Suicide Squad Review

Panned by critics, praised by fanboys, and breaking box office records, Suicide Squad is yet another divisive film from DC!

Wow, now this is one difficult review to write. Walking into the theater without a single notion of the abysmal critical response helped to remove the bias of expecting to tear it apart. In fact, walking to the truck after movie, I was thoroughly entertained and had a great time. But that does not mean I necessarily disagree with the consensus. Honestly, if DC just cannot make quality superhero flicks, a small part of me just wants their movies to fail so hard that it kills the franchise, so as stop oversaturating the superhero genre. Of course, by making so much money regardless of what people say, that is not happening anytime soon.

Let's get back to the film itself. If you hate Suicide Squad, that's fine by me; it is completely understandable. In many ways, it does deserve the panning t. DC just cannot get their stuff together no matter how hard they try. However, as you will find in my review, Suicide Squad does the absolute most important aspect so much better than Batman v Superman….

Directed by: David Ayer
Genre: Action, Comic Book, Fantasy
Release Date: August 5, 2016
Running Time: 123 minutes
MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Harley Quinn, Excellent main cast, Will Smith is great, Joker scenes, Great humor, Rocking soundtrack, After credits scenes (finally), Good first 20 minutes, Great chemistry between cast, Jai Courtney isn't bad, El Diablo's backstory, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller kills it, Fanservice and Easter Eggs,

The Bad: Awful antagonist, Generic Third Act, A bit too obvious at times, Missed opportunities, Messy plot composition, Some music doesn't work, Subpar CGI,

Plot: 3.0/10- Ultimately, the plot is where is where Suicide Squad falls flat. Despite having so many potential options for the central plot and antagonist, Suicide Squad takes the most clichéd, generic, and boring route to drive the plot forward. Apparently, it is even essentially the same final act as this year's Ghostbusters! With a premise of villains essentially being forced into covert Black Ops missions for the government, the best central plot should have been obvious, but alas, it's a huge missed opportunity (who signs off on this stuff!?).

Another issue with the plot is that the narrative is messy and jumps around from flashback to flashback to side plot to other side plot. The messy editing did not detract from the entertainment value, but it certainly could have been much better, especially considering that the Harley flashbacks are the most interesting part.

Characterization: 8.6/10- For first time, DC made me care about their characters. Suicide Squad's cast of quirky characters is what keeps it from being a bad film. In fact, for me at least, the characters elevated the film to a thoroughly entertaining experience.

Harley Quinn is easily the standout. Harley Quinn has been one of, if not, my absolute favorite character in all of DC ever since her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series. And this portrayal of the character does not disappoint. She isn't quite the show-stopper she could have been, but as a fan, Harley Quinn finally hits the big screen in brilliantly quirky, humorous, and fiendish fashion. Her flashbacks with the Joker are a highlight of the film, although it should have been an entire film instead of just flashbacks.

Speaking of the Joker, contrary to the marketing, he is neither the main antagonist nor a central aspect of the film. Since I never place any value in trailers or marketing, his lack of screen time wasn't disappointing. He is just not a main part of the film and that's fine, although what he is in is quite good.

Deadshot, along with Harley, are the real stars of the films. His backstory and characterization is quite good. You actually care about the character and his reasons for what he does. His one-liners are funny, and his character motivation with his daughter is well executed.

El Diablo's story might be emotionally manipulative to some, but it works. Captain Boomerang is a surprise as his character is hysterical, albeit seemingly useless in a fight. Killer Croc is barely relevant, except for some humorous moments and action sequences. Katana is underused, with only one relevant scene. Enchantress' motivations are poorly conceived, and Rick Flag is just kind of OK. However, Amanda Waller is a standout among the cast with a strong presence and an overall interesting character.

Direction: 6.0/10- David Ayer's direction is hit and miss. The first 20 minutes are full of style and fun visuals. Unfortunately, that same style does not permeate the rest of the film in the same way. The action sequences are uninspired and generally unimpressive. However, the cast's quirks and fun traits elevate relatively average action sequences into a thoroughly viewing experience for me at least. Nothing about the action is bad. There's no shaky-cam or poor editing. It's just not amazing or impressive.

Acting: 8.4/10- Suicide Squad's cast is certainly a highlight. Margot Robbie plays an excellent Harley Quinn! Will Smith plays a very Will Smith type of Deadshot, yet it works quite well, making this his most memorable role in years. Despite minimal screen time, Jared Leto's Joker makes a good impression with a distinctly different take on the character that could be expanded upon in later films. Viola Davis is incredibly menacing and portrays Waller perfectly. Shockingly, Jai Courtney does not suck. Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag is serviceable, and the rest of the cast are fine with no noticeably strong or weak performances.

