This past weekend, I viewed Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, and left feeling slightly confused, but not at all surprised. DC Comics, in my experience, seems to play on the same themes for almost all of its more popular characters. The most common theme is the struggle to maintain normalcy and limits on the part of the hero, and also prove they are present to help, and a lack of trust and skepticism on the part of the people. This film was no exception.

Though it was executed nicely, this theme was nothing new to DC’s franchise. It simply further separated the audience from the protagonists, causing a slight lack of sympathy for Superman. Henry Cavill performed his role of Superman nicely, giving us a layered, complex character that the viewer is inclined to root for, but is unable to empathize with at times, due to his disposition. On the other hand, Ben Affleck’s performance as Batman embodied the character well, showing shifts from rich playboy to brooding antihero easily, and also showing that Bruce is wounded internally from the ghosts of his past and can only heal once he lets them go.

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman was well executed as well, keeping the audience on edge with her unpredictable aura and her quick exits. However, I felt that she deserved more screen time since she is such a complex character and plays a substantial role in bringing the two protagonists together.

I became a huge fan of Jesse Eisenburg from his appearance of Daniel Atlas in Now You See Me, and his Lex Luthor is what I personally liked most about the film. Many other portrayals of Luthor show a dignified businessman who is charming, alluring, and intelligent. While Eisenburg’s Luthor was all of that, he also added something extra to his character with his slightly erratic behavior. That behavior sets the audience on edge, and makes the character more unpredictable and off than original portrayals, which interested me and also showed the audience what Luthor really is, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Amy Adam’s Lois Lane was interesting, dynamic, and very brave. Her boldness in the film and her determination for the truth honors the character well, proving you don’t need superpowers to save the day.

The storyline, while interesting, was confusing and quite cluttered at times. It was more of a collection of good ideas rather than a concise story with clear motives. This took away from some of the character work done by the actors, and left the audience at times confused and, to some extent, angry.

The effects for the film were fantastic, portraying every scene with intrigue, actions, and conflict with the same level of precision. The director, Zack Snyder, made every scene dynamic and intense through the angles of the camera, capturing even the slightest nuances.

Though there were many good pieces within this film, they unfortunately did not come together to create the film that this deserved to be, and once again playing on a theme DC has beaten quite literally to death.