**Disclaimer: This blog post will not defend or spin the more controversial and criticized elements of the film such as the execution of the “Martha” scene, the design of Doomsday, Jessie Eisenberg’s divisive performance, the clarity of Luthor’s motivations etc. There are many fans who have written blogs, made videos, and posted podcasts discussing, explaining, and defending these things. Also, this piece will not mention some of the more obscure references the film makes to other works as the point of the post isn’t to point out easter eggs or material which may have been inspiration for the film with the exception of comic books, video games, and animated works based on the titular characters. Thus, there will be no mention of 1981’s Excalibur, Joseph Campbell, revenge tragedies, biblical allusions, etc.

**1.)-Ben Affleck as batman**: one of the most hated castings in the history of modern cinema turns out to be one of the universally praised aspects of the film.

**2.)-A distinct and fresh take on batman on the big screen**: one of the biggest challenges of the film was to create a batman character that could stand toe to toe, yet be different from the batman of the beloved Nolan Trilogy (not an easy task). Everything from the costume, to the way he moves and fights, to the voice modulator, to the Bruce Wayne alter ego was done very effectively and done in a way that is both an homage to the larger lore as well as incorporating new bold and original elements.

**3.)-Jeremy Irons as Alfred**: Incredible dry wit. Check. “Old married couple” sort of dynamic with Bruce. Check. Genius behind a lot of Batman’s tech. Check. Always the first to call Bruce out on his BS. Check. That about sums up the recipe for one of the greatest portrayals of the character yet.

**4.)-Lois and Clark relationship**: The romance between the two take a turn for the tragic in this dark chapter of the DCEU. Lois spends the entire film trying to defend Superman’s name and in her quest to uncover Luthor’s schemes and prove Superman’s innocence and altruism, she loses Clark Kent in the process. Throughout the course of the film, in Clark’s most trying time of confusion and hurt caused by death following him no matter where he goes , Lois is not there to comfort him because she is ironically out there trying to protect a symbol, but not comforting the man behind the symbol. In the end Lois succeeds in clearing the name of the larger than life hero- Superman, but loses the simple man from Kansas whom she was in love with- Clark. The film also presents an interesting juxtaposition of the 2 scenes where superman calls Lois “my world”, where in one twisted alternate future- he would enslave and reign over mankind after losing her, while in the film’s own continuity (the “official DCEU timeline”)- he sacrifices himself for mankind after saving her.

**5.)-Batman warehouse scene**: ‘Nuff said

**6.)-New, fully functioning batmobile**: just like Nolan before him and the older batman films by Schumacher and Burton, Snyder follows in tradition in making a fully functioning practical batmobile and gives us one of the most grounded, yet visually appealing iterations of the most famous car in pop culture.

**7.)-New and comic accurate Bat Tech brought to the big screen**: Proper Batarangs, 2 types of Grapple guns, sticky explosives for destroying firearms, mech suit with comic book like lit up eyes, a new batwing, smoke grenades, a tech cowl, Kryptonite weapons, and a new batcave all courtesy of Snyder and Patrick Tatopoulos etc.

**8.)-Supporting Cast**: Holly Hunter, Diane Lane, Callan Mulvey, etc. all do an incredible job with their limited yet important roles. One particular highlight was the scene where Senator Finch verbally spares with Lex Luthor in Luthor’s deceased father’s den. It seemed like a scene ripped straight out of House of Cards.

**9.)-Invasion of Metropolis**: Seeing the horror of a 3rd act superhero film played out for real from a street perspective immediately resonates with the audience emotionally and perfectly sets up the genesis of the batman v superman conflict without a word of dialogue

**10.)-Soundtrack**: Hanz Zimmer (behind every major studio tentpole soundtrack you ever loved) and Junkie Xl (Mad Max Fury Road) truly cook up something special by keeping in line with the incredible work that was done in Man of Steel while still creating distinct themes for batman (the first time a batman theme really evokes the terror represented by that character), WW (infectious and empowering), and Lex (a reversal and distorted version of the Man of Steel Superman theme perfectly capturing the fact that Jessie’s Lex is a complete antithesis of Cavil’s superman- physically unimposing and weak, manipulating, power hungry, wealthy, self-important, etc.)

