Against a backdrop of hazy smoke and shadows, illumined by the fires of destruction, a battle rages.

A battle of good and evil.

Of human frailty in the presence of godlike power.

Of corruption and responsibility.

Of Metropolis and Gotham.

Of gods and devils.

Welcome to Batman v Superman.

The Good

I loved Christian Bale in the role of Batman, so when I discovered Ben Affleck was the new guy in the suit, I was hesitant. I’m glad to say Affleck allayed my fears of a subpar Batman dragging the movie down. His performance was strong, and lit a bright light for the near-future success of Batman.

As per usual with DC, this movie flung itself happily into the world where the black and white of wrong and right run together in a gray muddle. It fascinated me to see the constant tug-of-war between opposing ideas that raised some provocative questions:

• What makes someone a villain or a hero?
• Where does uncontrolled power lead?
• Where is the line between saving and destroying?

A recurring theme was that of gods and humans. Superman was practically worshipped, pointing to the fact that mankind is and always has been on the hunt for God. Yet the movie presented an intriguing tension. Man isn’t satisfied with mere worship. We must raise ourselves up or bring the gods down.

Caught up in the midst of this god-and-human dynamic was a crazed fellow by the name of Lex.

In a movie of superheroes, it was the ordinary citizen who stole the show. Jessie Eisenberg was brilliant as Lex Luther. Maybe not true to the Lex fans have seen in the past, but a marvelous performance that brought Lex to life in a disturbing, fascinating way.

The Bad

I’m not a fan of dream sequences, and this movie reminded me why. The first time it was kinda obvious. But they continued in a way that didn’t scream “he’s dreaming!” A drastic turn of events, and pow! Wakey-wakey time.

Which planted a seed of doubt that haunted me at certain points. Was this for real, or merely another bait-and-switch type offering? Not good when you want the story to captivate you.

Parts of the story felt disjointed. Unlike Marvel movies containing multiple superheroes, BvS suffered a lack of coherency and natural flow. The point that tipped the relationship between Batman and Supes toward friends was weak and unconvincing.

Then we have Wonder Woman. Little character development, no backstory. I hope her subsequent movies make an attempt to add some seasoning to her currently bland character.

What really irked me was how she waltzed in near the end, powers and epic shield displayed in flashy fashion, and presto. Instant superhero team. They worked together, no questions asked, no doubts raised. With no time to form a cohesive group.

The Ugly

In the literal department, let’s start with Doomsday, who’s nothing more than a glorified orc. I suspect his appearance was an effort on the part of the producers to remain loyal to the original comic rendering (forgive my ignorance, those of you who know more than I), but really, he came across as blah.

• Destructive powers…check.
• Ear-blasting roar…check.
• Nearly impossible to defeat…check.
• Been-here-seen-that…check.

The rare attempts at humor fell flat. They didn’t burst with conviction and checked their wit at the door. It was forced, unlike humor in Marvel films, which comes naturally, working in the story and staying in character.

Generously speaking, BvS was a spectacle of chaos and destruction. On a mind-numbing scale that ceased to make any impact other than to remind you that yes, these characters could destroy a slew of cities and not come close to killing each other.

Same old, same old.

If Bruce paid for all the property damaged, he’d be as rich as the rest of us. I don’t have a problem with action and destruction, but there comes a point when it reduces to a pointless, dulling avalanche of boom and crash on the screen.

And in breaking news, crime wave hits Gotham, water is wet, and Affleck and Cavill receive their obligatory “look at my ripped upper body” screen time.

The Result

I’ll admit, a few times a twist caught me by surprise, and I didn’t foresee the end turning out as it did. For me, that was one of the strongest parts of the movie. And the final clip…even though its 99.9% obvious what’s in store, there’s that nagging in the back of your mind, “What did that really mean?”

The movie made a point of setting up later DC films, promising an expanding universe and more escapades. In that sense, it did a good of bridging the gap between the Dark Knight and Man of Steel, and the upcoming surge of DC films.

At the end of the day…

Did I lean forward in breathless anticipation, hanging on every moment, every word? Except for a few occasions, no.

Did I sit glued to my seat in rapt attention? No.

Did the motifs set my thinking wheels turning? Yes.

Did the story carry me on an emotional rollercoaster that left me gloriously numb from the epicness of it all? No.

It was solid, not amazing. Entertaining, not extraordinary.

If you’ve seen Batman v Superman, what was your opinion? I’d love to hear your thoughts.