Special effects: 6.0/10- With a $175 million budget, you'd think the CGI would look a lot better. It's rather mediocre for one character in particular. The rest of the special effects are fine, but unimpressive.

Soundtrack: 8.8/10- Suicide Squad's soundtrack tries to mimic the success of Guardians of the Galaxy with a collection of catchy music from different eras. Most of the music, even songs from genres I dislike, are a lot of fun and got me hyped up in certain scenes. The usage of the songs can feel a bit unnecessary and forced, although it created a more fun tone. However, using "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, a song used in Guardians of the Galaxy, was a huge mistake because it just reminds the audience of the far superior film that Suicide Squad is attempting to copy.

Humor: 8.5/10- Honestly, Suicide Squad is a funny movie! It has a good sense of humor with some good one-liners and humorous interactions between the cast of quirky characters. Sure, it pales in comparison to Marvel's wit, but that's expected.

Entertainment Value: 9.4/10- Honestly, Suicide Squad was a largely entertaining experience. The characters kept me invested in the story, and while the narrative is a mess, it never detracted from my fun with all the quirky characters. Unlike Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad is not a self-important slog with dreadfully boring characters, and honestly, I rather watch a shallow movie with characters I actually care about than one that thinks it's deep with horrendous characters.

Overall: 7.0/10- Featuring DC's best cast of characters to date and some surprisingly amount of heart, Suicide Squad's painfully derivative antagonist and conflict mixed with an otherwise messy narrative makes for a very fun and stylish film with numerous flaws. With that said, if you can connect with the characters and enjoy the style, Suicide Squad is worth at least a rent.

Closing comments: If you hated Suicide Squad, that's perfectly fine. In fact, I do not disagree with you. Suicide Squad is not a great movie. It's just OK, and if you like the characters, then it's a fun movie, nothing more, nothing less.

Recommended for: DC fans, Anti-hero fans, Harley Quinn fans,

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Suicide Squad First Impression

It feels so good to be bad. Yes, I've seen Suicide Squad. Like usual, I did not see a single review, rating, or opinion prior to viewing it. And I am really glad that I did. There is so much to talk about in regards to this movie and everyone else’s opinions. But that will be saved for my review. And boy, this is going to be one difficult movie to review. Regardless of the quality of the movie, it was a fun experience. Half the audience clapped at the end (I didn't), and DC FINALLY HAS AN AFTER CREDITS SCENE. About time DC! Hopefully, that will be out in a few days. In the meantime, you can post links to your reviews in the comments for myself and others to see your thoughts. 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Wonder Woman Trailer

In addition to Justice League, DC released a trailer for Wonder Woman, or, as I like to call it, "Wonder Woman: The First Justice Leaguer." Like, come on, this is totally Captain America: The First Avenger of the DC movies. 

Gal Gadot wasn't terrible in Batman v Superman earlier this year, and the period setting of World War I thoroughly interests me. The trailer itself is fine. There's nothing awful, aside from those poor attempts at humor (DC just cannot be funny), but there isn't anything great. The action is cool. But just like the Justice League trailer, I expect nothing. My favorite part is probably the music at the end, because it uses the same theme from BvS. Overall, this is not the worst trailer ever. It's fine. So, what do you think? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Justice League Trailer

Wow, just wow; I don't hate this trailer. It isn't great or anything, but it is not complete garbage. Jason Momoa as Aquaman is convincing and at least looks cool. Ezra Miller as The Flash works for me from the little we can see. He's funny and quirky. While Grant Gustin over on the CW will be the definitive for me and most others, I will give Miller a chance. But that new Flash costume is garbage, absolutely hysterical, at least at first glance. However, Ray Fisher as Cyborg is barely shown.

Here's the thing. After Batman v Superman, my expectations for DC are literally nonexistent. I cannot be disappointed by anything DC delivers because being disappointed requires expectations. So, I will just take whatever DC throws at us. The trailer's song, "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes, sets a fun tone, and the humor almost kind of works. Sure, even if DC is trying to copy Marvel, a second rate Marvel knock-off is better than first rate DC any day. The humor somewhat works, although I can see some hating it. Ben Affleck proved to be the only truly great part of BvS earlier this year, and he looks quite good in Justice League as well. The lack of Superman is probably the best thing to happen to this movie. He will probably appear at some point, but if the formation of the Justice League is without Henry Cavill's Superman, this movie might just work. But Zack Sndyer is the director, and that's never a good thing if you enjoy, you know, character development, color, fun, quality performances, and practical effects. Who knows? Maybe Snyder can finally make a great DC movie. Stranger things have happened.