**11.)-Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman**: Another casting decision that drew the ire of the internet (with fans claiming her body proportions and thick accent would ruin the character) and yet again, another aspect of the film that seems to be universally praised. From the performance to the costume to the lasso and sword, audiences gravitated towards her immediately. In the last 20 or so years, we’ve gotten multiple batman and spider man iterations as well as multiple iron man, Captain America, and wolverine films, so it was crucial that the first modern cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman be appropriately powerful and Snyder more or less nailed it with Diana saving batman (the peak of masculinity who in this case was the damsal of distress) and leading the trinity charge against Doomsday.

**12.)-Lois Lane the reporter**: While Lois Lane shooting kryptonians with alien weaponry and being put in military garbs to accompany a bombing mission was cool in Man of Steel, it was great to see her as a relentless reporter in BvS (you know, the thing she’s kind of known for) who was ultimately the one responsible for putting Lex Luthor behind bars. She isn’t given genius comic book level intellect but pieces the truth together by using important contacts, deductive reasoning, and unyielding persistence (you know, how real reporters work). It was important to show how even in a world of gods, monsters, and aliens, a normal human being can still make a difference.

**13.)-Story Arcs amongst 2 titular characters**: Despite it’s multiple plotlines, bombastic action scenes, world building, etc. the film boiled down to its essentials is still about 2 men. One who dies fighting for a world that has rejected him. The other finding hope in darkest period of his life.

**14.)-Contrast and parallels between 2 titular characters**: Batman operates in the dark, doing terrible things to other human beings with the media and the authorities not giving a damn. Superman operates in the open view of the world, saving human beings with the media and authorities judging and contemplating his every action. Batman is jaded, apathetic, and at the end of his career, seeing only the darkness in humanity. Superman is naïve, optimistic, at the beginning of his career, wanting only to see the goodness in humanity (trying to convince his murderer to save his mother, saving Lex from Doomsday, etc.). Superman takes his alter ego as a reporter very seriously and thinks his written and spoken words can better the world. Batman only sees himself as a vigilante with the Bruce Wayne persona as a farce and thinks only force and violence can better the world (“the world only makes sense if you force it to). For a complete breakdown: https://www.reddit.com/r/DC_Cinematic/comments/5pfzek/discussion_day_v_knight_a_contrast_of_superman/?st=j4lqabm5&sh=695da443

**15.)-Superman’s intangible adversaries**: Instead of fighting metallo, Brainiac, Darksied, etc. Superman tackles socioeconomic injustice in gotham, fear mongering by mainstream media, and politically motivated suicide bombings in BvS. Superman’s struggles with these issues is very similar to the comic book: Peace on Earth. His heat vision, strength, and physical invulnerabilities can’t solve any of these issues and thus creates tension and drama with the film showing audiences that you don’t necessarily have to go big with your conflicts (giant alien invasions or blue beam in the sky) to challenge your hero. His superpowers may not help him solve any of these issues in this deconstructive tale but the hope he inspired through his sacrifice may be an effective first step towards positive change in the hearts of men in this complex, more grounded, and at times cruel and cynical world.

**16.)-Set Design**: Lex’s father’s office den, Lexcorp, Bruce’s “glass house”, the batcave, Wallace Keefe’s apartment (both pre and post Lex’s manipulation), the damaged genesis chamber on the scout ship, Lois and Clark’s apartment, etc. are all packed with little visual details that add and strengthen story elements, themes, and characterization.

**17.)-Titular fight isn’t treated as blockbuster spectacle**: After the immense scale and relentless action in Man of Steel, the batman and superman physical confrontation has been toned down to be much smaller and intimate. After almost every blow, Snyder cuts to the pain elicited on both actors’ faces. The violence isn’t really played for fun summer entertainment. As someone who grew up idolizing the altruistic characteristics and larger than life qualities of both heroes, it was very disturbing seeing batman being deconstructed down to a hateful man wanting to commit murder with his bare hands because he has become powerless, desensitized, and afraid; and seeing superman (the most powerful superhero of all time) fearing for his life, weakened beyond belief, and fighting in vain for his mother’s life.

