Batman v Superman

Yesterday I had the chance to see an early screening of the much anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and, I must say, it did not disappoint!  It is an incredible spectacle and I absolutely loved it!  After a flashback to the murder of young Bruce Wayne's parents, this film picks up where Man of Steel ends with the epic battle between Superman (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon).  We get an on-the-ground view of the battle through the eyes of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) as he witnesses the collapse of one of his buildings.  Angry at the collateral damage, he deems Superman to be a threat and his alter ego, Batman, tries to find a way to stop him.  Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), a tech savvy genius who also views Superman as a threat, finds kryptonite and wants to weaponize it. Batman intercepts the kryptonite and prepares to face Superman while Lex Luthor forces an epic showdown between the two.  Eventually, the two must unite, with the help of a mysterious stranger who turns out to be Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), to fight an even bigger threat to Gotham and Metropolis.  To be sure, this film is dark and gritty but I feel that the current incarnations of these iconic superheroes are appropriate for the tumultuous times we live in.  I particularly enjoyed the film's exploration of power and the responsibility that comes with it.  I also appreciated the fact that both Batman and Superman are flawed and (without giving too much away) that they meet on equal ground for a battle that is absolutely awesome!  The special effects are thrilling, to say the least, but, unlike most critics (see below), I found the story to be compelling, as well.  The performances are great, including, rather unusually, Ben Affleck's brooding portrayal of the caped crusader.  I'm not a big fan of Affleck, and I questioned his casting, but I have to admit that he is a great Batman.  I loved Jeremy Irons as his butler Alfred and, although I sometimes grow weary of Jesse Eisenberg, his twitchy Lex Luthor worked for me.  Gal Gadot is absolutely kick ass as Wonder Woman; in fact, the entire audience at my screening cheered when she appeared in battle!  I loved all of the cameos of Dana Bash, Anderson Cooper, Nancy Grace, Soledad O'Brien, and Charlie Rose as themselves reporting on the various incidents.  I also loved seeing Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jason Momoa (sigh) as Aquaman, and Ezra Miller as Flash, in brief cameos setting up future Justice League movies (I can't wait for Wonder Woman in the summer of 2017).  This film is everything I hoped it would be and I would recommend it to fans of the genre!

Note:  I often wonder if the critics saw the same movie I did...