but I think the many plusses found in this comic book film make up for the flaws.
Let's get the negatives out of the way. First, David Goyer still writes the script, and while overall it's an improvement from "ARE YOU EFFIN' STUPID???", mainly because they brought the writer from Argo in to tackle the more complex issues of the movie, which I'll get to in a minute, Goyer's presence is still felt in some scenes, and some lines are... pretty bad. Espeically a reference related to Granny's Peach Tea. Watch the movie, and you'll know what I mean.
Second, while I admire the improvement in the Clark Kent/Lois Lane romance, the Lois character is still bland and does the exact same things she did in the last movie. But then again, we see Amy Adams in a bathtub. Plus.
I also didn't see that much intimidation in Jesse Eisenburg's portrayal of Lex Luthor, but I don't think the performance was bad. A little over-the-top and OCD, but it's Jesse Eisenburg and as a whole, his scheme to pit Batman and Superman against each other works, but some of the conflict does feel rushed however due to the studio limitations of making the film less than 2.5 hours (kind of like Age of Ultron). I'm hoping the three-hour R-rated director's cut fixes this issue.
And lastly, if you've seen the second trailer that gave away too much, there's very little surprises left. There's a last-minute villain added in for fan service I guess, and I didn't buy into it at all. It looked like Abomination 2.0 and some of the CGI in the climax reminded me of Sucker Punch. Not a good comparison at all.
But thankfully, Zack Snyder doesn't give up here. Not at all. A lot was thrown on him here (not sure if it was studio interference or it was the plan all along), but as a whole, I liked where Batman v. Superman went. Considering how some parts felt rushed, I still understood the conflicts and ideologies between both Batman and Superman and honestly, the film made me want to root for both. I understood Superman's pain of rejection as some accuse him of an alien fraud, while also feeling for Batman's pain of fear and desperation with the potential threat of alien takeover. Henry Cavill and especially Ben Affleck nail their respective roles, and I initially was on the Affleck backlash. That bit me in the butt. Some will likely cry foul at the brutality of Affleck's Batman, but considering the circomstances of dealing with someone like Superman, plus the fact that this is an older, broken, deranged Batman with his moral code in jeopardy, the more aggressive the Batman, the more awesome he is. I also enjoyed Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, really enjoyed the complex themes of the movie, and third act aside, Snyder's world is put to full use. Even the things many complained in Man of Steel are somewhat fixed, though the final act kind of ruins that. I really thought the ending left a strong impact though, leaving me hopeful and excited for the future of DC's Cinematic Universe.
Oh, and for the universe set-up scene??? I thought that was cool!
Still liked it better than Watchmen.
"And now, you will fly to him, and you will battle him to the death. Black and blue. Fight night. The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world. God versus man. Day versus night! Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!"
76/100