**18.)-Day of the Dead scene**: Beautifully shot, scored, and written with Superman saving people from various natural and man-made disasters, i.e. the elements (fire, ice, water), yet still being ridiculed and politicized by the talking heads. You get a true sense of the weight on the shoulders of this farm boy from Kansas. The scene appropriately ends with Clark reaching out to his mother for a word of encouragement reminding us of the scene from Man of Steel with a young Clark locking himself in an elementary school closet and echoing this powerful sentiment to his mother- “the world’s too big”.

**19.)–Dialogue that feels true to a graphic novel**: With lines like: “Men with power obey neither policy nor principle. No one is different. No one is neutral.” And “How does he decides which lives count and which ones do not?” or even “maybe dad will come back if I keep everything the same- the magical thinking of orphan boys”. Chris Terrio truly captures the clever writing style of many comic books and graphic novels where dialogue usually serves as double or triple entendres that would also reference a major character, an important plot point, or even the entire theme of the book. The first 2 examples I used are fairly self explanatory in their meaning and the third one, about dads coming back and orphan boys is basically Lex mocking both Clark and Bruce for trying to live up to their fathers legacy (i.e. “all my life I’ve been trying to right wrongs for a ghost” and “my father sat me down right here… they were hunters”). Anyways, the film is full of this sort of dialogue that is very reminiscent to comics.

**20.)-Clark Kent the reporter**: It’s great to see how seriously Clark takes his job, being inspired by the love of his life and her affinity for journalism. The most physically powerful man in the world truly thinks the word is mightier than the sword and tries to fairly interview Kahina, Santo’s wife, and even Bruce Wayne.

**21.)-Visual variety**: From metropolis’s cluttered skyline, to the beauty of the Indian ocean, to the gritty streets of the Gotham docks and projects, to the literal fiery hell where the trinity fight doomsday, etc. the film takes us to many different and striking visual environments never letting one color dominate the entire film.

**22.)-Kryptonite**: For a plot device that is cheap and has detracted from many superman stories (esp. the smallville tv show), Kryptonite was relatively well utilized here, simply making superman vulnerable and only temporarily paralyzing him with pain when it enters his system. The film also pulled a bait and switch and the Kryptonite was NOT Lex’s ultimate weapon but instead a diversion used by Lex to subvert suspicions from Senator Finch and Bruce Wayne so that he could truly obtain his real endgame: the knowledge of 1000 alien worlds.

**23.) The Helipad scene**: There are many reasons why this scene is considered to be a fan favorite: the chilling hate speech by Lex driven by bigotry and religious undertones, Luthor getting God to kneel and obey him, the disturbing polaroid pictures of Martha being hurt by KGBeast and his men, using The Problem of Evil to philosophically frame the fight between batman and superman, etc. It was a very powerful moment in the film where the physically most powerful character in the story is ironically also the most helpless.

**24.) –The Gala fundraiser scene**: Who would have thought that the first onscreen scene of the trinity together would be Clark Kent the overly earnest reporter trying to flag down Bruce Wayne the playboy for an interview while Bruce is too distracted by the beauty of the mysterious Diana Prince. It is a very comedic scene with so much irony yet there is this tension beneath all of the playful banter. What’s more is that all of the heroes are putting on their best “disguises” while Lex is secretly laughing at all of them and even says “this wouldn’t be a person you want to pick a fight with” to their face, gloating at how ahead of everyone he thinks he is. Also, the song playing (with lyrics about Day and Night) and the painting in the background depicting violence against god were likely chosen by Lex himself knowing that both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent would be there. Additional gems include Diana rolling her eyes when Lex starts to talk about Zeus, Clark overhearing Alfred talk to Bruce, Alfred’s line about “some woman from metropolis will make you honest”, and an homage to the classic visual of superman unbuttoning his shirt to reveal the shield as he gets into costume.

**25.)-Side characters that are more than just 1 Dimensional**: Kahina, Santos, Senator Finch, Wallace Keefe, Secretary Swanswick, and even the African warlord in Nairomi are all treated like real human beings. They are all imperfect, have their own unique views, and given redeeming qualities. Santos is a scumbag that helps innocent women be forced into prostitution yet was enough of a decent father for his son’s mother to miss him. Keefe was fanatical and obsessive yet sympathetic. Finch is one of superman’s biggest critics yet does everything in her power to deny kryptonite from entering the hands of Luthor fearing for superman’s safety. The writing and characterization makes these characters feel much less like plot points and more like people who just happen to exist in a world where Superman popped up to help stop an alien invasion 18 months ago.

