Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was recently nominated for a staggering eight Golden Raspberry, or Razzie, Awards. The dubious “honors” are handed out each year to the films and performances the Razzie council believes to be the worst in cinema.
Dormammu, I’ve come here to argue. A lot.
BvS doesn’t deserve the hate. Not even close. Is it a perfect film? Certainly not. But it’s far from a cinematic shitfest. In fact, some aspects of it were fan-fucking-tastic. And I’m going to tell you what they were, while also being honest about the film’s flaws. So, without further ado, let’s take it from the top.
Pretty much every living human knows Batman’s origin story. Super-rich parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, were murdered right in front of him by some random thug looking to rob them. The family was leaving the theater, Thomas stood up to the robber, he and Martha were shot, leaving little Bruce shocked and orphaned. Raised by the family’s trusty butler, Alfred, he finds a cave, develops a thing about bats, and dedicates his life and fortune to fighting crime in Gotham City. It could be a whole movie, and it has, more than once.
This film succinctly summarizes this entire sad tale during the opening credits. In less than five minutes, we know exactly where he came from, why he does what he does, why he so implicitly trusts Alfred, and why he loves bats so damn much. The movie doesn’t waste a moment of our time, but rather, sums it all up quickly and neatly. Score one, BvS.
Next, we’re shown the genesis of Bruce Wayne’s hatred of Superman, in scenes that neatly tie the film in with its predecessor, Man of Steel. Kryptonian Kal-El, raised in Kansas as Clark Kent, has been found on earth by the last surviving Kryptonians, after their planet was destroyed. They want to terraform earth with a device known as the World Engine, making it another Krypton. Naturally, Clark defends the only home he’s ever known. Given the massive power of the alien race, their fight creates a massive amount of destruction. The collapsed buildings, the rubble, the huge death toll in a major, skyscraper-filled city, is all a clear 9-11 allegory. And it’s presented in a grounded, believable way – also in about five minutes. Once again, this movie isn’t wasting your time.
So, having witnessed the destruction Kryptonians are capable of (including the main office of Wayne Enterprises, killing many of his associates and friends), Bruce is understandably angry and resentful of Superman’s very existence. A being capable of such mass chaos has no business running around earth unchecked. No business on earth period, actually. The human race just isn’t safe, as long as Superman lives.
During these scenes, we also see a few key elements of Bruce’s personality and motivations. He runs unflinchingly into the annihilation of downtown Gotham, while everyone else is running away. No consideration is given for his own safety, as he makes his most valiant effort to save the endangered citizens, subtly drives home a very important point: Bruce Wayne is, in the very truest sense of the word, a hero. The greater good is more important to him than himself.
Also, we see how frustratingly limited that heroism is. Brave and selfless as he may be, at the end of the day, he’s still just a mortal human being. Fragile, flawed, and hopelessly underpowered in comparison with the Kryptonian menace. His only hope is to do what he’s always done: use his superior intellect and unlimited resources to develop strategies, and weapons with which to fight the good fight. It’s also here that we get the first glimpse of the anger and resentment that have led us to a rawer, more brutal Batman; one who doesn’t pull punches anymore. Threats must be neutralized.
If you’re keeping score, that’s five strong points in this film’s favor, all within the first ten minutes. So far, it’s pretty much flawless.
Next, a flurry of different scenes present important plot points. A huge chunk of Kryptonite is found in the Indian Ocean. Then, in the African desert, Lois Lane has come to interview a militant leader. The situation quickly turns into a firefight. She is saved in the nick of time by Superman, who is then blamed for the casualties, which includes civilains. He isn’t responsible, but that’s what the world is led to believe. International hearings are held, in which the entire world places the responsibility for the death and destruction squarely on the super shoulders of Kal-El. Finally, Batman is shown to be a force who is truly feared by Gotham’s criminal underbelly – not just because he will catch them, but because he will dole out punishment as he sees fit. One of his most feared methods is the bat brand. We’ll see why soon.
Whew, that was a lot in just a few minutes. A little too much, actually. This brings us to one of the film’s fundamental flaws: trying to do too much. They’re establishing a cinematic universe at lightning speed, rather than taking the time to build it through several solo / origin pieces. It’s filled to the brim, which on the one hand, puts a whole lot of awesome in one movie. On the other hand, however, it causes certain aspects to be rushed, not properly fleshing out characters and backstories as much as they deserve. It’s understandable that they’re in such a hurry – CBMs are on fire, and DC wants to strike while the iron is hot. Can’t blame them for that, but their impatience is working to their detriment.