What do you think of the trailer? Please comment below and let me know!

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Top 25 TV Shows: Part 4

My list of the Top 25 TV Shows of All-Time continues with five more entries! If you missed my previous parts, click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, and here for Part 3.

10: Seinfeld

If you haven't lived under a rock your entire life, chances are you have at least heard of Seinfeld, if not seen or heard it referenced at some points. Seinfeld, described as "a show about nothing," obviously did a lot of something to become probably the most popular and well known comedy of all-time, and for good reason, it is absolutely hysterical! The series follows a fictionalized version of Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York and all of the insane misadventures that the group gets themselves into. If you somehow have not seen Seinfeld, what the heck are you doing!? Watch it! It's beyond a classic!
Watch on: Hulu

9: Psych

Psych is a crime mystery drama with a heavy dose of comedy blended throughout. Often times, it is funnier than the majority of comedies, yet smarter than the majority of drama crimes. The dynamic duo of Shawn and Gus have so much chemistry and witty banter. Psych is just one of the most entertaining TV series ever for me. In the later seasons, the writing is a bit weaker, but my investment in the great cast of characters made it all worth it. If you want a crime drama with a comedic twist and great characters, give Psych a chance.
Watch on: Netflix

8: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

While the first few episodes did lean towards less mature themes, after the episode "Rookies" The Clone Wars turned out to best thing to happen to the Star Wars franchise in years. It gave fans some of the best Star Wars stories since the Original Trilogy. A few story arcs are absolute masterpieces. As with most of my favorite shows, The Clone Wars was cancelled too soon. Fortunately, however, the final story arcs are on Netflix, even if the series never had a chance to end the right way. Also, it should be noted that my ranking of The Clone Wars is incredibly biased. I will admit that some other shows are probably better, but I have a lot of nostalgia for it almost because of how it positively affected my blog and how it has made a lot of new Star Wars fans during its run. 

Watch on: Netflix

7: Frasier

A spinoff of the popular Cheers TV series, Frasier might the most consistently high quality TV comedy ever made. Every TV series is bound to have moments of weak writing, and yet, despite 11 seasons and 264 episodes, Frasier rarely features a truly weak episode. Not every episode is the funniest thing ever, although many episodes are, even the weaker ones make you laugh several times. Honestly, Frasier is the type of comedy that everyone could at least get something out of and that everyone should watch because it is not especially crude, or at least no more so than Seinfeld. The series follows Frasier Crane, his brother Niles, their father, Martin, and the physiotherapist, Daphne Moon as they go about their everyday life, and even though it is a spinoff, having only seen a handful of Cheers episodes, you can watch Frasier without any prior knowledge.

Watch on: Netflix, Hulu

6: Avatar: The Last Airbender / Legend of Korra

After a few years of watching Japanese anime, I never expected an American animated series to ever impress me, to get me involved in the characters and story, and yet, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra did that so well. Following the Avatar, a person born with the ability to wield all four types of Element Bending, The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra tell sprawling fantasy epics. While season one of The Last Airbender is a bit childish, the later seasons develop the characters and really tell a story that is on par with other fantasy epics. Legend of Korra meandered a bit in its seasons, so it ended up being a bit weaker than The Last Airbender, but as an adult, both series truly impressed me. The series hits no matter your age, assuming animation is not a barrier. For me, Avatar: The Last Airbender is the pinnacle of western animation, so give me a chance.
Watch on: Amazon Prime

Are any of these your favorites? What do you think of list? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 25 TV Shows: Part 3

My list of the Top 25 TV Shows of All-Time continues with five more entries! If you missed my previous parts, click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

15: Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation is very much a personal pick as it is a favorite of mine. After watching Seinfeld and the old classic comedies, the new brand of comedies like The Office and Arrested Development never seemed to interest me enough to watch. However, after Guardians of the Galaxy, I desperately needed more of the hysterical Chris Pratt, which led me to Parks and Recreation, and thus my doorway to many modern comedies in the Single-Camera style. Parks and Recreation finds the perfect middle ground between character drama and humor, and while Seinfeld or Frasier might be funnier, Parks and Recreation's characters are incredibly likable and quirky.
Watch on: Netflix, Hulu