**26.) –Laurence Fishburne as Perry White**: Fishburne delivers some of the best humor in the film and also gives an outstanding performance that is very true to the comic book: a tough editor in chief who loves and cares very much for his reporters but would never openly admit it to them.

**27.) –Bat Branding**: an original and interesting idea that is very crucial to characterizing the batman in this film. It works on multiple levels and isn’t just a one note plot device used to manipulate superman against batman by Lex. 1.) It shows what this batman’s world view is, that “what falls… is fallen” and that men are NOT good but will always turn toward evil if not for the fear of punishment. Men can’t be redeemed in his mind and this batman has dehumanized people to the point where he brands them- a practice used for animals and slaves so it’s pretty easy to see how willingly this batman is able to dehumanize superman. 2.) It is another way that batman uses fear as a weapon. Leaving batarangs as calling cards and branding criminals with the symbol on his chest, batman wants to take credit for all of the mayhem he causes (a terrorist by definition) and revels in the fear that his name generates (“there’s a new kind of mean in him”). 3.) It serves as device in the story to show the change and progression of Bruce’s arc in the film. In the first scene with batman in costume, he brands Santos, in the last scene you see batman in costume, he doesn’t brand Lex, who probably deserves it most out of anyone.

**28.) –Hero Deconstruction**: Like watchmen, BvS serves to show us the logistical problems that would naturally arise if superheroes were to exist in real life. Watchmen deconstructs many different archetypes of the comic book genera ironically using the character of the comedian (a rapist and a butcher of men) as the voice of reason to point out how ridiculous the very idea of superheroics are (it’s all a bad joke) and at the end of Watchmen our “heroes” ironically destroy the world to save it. BvS doesn’t go in nearly as much depth as Watchmen in its deconstruction of the “god on earth” and “violent vigilante” archetypes from comics but the film’s entire premise is for the audience to question the idea of these characters really existing in modern civilization. However, unlike Alan Moore’s much more cynical conclusion- seemingly to say that the whole idea of superheroes is looney and borderline sociopathic, Snyder arrives at a different conclusion- that hero-worship is sometimes needed in a hopeless world. Although Snyder critiques and questions almost every aspect of the fantastical elements of these characters (individuals with super powers influencing the geopolitical landscape, unilateral acts of intervention unbound by the laws of man, desensitization and dehumanization through years of “crime fighting”, fascism, personal bias and randian tendencies conflicting with pure altruism, etc.) – Snyder still celebrates and champions these characters at the end of the film for one simple thing- their ability to inspire hope in audiences and readers and to remind us that “men are still good”.

**29.) –Timeliness and Relevance**: All of these things are plot points in this film, perhaps they might sound familiar:

-A mainstream media that causes fear mongering

-Information and fake news being disseminated by billionaires meddling in politics

-good men turning cruel after an attack on a city by foreign aliens that causes thousands of casualties

-2 men coming to physical blows because they are caught in their own echo chambers and watch too much news instead of just talking to one another and seeing each other as human beings

-an illegal immigrant trying to prove his worth and innocence in a society rampant with xenophobia

-a police department ignoring and even condoning excess force when governing a city wrought by economic collapse and filled with minorities

-print journalism dying and selling out to compete with mainstream news outlets like CNN

-CIA black ops in foreign 3rd world countries manipulating a civil war, etc.

**30.) –Death of Superman is well founded for many logical narrative reasons**: While many fans were disappointed with doing the death of superman so early, the reasons behind the decision make a lot of sense.

1.) It completes superman’s arc showing the world and he is not all powerful but is all good

2.) It inspires batman and shakes him out of his apathy and sociopathic road towards self-destruction and betrayal of all of his ideals

3.) It gives reason for the world to need a Justice League in the absence of superman

4.) It gives reason for why Darksied would be interested in invading earth

5.) It has inspired WW, and the rest of the JL members to come out to the world and start doing the whole superhero thing

6.) It allows the world to be more accepting and trusting of superheroes

**31.)-The Trinity Fight against Doomsday**: the fight shows why each member of the trinity is needed. Superman is the big gun, and even though he isn’t a skilled fighter, he can take a lot of damage. WW has trained as a warrior for countless years and leads the charge, being the only one in the film to be truly able to hurt Doomsday without kryptonite. Batman comes up with the strategy and tech. And even with all 3 of them, it is not enough and required the sacrifice of superman to defeat Doomsday, thus showing Bruce and Diana that a Justice League will be required in the future to defend against supernatural and alien threats.

