Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition)

This film is so annoyingly misunderstood. BvS has a depth and richness to it that's unparalleled in the genre. It has actual, honest-to-goodness, themes and motifs. It ruminates on the nature of gods. From the offset the 'falling' motif is introduced and its runs throughout the piece (sparks, snow, leaves, pearls etc.). The dialogue is sparkling and the performances are eminently believable - whether it's Lois' dogged determination or Bruce's fatigued paranoia. And of course it's a Zack Snyder film, so the visuals are first-rate. The CGI is going to hold up well and the framing is never anything less than 100% deliberate. People talk about DC films being too dark, gritty and colourless - but this couldn't be further from the truth. BvS' colour palette is rich and dynamic, with very effective use of contrast to ensure things 'pop'. The writing and treatment of characters isn't dark - it's serious. The writer treats them with seriousness and expects the same from the viewer. Scenes have weight and gravitas, action is kinetic and the audience is required to understand context from what they're shown, rather than relying on heavy exposition.

I love this movie! The story is well written with many deep themes, biblical parallels and beautiful shots. The problems Superman has to deal with are haunting but you root for him all the way, Ben Affleck is the best Batman, he pulls off the tortured soul and mentality of Bruce Wayne brilliantly and is terrifying when he wears the cowl. The movie perfectly depicts a heroes journey in a cruel world and has great character arcs that will be continued in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

I'm a massive comic and film fan. So let me tell you why this film failed it's main audience. Firstly they used the wrong batman. There are several batman stories but the one used here is not the traditional Bruce Wayne, he openly murders people which was always one of his highest mandates. Batman doesn't kill, sometimes he won't "save" a person but that is entirely different to punching 30mm rounds from a high powered jet mounted cannon through someone's ribcage. Just one error of several with this plot.