14: Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones left me feeling conflicted by the end. On one hand, the acting, characterization, writing, and direction are all excellent with one of Marvel’s greatest villains to date. On the other hand, the absurd amount of unnecessary sexual content really detracted and distracted from the experience for me, especially during the first half. Thankfully, the second half of Jessica Jones focused on the plot and characters to great effect. David Tennant is positively smashing as Kilgrave. His humor, motivations, and powers made him an incredibly unique foil to Jessica’s character. Jessica herself, played superbly by Krysten Ritter, focuses on the character’s lack of heroism and the conflict of whether or not to do “the right thing.” All in all, despite my personal issues with the content, Jessica Jones is a strongly written addition to Marvel’s Netflix series of shows, as well as the MCU at large.

Watch on: Netflix

13: Agatha Christie's Poirot

Based on Agatha Christie's long running series of mystery stories, Poirot follows titular Hercule Poirot, a renowned detective. Unfortunately, I have yet to see all 70 episodes of Poirot’s adventures. However, I have seen a large portion of the series, mostly of the final few seasons. Even based on a little more than half of the series, Poirot is one of Britain’s best television series and mystery shows ever produced. “Murder on the Orient Express” is, quite possibly, the greatest piece of television mystery ever created. It explores moral dilemmas and crafts an excellent mystery. Even if you never watch the series, at least do yourself the service of enjoying one of the best mysteries ever told in watching “Murder on the Orient Express.” If I were to have seen the entirety of the series and not just the later seasons, it might have ranked higher on the list.
Watch on: Netflix

12: Agent Carter

ABC’s criminally under-watched Marvel series, Agent Carter, is easily the best show on television that no is watching! Following Peggy Carter, first appearing in Captain America: The First Avenger, Agent Carter shows audiences what happened in-between the events of The First Avenger and Iron Man with cameos from The First Avenger and hints at what would become big players in the future of the MCU. As a period piece, Agent Carter truly showed a different side of the MCU. Even the commentary of a woman’s role in the workplace of the 1940s is effortlessly integrated into the narrative without feeling out-of-place, which is incredibly hard to do. Peggy Carter, played exceptionally by Hayley Atwell, along with a great cast of James D'Arcy as Jarvis and Enver Gjokaj as Daniel Sousa. Agent Carter needs to be watched, so why aren’t you doing that right now!
Watch on: Netflix, ABC

11: The X-Files

Before the many copy-cats like Warehouse 13, Fringe, and Supernatural, The X-Files created the formula for the mystery sci-fi/supernatural genre, and it still stands tall as the highlight of the genre. Even more than two decades since the first season, The X-Files holds up. Mulder and Scully are classic, iconic characters that stand among television’s best. The X-Files often tells intriguing stories about various mysterious happenings with just enough shown to make things interesting yet leaving much to the imagination. Fox’s recent return of the series was mostly good, albeit not as strong as the early seasons. Currently, I have seen the first five seasons and the recent tenth, so the series might rank higher when I finish the series. However, if you are a fan of sci-fi, you own it to yourself to watch this classic.
Watch on: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Fox

Check back soon for more!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 25 TV Shows: Part 2

My list of the Top 25 TV Shows of All-Time continues with five more entries! If you missed Part 1, click here.

20: The IT Crowd

A British comedy about the IT (Information Technologies) department at Reynholm Industries, a fictional corporation in London, The IT Crowd is one of the pure funniest TV shows ever made. With a zany style all its own, The IT Crowd is a unique comedy to be sure. Instead of going the route of quantity over quality, like many US sitcoms, The IT Crowd only features 24 episodes over 4 seasons. Each episode is a setup to several big jokes with the punchline at the end, with many smaller hilarious jokes intertwined. Describing how the series' humor works is difficult, but if you are up for some wacky and occasionally surreal comedy that defies conventions, watch The IT Crowd. 

Warning: The IT Crowd is intended for mature audiences. There are occasional uses of strong profanity, as well as potentially offensive humor (but what comedy doesn't have that?).