**32.)-Parallel funerals**: Yes, it’s a simple device to open and close your movies with similar shots and visuals to contrast the characters at the beginning and end of their journey but it was very effective here. It was a good way to remind the audience that at the end of the day, the film is essentially about a man learning to believe in good again from another man despite the two of them being polar opposites because they can relate to each other’s deepest seeded trauma- the fear of losing their parents.

**33.)-Affleck Training Montage**: Not only was this necessary to show how hard batman must work to improve and retain his skills to contrast against superman’s supernatural physicality, but it goes to show just how much effort Ben put into this role- both physically and mentally

**34.)-A solid sequel to Man of Steel**: The scout ship, the BZE scene with Bruce racing through metropolis to try to save his employees, Lex using his blood to try to recreate Kryptonian life in the genesis chamber even though that was supposed to be superman’s destiny, kryptonite being created from the terraforming process, Jonathen Kent’s cameo, Joanthen’s worst fears about society rejecting superman coming true, general swanswick returning, the meta human theory of gods hiding in plain sight among men, zods body being the catalyst for doomsday: all of these things make BvS very much a sequel to MoS in that it explores and further advances the ideas presented in the first film and makes re-watching the first film even more enjoyable.

**35.)-Post bombing scene**: Amazing acting from each actor presenting important dramatic moments in their arcs without a single word of dialogue. You don’t need them to explain how they’re feeling, it’s all in their face.

**36.)-Projection**: Both superheroes are at odds with each other for very personal reasons that isn’t just given in dialogue. Their dislike for each other comes just as much from their insecurities at their own failings as much as it has to do with Luthor’s manipulations. Batman has tried to save the world for 2 decades and hasn’t really brought as much change or mattered as much as he would like to. Superman appears for one day, saves the entire human race and changes everything. Superman is troubled by all of the media attention and ridicule he receives by people who are afraid of how far he’ll take his power yet there’s this bat vigilante in gotham who actively beats down and has now started to kill people yet the media doesn’t really care because it’s not newsworthy with the local authorities even condoning this type of unilateral action. Batman wants to kill superman because he’s worried that Superman will turn cold, apathetic, and cruel even though that is what batman has turned into. Superman is constantly accused of deciding who lives and dies yet he clearly sees and is told that the bat is judge, jury, and executioner. Both heroes are also inadvertently responsible for orphans (Santo’s child and the little girl Bruce holds at the beginning of the film).

**37.)-Costume Design**: batman finally gets a gray and black suit on film, superman’s costume is made brighter, WW has a great compromise between the traditional colors and patterns mixed with a gladiatorial warrior look.

**38.)-Universe building**: I’m not praising the Knightmare or Email scenes. I’m talking about smaller things like Steve Trevor and WW’s allies in Diana’s picture, the design of parademons and Steppenwolf, robin’s costume in the batcave, the burnt down Wayne Manor, etc.

**39.)-Luthor’s arc**: regardless of the opinion on the twitchy, eccentric, unstable performance by Esienberg, the arc of the character was very solid. Luthor, for all intents and purposes, is like a twisted version of Prometheus (even he proclaims as much in the gala speech when he paints Prometheus as a hero and the gods as cruel monsters), trying to harness the knowledge and powers of the metahumans for his own selfish pursuits. When he finally gets access to this knowledge and power (accessing the scout ship), he becomes overconfident and crass, no longer the careful manipulator. Eventually the power he gains backfires (doomsday tires to kill him) and Lex, who values knowledge above all, gains too much knowledge and is disturbed and dumbstruck by what he has learned: the impending arrival of darksied and apokolips- the real devils who come from the sky- i.e. the false narrative he was trying to tie to superman to sway public opinion is actually coming true and he is now more powerless than ever in a world of new gods and heroes.

