Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Imagine a thunderstorm that thinks it’s a philosophy lecture, hand it a reported $250 million budget, and you’ve got Batman v Superman. The title promises a fight, and the fight takes forever to show up while the movie broods, dreams and checks its email. Ben Affleck is a legit great angry Batman, a tired bruiser who lifts weights out of pure spite. Henry Cavill spends most of his screen time looking sad in front of crowds. Jesse Eisenberg plays Lex Luthor like a guy who drank a whole case of energy drinks and can’t find his keys. Every scene is dark, gray and slow, even the ones in daylight. Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman walks in late with a better movie in her pocket. It got a 28% on Rotten Tomatoes and made $874.4 million worldwide, which tells you people showed up and left with notes. A 3.6 because the cast is there and the movie keeps getting in their way. $839 says you tell someone it’s underrated and regret starting that conversation within a minute.

What works: Ben Affleck makes a strong, bruised Batman, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman brings real energy every time she’s on screen.

What doesn’t: It’s 151 minutes of gloom with a plot built from dream sequences and setups for other movies, and the title fight resolves in a way people still laugh about.

Who it’s for: DC fans who love a good argument, and anyone who thinks every superhero should look exhausted.