Watch on: Netflix, Hulu

19: The Office

Of all the many comedies that I have seen, no other comedy features characters with the level of development that The Office displays. Yes, The Office is hysterical, especially seasons 2-7, and it is full of jokes and quotes that left me in stitches. However, what sets it apart is how you care about the characters as they live their lives and the drama that follows, along with the great comedy. Unfortunately, after Steve Carell left, the series' writing took a massive drop in quality to the point where it was not even funny during the middle portion of the final season. Despite that, The Office is one of my favorite comedies with some of my favorite characters in television.
Watch on: Netflix, Hulu

18: The Flash

While Arrow started CW’s DC-verse, The Flash launched it into the mainstream with, arguably, DC’s best live-action hero. The Flash’s first season took some cues from the MCU and actually made a DC series with fun, humor, likable characters, and heroism. Grant Gustin portrays a brilliant Barry Allen, aka The Flash with humor and likeability not found in other DC works. Season 1 really embracing on the full-on comic book-y fun not found in many TV superhero shows. Unfortunately, Season 2 is struggling a bit more with the writing, especially compared to Marvel’s massive improvements in all of its TV shows. However, The Flash still delivers superhero fun each week with DC’s best on-screen hero to date.

Watch on: Netflix, Hulu, CW

17: The Walking Dead

Despite my initial hesitation about watching the series, The Walking Dead turned out to be a very entertaining television series. At one point, The Walking Dead ranked much higher on my list. Unfortunately, in spite of the likable characters, the series’ writing has been up and down throughout the five seasons. Sometimes, it is thrilling and terrifying in the way a zombie series should be, while other times it can be really dumb. With that said, The Walking Dead is a special series and there is nothing else like it.

Watch on: Netflix, AMC

16: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. started a bit rough. The first half of the first season really lost many viewers, which is unfortunate. As the series continues in the aftermath of The Winter Soldier, it departs from the more lighthearted exploits of the early episodes. In seasons two and three, the series continues to improve with stronger characterization and some truly great usage of Marvel properties on television. In fact, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is easily one of, if not, the best show on network TV. Unfortunately, no one is watching it and judges the series based on that first weak season.

Watch on: Netflix, Hulu, ABC

Are any of these your favorites? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 25 TV Shows: Part 1

Television is a fascinating form of media. Whereas film only allows a few hours to tell a story, television can tell a much larger narrative or many episodic stories, yet is often restricted by budget and cancellation. However, television has given us many of fictions greatest characters and stories and the extra time TV affords, we have often spent more time with television characters than any film or novel can provide. Some shows span years, while others are cut short, well before their time. Today, my list of the Top 25 TV Shows will kick off!

Before we get started, here are some rules and things to remember. The television must have aired a complete first season at this time, and miniseries are not included. Please note that shows that have aired on movie channels, like HBO, are likely not on the list because I have never had those channels. Lastly, ranking television series that aired before I became a critic is difficult, therefore many series featured are relatively new or currently airing. So, with that out of the way, let’s get started!

25: Arrow

CW's first series that launched a larger DC universe on television, the CW-Verse, Arrow tells the story of Oliver Queen, who becomes the Arrow to protect Star City. Arrow opened strong with a solid first season, a great second season, a lacking third season, and a fun, yet imperfect, fourth season, at least thus far. Arrow isn't exactly masterpiece television, but it is an incredibly fun and entertaining action series. The writing can be inconsistent, yet I thoroughly enjoy most episodes every week. What can I say, I enjoy superheroes and fun! DC's Legends of Tomorrow would have made the list if it was not so short, but it is definitely better than Arrow's current season.
Watch on: Netflix, CW

24: Fawlty Towers

If you want to laugh and only have to watch 12 episodes, look no further than the British comedy classic, Fawlty Towers. Starring Monty Python veteran, John Cleese, it is possibly Cleese's best work, and considering how hysterical his other works are, that's saying something. Fawlty Towers' premise is simple. It follows Basil Fawlty, his wife, and the people that work at his hotel and all the hilarity that ensues! If you want a short and easy to watch example of the Brit's quick wit, look no further than Fawlty Towers.

Watch on: Netflix

23: Stargate SG-1

After Star Wars, Stargate SG-1 was probably the biggest influence on my love of science fiction when I was a kid. While it is certainly an adult show, it was my favorite show for years until I watched the Doctor Who reboot in 2005. Stargate SG-1 is somewhat of a sequel to the 1994 Roland Emmerich film, Stargate. However, you do not have to see the film for it to make sense. Stargate SG-1 mixes military and exploration as the Stargates that the characters travel through takes them to many alien planets with a deep mythology based on Egyptian and Nordic lore. For an often overlooked sci-fi series, check out Stargate SG-1.
Warning: Since the first season aired on Showtime, an uncensored channel, the first episode contained one scene with 18+ content; however, the rest of the series is mostly TV-14 content.
Watch on: ?

