Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is what happens when a tentpole superhero movie is not big or impressive enough to sustain the tent (or the DC universe?) the studio is trying to create. The new Zack Snyder film is not a disaster, it is not a hot mess. It is just ok and that is it's biggest problem. It needed to be amazing, something that left the audience breathless with excitement. There's a lot of lip service for DC fans, but that does not make a true blockbuster or even a solid crowd pleaser.

Regardless of how a movie's publicity campaign decides to sell it's product, this particular movie needed to be an event. The fact that it's not is extremely frustrating. It is two hours and a half of solid entertainment that never manages to be exciting or impressive at the same time. That first moment when Superman and Batman, the two greatest superheroes of all time and the whole reason why there is an industry surrounding comics, graphic novels and their movie adaptations, are in the same frame needed to hit the audience like a sledge hammer. Instead it is just another story bit in an unnecessarily complicated plot that, instead of delivering the title confrontation, ends in a bait and switch that only services Snyder's ego.

To explore that argument would mean to fill this review with spoilers. All I can say is that the movie can be divided in two parts. The first one is where Zack Snyder tries to make good with everyone who hated or criticized Man of Steel. The second one throws out the possibility of an epic fight between Batman and Superman to set up future movies and to bring to screen one the most game changing and historic DC comic story lines ever. The fact that it is rushed through and used as an emotional climax for this movie should drive a true DC fan insane. But the fact of the matter is, they will probably be too busy, celebrating what does work in this movie. And believe it or not there are things that work.  Among them everything that has to do with Ben Affleck and the Batman storyline.

This movie begins with the destruction of Metropolis of the last reel from Man of Steel seen from Bruce Wayne's point of view. And he, like everyone else who hated Snyder's take on Superman, does not see the alien in the blue and red suit as a hero. From then on the script tries to build an obligatory collision between Batman and Superman with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) as the master manipulator who is pulling all the strings.

The fact that the movie is essentially a Batman reboot that casts aside everything that was great about Man of Steel by placing him in a supporting role is not exactly a problem. The plot moves right along, without any real sense of urgency, but Snyder has fun owning the Batman universe and to his credit the movie keeps pushing Superman's personal life  in interesting and satisfying directions. But the title fight must happen and then the movie's creative juices seem to dry out completely delivering a climax that makes a B movie like Freddy vs Jason look like visionary filmmaking.

How is that possible? Not quite sure, but even though the ending is a total downer and the real reason Snyder wanted Batman's world to collapse with Superman's, this streamlined and disappointing film promises a great stand alone Wonder Woman film. How's that for a Silver Lining? Let's hope that the best thing about that Warner Brothers summer of  2017 tentpole is not the fact that it won't be directed by Zack Snyder.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arrives in theaters on March 25, 2016.