**40.)-Wonder Woman and Batman’s interactions**: the chemistry and dynamic between Gal and Ben is spot on with excellent interactions written by Terrio. They regard each other with intrigue, annoyance, antagonism, and even a dash of flirtation. They constantly one up each other through film, starting with Diana stealing Bruce’s device but not being able to crack it and ending with Wonder Woman saving Batman from doomsday and Bruce asking Diana for help to recruit the other league members. It gives all of us another thing to look forward to in Justice League.

**41.)-Superman continually does right despite his critics’ claims**: Senator Finch fears superman will act unilaterally without oversight yet superman shows up at the senate ready to listen to and appease to Finch and other superman critics. Wallace Keefe is a physical embodiment of the collateral damage caused by super powered beings and claims superman doesn’t care about the deaths and damages he incurs, yet superman literally quits being superman because of the loss of innocent lives that seemingly follows him everywhere and his inability to stop it. Also in the fight against doomsday, superman accepts himself as collateral damage when the military shoots a nuclear missile against doomsday. This wasn’t some plan Superman agreed upon with the military yet he falls in line with the plan despite not knowing if he could survive a nuclear blast. Additionally, Lex claims no benevolent god existed to protect him against “fists and abominations” yet that is what superman literally does.

**42.)-Doomsday’s thematic relevance**: Doomsday is what Lex ideally sees as a deity if one were to exist (all powerful and all evil), is what Batman thinks superman will become if he lets him live, and it represents the trauma both heroes carry from the kryptonian invasion of metropolis. Doomsday is literally- a monstrous version of general zod birthed from the vitriol and hate inside of Lex Luthor whose first action is to smash the monument with the names of those lost in the BZE over superman’s head. Thus, it was vital for both characters to team up together to stop this monster to get over their trauma. People who have seen Man of Steel would know Superman’s main trauma at the end of Man of Steel was that he had to kill for earth and also many civilians died in the battle so appropriately in BvS he dies for earth and was able to avert many civilian deaths. Batman’s trauma is the one that is focused more on in this film alone and it boils down to feeling powerless against an alien threat, thus by coming up with the strategy to defeat doomsday and participating in the battle- this resolves the driving force behind his cruelty in this film.

**43.)-“Physical Comedy”**: the whole idea of batman going up against superman is a ridiculous idea and even though Snyder treats these characters and this mythology as seriously as a heart attack, the comedic potential of the premise is not lost on him. E.g. batmobile bouncing off of superman after it has just ran through cars, walls, buildings, oil tankers, rockets; Batman’s expression after punching superman when the kryptonite starts to wear off; batman running way from doomsday, etc.

**44.)-The Action sequences are masterfully shot**: no quick cuts, no shakey cam, no overuse of slo mo or snap zooms, no close ups, and none of the trend of actions movies where 5 different shots are edited together just to show one punch, etc.

**45.)-Knightmare fight sequence**: a shot that starts close up on batman struggling with a single superman regime solider in an interior, then pans out to an exterior shot where batman starts fighting a whole platoon, then the camera slowly revolves around batman fighting with the shot becoming more and more cluttered with background fighting between other rebels and regime soldiers, helicopters, explosions, and swarms of parademons culminating with the shot stopping on batman centered with an entire army behind him finally taking him down. All seamlessly edited together to make it as if there were no cuts

**46.)-Henry Cavil’s acting**: Regardless of what one’s feelings may be towards “sad superman”. It can’t be denied that Cavil is a solid actor who does the best with what his is given. For a good example, just take a look at the Death of superman scene where he stabs/gets stabbed by doomsday. His acting is great in that scene especially given the context that he is acting on green screen against a CGI character that isn’t there all while portraying one of the most powerful and monumental moments in the history of the superman character.