22: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Taking place after the first two Terminator films, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles completely changes the timeline and essentially erases the mediocre T3 and Salvation. While the films are more action heavy, the series adds in more dramatic and intrigue, yet still retaining many of the core aspects of the films, especially with the cast. Summer Glau is an exceptional take on the “good” Terminator as the series humanizes her character, and Lena Headey, of Game of Thrones fame, superbly replaces Linda Hamilton's iconic role of Sarah Connor. Fox, "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal" for cancelling yet another fantastic series after only two seasons, especially since it ended with a cliffhanger!

Watch on: ?

21: Batman: The Animated Series

Sure, it may be animated, but that makes Batman: The Animated Series a no less brilliant television series. Interestingly enough, as a kid, I disliked the series and never watched more than a few episodes. It was not until my late teens did I discover the true greatness of Kevin Conroy and Bruce Tim’s take on Batman. In many ways, Batman: The Animated Series portrays Bruce Wayne/Batman is a more dynamic way than even Nolan’s trilogy. Mark Hamill is an incredibly iconic Joker, and defined the character in many ways. The series even influence the comics by introducing the fan favorite, Harley Quinn, and redefined Mr. Freeze’s origin and character. While it might be dated, Batman: The Animated Series’ influence on Batman comics and American cartoons as well.

Watch on: Amazon Prime

Are any of these your favorites? Please check back soon for the continuation of the list!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the film that launches DC's larger film universe and introduces audiences to a new Batman, yet does it succeed?

With a 29% on the Rotten Tomatoes and many mixed reviews, Batman V Superman is a divisive film. The question is whether or not it deserves such a harsh rating, and by the end of the review, the question will be answered. But admittedly, I feel like I need to say, "I told you so" because BvS is exactly the disjointed and pretentious narrative mess than the trailers implied, yet that does not mean it is all bad.

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Genre: Action, Comic Book, Sci-Fi,

Release Date: March 25, 2016

Running Time: 151 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Ben Affleck is great, Batman looks awesome, Jeremy Irons is brilliantly cast, Wonder Woman is cool, Fun teases for Justice League, One incredible Batman action sequence, Stunning visuals at times, Entertaining action set pieces, Batman parts are excellent, Superb Zimmer OST,

The Bad: Batman kills!? WHAT THE HECK, Jesse Eisenberg is painful to watch, Henry Cavill is wooden, Zero character development, Too many plot threads for one movie, Doomsday is terribly shoehorned in, Disjointed and convoluted narrative, Lacking character motivations, Lazy Justice League setup, Lex's plan?, Laughable dialogue at times,

Plot: 5.2/10- BvS's plot is all over the place. The first two Acts are serious and heavy with drama, with the Batman parts being brilliant, and the Superman parts falling flat. There are discussions of Superman as an almost religious figure, and while some may say that adds thematic depth, it boils down to about ten minutes of news reports blatantly discussing the topic with zero subtly. The theme is essentially dropped as a theme towards the end as soon as the action begins, so it feels hollow.

Many plot points and mature tone of the first half are just dropped as soon as the action starts, and the poor execution across the board does not help either. There are so many missed opportunities throughout the film. However, there are hints of greatness, yet nothing comes to fruition with the final Act being a big throwdown with rushed narrative elements. As for the film as a whole, there are far too many narrative aspects, setup for future films, and general lack of cohesion between the various aspects to really feel like a competent narrative. Additionally, certain plot elements are far too convenient, especially with Lex's plan. However, the film address Man of Steel's largest criticism of pointless destruction with a well executed scene of Bruce Wayne running through the carnage.

Characterization: 5.0/10- Batman V Superman's characters are a big mixed bag. Batman, essentially the star of the film, is mostly brilliant. This Batman is old and seasoned, having fought crime for over 20 years at this point. Affleck's Batman is the most comic book accurate one in live-action yet, except for one very important thing: HE KILLS PEOPLE! With no explanation, Batman fires his machine guns on the Batwing and blows vehicles up with people in them. You never see any specific death scenes, but it is obvious that people are dying. The strange part is that there are no mentions the fact that he kills people. I literally threw my hands up in the air in the theater when he did for the first few times. A one-off line by Alfred, who is great in the film, could have explained everything, but nope, nothing, as if he isn't killing people. So the problem isn't that Batman is killing people, but rather there is no acknowledgement of why or even confirmation that he is killing. Regardless of this strange aspect, Batman is easily the best part of the film as he is a bad*ss and does a little detective/espionage work. Even the Bruce Wayne aspect of the character is arguably better than Bale's portrayal, and Batman's motivations are the only character motivations that make sense. If anything, BvS made me wish this Batman had his own solo film with more of this gritty bad*ss detective version of the character.

