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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Average Guy Movie Review

After three years of waiting, it has finally arrived. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, possibly one of the most talked about, debated movies of recent years. But was it worth the wait?


So far the critics have not been positive about this movie, in fact as I write this the rating on Rotten Tomatoes stands at 28%. However, the audience score is currently 72%, quite a difference of opinion! As the title of this post might suggest I'm not a movie critic, I'm just an average guy who loves movies, and yes I loved this movie. There's only one small part I didn't like, I'm not going to reveal it because I'm not in the habit of spoiling movies. I think it might be explained in the upcoming Justice League movies but right now, without context it's weird.


I've heard Batman v Superman is too long, there's too much going on, too many characters, you need to see it twice. Dan Murrell of Screen Junkies described it as five movies in one:

  • a sequel to Man of Steel
  • a solo Batman movie
  • Batman v Superman
  • a Lex Luthor movie
  • Justice League set up movie
But I disagree, it's a movie with multiple story arcs that fit together very well. I saw this movie with my best friend and my girlfriend and we all agreed that it was a very good movie that wasn't hard to follow. Granted, it helps if you have prior knowledge of the DC universe and its characters but the same could be said of most superhero movies and their source material. 


Superman (Cavill) is still struggling with his place in the world. There are those who love him and those who don't, members of the US government want him to answer for the Battle of Metropolis. Batman (Affleck) is a very tortured soul, troubled with nightmares about the death of his parents, among other things. He's been fighting crime in Gotham for twenty years and his grief has turned to anger. Having witnessed the destruction of Metropolis and the deaths of his employees he's convinced that Superman is not only responsible but poses a major threat. Wonder Woman (Gadot) has been out of the game for quite a while, she's lost faith in humanity and is hiding in plain sight. But something happens that forces her to get involved. Her mysterious nature certainly draws Bruce Wayne's attention. 


The man behind all the trouble is Lex Luthor played by Jesse Eisenberg. Eisenberg's Luthor resembles his performance as Mark Zuckerberg, except on speed and 10 times more psychotic. If his head was shaped like an American football you'd think he was Stewie Griffin. His motivations for everything revolve around control and don't really make sense but they aren't supposed to...because he's psychotic. 


The clash of the titans that everyone wants to see is very well done. It's not very long but it is clever. For Batman to take on Superman he has to find a way to neutralise Superman's powers, the armoured suit helps but Batman has more tricks up his sleeve. What you get doesn't disappoint, two titans beating the living crap out of each other. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the 'R' rated extended cut which promises more violence. 


All in all Batman v Superman is a great movie. It's got a good plot with interesting characters and it certainly doesn't get boring at any point. I am definitely looking forward to Suicide Squad and Justice League but I am very interested in seeing more of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and learning more about her origin and what causes her to lose faith. Anyone who thinks the movie is too long should wait for the Blu-Ray release and its three hour extended cut.

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