**47.) –Political overtones**: Batfleck’s 1% speech is very reminiscent of the Bush administration doctrine post 9/11. Alfred even literally asks “you’re going to go to war?” Bruce is part of upper society, is extremely wealthy, and trying to justify extreme force and xenophobia by convincing himself that he is just trying to avert potential danger from a foreign alien with his evidence being the terrible things other foreign aliens have done. Bruce is also not above torturing and dehumanizing his perceived enemies in the film. Clark is trying to expose the inequalities and injustices condoned by an apathetic police department towards minorities in an urban, underserved area. Superman is often visually and narratively associated with economically lower classed minorities in the film: Clark goes to the projects in gotham to try to give a voice to the underrepresented and is mistaken for a cop. When he is on the ferry ride to gotham, there is a gay black couple kissing in the background. At the fundraiser gala for the rich, Clark drops his investigation of batman/bruce wayne when he overhears the panic of the Hispanic kitchen staff watching a girl in Mexico be trapped in a burning building on TV. At the museum when Bruce confronts Diana, the black server is yelled at by his boss since he was too busy watching the Daily Show talk about superman. Clark tries to help Santo’s wife get her story out to the public.

Clark Kent/Superman is even verbally associated with Martin, Robert, and John by Perry White. He is labeled as an illegal alien and unchristian by some detractors in the crowd outside of the senate hearing even though he is just trying to do right by his adopted country/planet. If it’s not obvious enough already, let’s just say this- instead of black vs blue, the titular fight could be read in a way to imply red vs blue with the film concluding that even though people may find themselves to be at odds with one another philosophically and ideologically, if we could find some common ground by talking to one another instead of being manipulated by the media and staying in our own echo chambers, perhaps a brighter future may indeed be possible.

**48.)-The “why” of the titular fight**: Now, lots of people complain about how the film gets the heroes to fight, saying it was contrived and lazy. Their criticism may sound something like this: “if they’re just going to kidnap Martha, then what’s the point of Clark’s investigation, what’s the point of like half the movie?” Well, I would argue that Martha both being the reason for the fight and the reason for the resolution of the fight worked quite well especially with the set up in the first couple of hours. The whole point of the film is to have the world ask: “how far will superman take his power and will he use his power for selfish or problematic reasons?” Literally the entire film’s plot and characters revolve around this question and each character’s own biased version of the answer to this question. Thus, kidnaping Martha is the film asking this question to Superman directly- “how far will you take your power- will you really play God and trade one life for another- especially since in your mind the person you’re saving is a saint and the person you’re killing is a psychopath?” And the fact that Batman is itching to fight superman while Superman is forced to fight batman instead of them both wanting to fight each other and both being the aggressor perfectly continues the ideological contrast between the 2 characters that film has thus far set up (see reason no. 12 above). You have one character who thinks every problem should be solved with violence and the other character who’s tried to solve every problem up until now with words (reporting on the batman problem in gotham, trying to interview kahina and talk to her about her issues with superman, showing up at the senate hearing- in fact the only exception to superman using violence in the film are when the warlord threatens to blow away Lois and fighting doomsday). Also, if superman did want to fight batman, there would be no less than hundreds of ways that the fight would end in less than 10 seconds with batman being rushed by superman to the ER afterward. The most famous and spectacular fight between the two in comic books comes from The Dark Knight Returns and Superman in that situation also held back immensely and didn’t want to fight either.

**49.)-Men are still good**: Despite the film going to some very dark, unsettling, and melancholy places, the ending is definitely a rewarding light at the end of the tunnel. BvS, for all intents and purposes, is still lighter compared to something like Nolan’s The Dark Knight where the only hope for gotham is a hollow lie, the batman is forced to crucify himself to uphold that lie, and audiences were forced to watch the charming white knight district attorney try to kill an innocent boy in front of his father- one of the few good cops in the city. In the final funeral scene and epilogue of BvS, we see that superman is now widely appreciated by the world, Bruce has turned a new leaf and no longer believes that hope and heroism is a beautiful lie, Diana is joining Bruce in his quest to form the greatest superhero team of all time, and Lex is going to be rotting away in arkham disturbed out of his mind.

**50.)-Misc. fun**: Smaller things that are fun but aren’t significant enough to point out individually: Flash takes out the armed robbers in the convenience store so fast, the milk he was holding doesn’t drop. Batman’s shit eating grin when he says “well, here I am”. Batman doing the inverted takedown from the arkham games. Superman’s reaction to “Do you bleed?” The batcave having an entrance in a lake like in the Arkham Knight video game. “I’d rather do the breaking in person”. Wonder Woman flashing a smile during the Doomsday battle. Etc.