Superman is even more poorly portrayed than in Man of Steel. Clark Kent and Lois have one good scene together towards the beginning, but everything else about Superman's character is flat and lacking in character development. Nothing about Superman is particularly well done. He is just boring and void of character development. Superman is basically a plot device in that his mere existence creates the conflict, yet not his on-screen actions. Overall, Superman is awfully dull, lacks motivation, and Lois struggles to remain relevant throughout the film.

Lex Luthor is a joke, maybe even more so than Gene Hackman's Lex in the original Superman. His motivations are weak, his character trait of being insane is lazy, and he only serves to drag the film down. As expected, Doomsday is literally just a creature for the heroes to fight for visual spectacle with a shoehorned in creation.

Wonder Woman is the only other character with any significance, and she is definitely an afterthought. However, the hints at her backstory and her scenes towards the end make me more excited for her solo film than even the Justice League. She doesn't do a lot, but what he does do is cool.

Direction: 7.9/10- Visually, Zack Snyder is at his best with a fairly solid balance of artistic style and realism. The dark and washed out colors are not nearly as bad as Man of Steel, and honestly, this is what I have come to expect from Snyder. Some scenes are simply stunning. Unfortunately, the visuals are often undermined by disjointed editing between scenes. The Batman scenes are great, and Affleck's input is clearly seen by the superior performances and camera framing, whereas the Superman scenes are more dull and uninteresting, much like Man of Steel.

However, Snyder does not disappoint in the action, well, at least for the most part. When the action does start, it never really stops as it moves from action set piece to the next, which mostly works. Any scene with Batman is exactly what I have been waiting for since the Batman: Arkham Asylum video games, particularly the scene towards the end. This Batman is brutal, fast, strong, and uses all his gadgets to the fullest. The big throwdown between Batman and Superman is fun, yet felt lacking. It is essentially two guys punching each other and throwing each other through walls, nothing original. Lastly, the big battle at the end is mostly CGI, and it is fine I suppose; nothing special or exciting, but a decent spectacle. As a whole, the action is all fun, entertaining, and well directed. However, in this age of Marvel movies, Mad Max, and Kingsman, many action flicks lack the X-Factor in their action sequences and BvS is no exception. Fellow critic and guest author,  Jordan Rath, makes a brilliant in his review with "Almost every Marvel movie I've ever been to has something where I go 'Hmm! I've never seen that before!' BvS has titans locking horns, yes, but the actual fight isn't all that innovative." And Jordan is right. There is nothing that matches the originality of Marvel's action sequences, except for that one aforementioned Batman scene.

Acting: 5.1/10- BvS is a massive mixed bag of brilliant, decent, and atrocious performances from the cast. Ben Affleck is undoubtedly brilliant. He is one of the best live-action portrayals of Batman. Henry Cavill is wooden, and his laughable dialogue and delivery doesn't help. He is horribly dull with no charm or depth. Cavill says his lines in the most mundane way possible. Come on Snyder, when are you going to learn how to direct actors!? Jesse Eisenberg is awful. You might hear the term "Cringe-worthy" thrown around, but Eisenberg's performance is the embodiment of the term. It was painful and uncomfortable to watch Eisenberg's take on Lex. Later in the film, he improves a bit, but still, he is the worst part of the film and drags it down a few notches. Sure, Eisenberg always plays a spastic, out-of-control character, which sometimes works, but this a whole new level of awfulness, except for a few decent scenes. Jeremy Irons as Alfred and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman give performances that make me excited for their future portrayals. Amy Adams is average at best, and the rest of the cast do their jobs and nothing more.

Special effects: 7.8/10- Until the final big fight, the special effects are consistent, even when certain scenes are obviously CGI. Nothing amazed me, yet nothing looked awful. Doomsday looked decent, but not nearly as well done as other recent CGI characters, like the Hulk, Gollum, or Groot.

Soundtrack: 8.6/10- Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL's score is quite strong. There are points in the film where it was noticeably brilliant, specifically the track "Is She With You?," and the rest is fitting for the film.

