It obviously wasn’t his intention, but Zack Snyder has inadvertently forged a reputation for directing some of the most hotly-contested and endlessly-debated comic book adaptations of the modern era. Watchmen, Man of Steel, and HBO Max’s Justice League have plenty of supporters and detractors, but none have stoked the fires quite like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Fans will defend the epic crossover to the death, but that doesn’t compensate for the fact the decades in the making showdown was deemed a box office disappointment in spite of earning a mammoth $873 million at the box office. Snyder also admitted that Warner Bros. hated the movie, while writer Chris Terrio was even more scathing in his assessment, and all you have to do to get a rise out of any DC supporter in one way or another is mention the word “Martha”.
It wouldn’t be unfair to say the butt-numbing 152-minute blockbuster (and its Ultimate Edition with an extra 30 minutes of footage) tried to do far too much in the span of a single feature, with Black Adam editor Mike Sale echoing those sentiments in an interview with ScreenRant.
“My only thing is I wish there were three movies of Batman and three movies of Superman before they fought. I wish there was more. I want more. I’m hoping that we’re good enough that this can lead to some more cool things. I’m sure it will. It seems like, basically reading the results this morning, I’m like, “I think we have a mission accomplished. And hopefully, in the future, we get to see a lot of cool stuff.”
As a Man of Steel sequel and introduction to Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight that also has to incorporate Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Wonder Woman, and the building blocks for the rest of the Justice League all at once, Batman v Superman is way too overstuffed for its own good. That doesn’t mean people don’t love it, though, but it’s a long way away from being perfect.