Humor: N/A- BvS balances the lack of humor better than Man of Steel, yet is still mostly humorless, so my expectations were essentially matched.

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10- Despite the two and a half hour runtime, Dawn of Justice is an entertaining watch. Batman's parts are a lot of fun, and the novelty of the DC's Big Three on screen for the first time is great. Oddly enough, critiquing such a flawed, yet decently entertaining, film is a joy itself as a writer. However, if you did not grow up watching DC cartoons or reading comics and have not been excited for Batman and Superman to finally meet on the big screen, then BvS is likely underwhelming.

Overall: 7.0/10- Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is an enjoyable watch for some viewers, myself included. However, the plot is all over the place, the characters, aside from Batman, are flat, and the action, while entertaining, is nothing mind blowing. In fact, my score is much higher than my individual category scores indicate because this is not a "great" movie, just a decent one with tons of missed potential. But there is something about the novelty and mostly brilliant portrayal of Batman that makes the movie more enjoyable and memorable than it ever should be. More objectively, BvS deserves a 6.2/10, but personal factors push it up to a 7.0/10.

Closing comments: Batman V Superman is basically a guilty pleasure at times. If you adamantly hate the film, by all means do so, because there is plenty aspects of the film that are worthy of the 29% Tomatoe rating. However, if you managed to find certain parts enjoyable, that's great too. But I'm sure most can agree that this is not the type of start that the DC Cinematic Universe needed to convince everyone that DC can make great movies. Well, at least they can make decent ones. And lastly, if you did not already plan to see the film in theaters, just wait for the Blu-Ray/DVD because you aren't missing much.

Recommended for: DC fans, Batman fans,

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Top 10 DC Comics Movies: Part 2

My countdown to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice continues with my final five picks for the best DC films. And if you missed Part 1, click here.

5: The Dark Knight Rises

While some Nolanites holdfast, The Dark Knight Rises has undeniably fallen from grace. But that is not to say it is a bad film. It is stunningly directed and contains many of the best action sequences of the trilogy, even if the plot is a total mess and lacking in the thematic weight it so desperately believes it contains. Even though the movie is very enjoyable, hence the placing on this list, and I was crazy about it after watching it in theaters, after every repeat viewing the movie gets worse and worse to the point that I almost want to consider it a guilty pleasure. At the time of my first viewing, I even considered it better than The Dark Knight, yet every time I watch it, I find something else not to like. Despite those problems, The Dark Knight Rises is still a very fun movie.

4: Superman

"You'll believe a man can fly," that was the tagline in 1978, and Christopher Reeve made an entire generation believe man can fly! The film is almost like an epic following Clark Kent on his journey to becoming Superman. Christopher Reeve defined Superman and Clark Kent, playing each part differently almost to the point that you can believe how Clark's co-workers would not notice the similarities between the two. Reeve and Margot Kidder's brilliant performances and chemistry almost make up for the awfully campy performance of Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, which clashes with the seriousness of Reeve. However, Reeve's take on Superman is legendary and still holds up well today, even if it is campy.

3: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

For me, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best work of animation the west has ever produced, and that is not likely to change anytime soon. Based on Batman: The Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm features the fantastic voice cast of the best Batman, Kevin Conroy, and Mark Hamil's brilliant take on the Joker. Unlike other adaptations of Batman, Mask of the Phantasm highlights the detective and mystery aspects of Caped Crusader to excellent effect. Also, the film’s romance is, by far, the best of any Batman movie. Overall, Mask of the Phantasm is well crafted Batman tale that goes deeper into the character than most other film versions.

2: Batman Begins

After Batman and Robin killed DC's films for nearly a decade, Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins kick-started the Batman franchise in the right direction with a serious take on the character. While Christian Bale starred in the film, the supporting cast is the real star of the film. Gary Oldman's James Gordon proves to be a brilliant casting choice and Liam Neeson plays an exceptional villain. The film might not be perfect by any means, but it finally gave audiences a serious, high quality live-action film.

Batman Begins Review.

1: The Dark Knight

Could there be any other? The Dark Knight is, by far, the best film that DC has produced. Nothing even comes close. Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance is legendary. He steals every single scene he is in. Everyone knows that The Dark Knight is a brilliant film and is almost universally adored. Christian Bale isn’t bad as Batman, but we all know that the movie is great because of Ledger’s performance. It's The Dark Knight, what more can be said?

The Dark Knight Review

What are your favorites? Please comment below and let me know!

Honorable Mentions: Batman: Under the Red Hood, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Red II, Red

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