Positive – 5
Negative – 1
A couple more important points are presented with a bit less urgency. Lois discovers a bullet from the desert shootout, which proves to have no ballistic equal. It isn’t produced by or for any known military force in the world. So where did it come from? And who could be funding such an endeavor?
Then, we’re presented with our first good look at Alfred. Traditionally presented as an elderly fellow whose main function is to help Bruce keep his many secrets, this version is much more vital. He’s younger, smarter, and an integral part of everything Batman does. He helps Bruce develop and operate the necessary tech to continue fighting crime. He’s currently trying to help Bruce track a crime boss known only as The White Portuguese. Alfred, despite not having a great deal of screen time, is one of the strongest aspects of this movie. Plus 1.
And now, we jump headlong into the hugest, most glaring negative about this entire thing: Lex fucking Luthor. Whether you blame the casting or the writing (and I’m sure both share responsibility for this fiasco), the end result is the same: an incredibly annoying, twitchy, whiny little twit, who you can’t imagine fearing. This is our main villain? He doesn’t need to be defeated, he needs to be punched in the throat. Ugh. How did the filmmakers hit so far off the mark with such an important aspect of the movie? We may never know their reasons for going in this direction, but we know the damage it did. Big fat minus.
Positive – 6
Negative – 3 (I didn’t lose count. Lex sucks so bad, he counts as two points.)
So, Lex analyzes the Kryptonite, and finds that it is the only substance able to harm Kryptonians. He, of course, has nefarious plans for this information, and weasels his way into accessing the Kryptonian ship, as well as Zod’s body. Luthor’s disdain for Superman is clear, and his motives are pretty obvious. I’m not sure if this could have been written better or not, given that he’s Superman’s primary antagonist. It’s not like there was a way to make his villainy a surprise. So I’ll count this point as neutral. Moving on.
SWEET JESUS H CHRIST ON A CRACKER. Henry Cavill can come cook for me shirtless anytime. Unapologetic fangirl moment. Now, back to our regularly scheduled heroics.
Next up, a man named Wallace Keefe arrives at the statue of Superman, with a can of spray paint in his hand. Keefe was one of the victims of the collapse of the Wayne Enterprises building at the beginning of the movie. Despite having lost his legs in the battle of Metro-Gotham, he nevertheless scales and defaces the statue. Clearly, he holds Superman responsible for his paraplegic state. More and more people are beginning to fear the son of Krypton, rather than seeing him as the savior they initially did.
At the same time, resentment is building towards Batman as well – especially in the eyes of Clark Kent. He views Batman as a vigilante terrorizing the citizens of Gotham, and some of those citizens would agree. Others, however, know that only those of the criminal element have reason to be concerned.
Clark is assigned by Daily Planet editor Perry White to cover a swanky benefit party for the Library of Metropolis, hosted by none other than eccentric billionaire Lex Luthor. There, he meets both Luthor and Bruce Wayne in person for the first time. The scene is well crafted (eh, except for Luthor’s presence, but whatever). The two heroes coming face to face for the first time on screen is quite a moment. It crackles with tension, as the audience is aware of each man’s animosity for the other, but neither of them yet knows that the other is the man he fears. +1
Also in attendance at this gala is a beautiful and mysterious woman named Diana Price. Who she is and how she knows so much, and how she manages to stay one step ahead of the world’s greatest detective, are unknowns at the moment. But somehow, while Bruce is there to hack Luthor’s files, Diana manages to steal the drive and make off with the information. Don’t worry we’ll be seeing her again. Good intro, but no points awarded yet. Just wait.
Getting ready for the party, Bruce is prowling around the Batcave. He walks by an armor suit on display. We only see it for a second, but if you pay attention, the implication is clear. But, just in case you don’t know: The suit belonged to Batman’s former sidekick, Robin, aka Jason Todd. Todd was murdered by Batman’s nemesis, the Joker. Scrawled on the suit in yellow spray paint are the words “HAHAHA, JOKE’S ON YOU BATMAN.” He not only killed him, he’s mocking Batman about it too.
This scene is important for a few reasons. One, it shows us where this movie takes place in the character’s timeline. Batman has been fighting crime in Gotham for more than twenty years at this point. Todd was the second Robin, after Dick Grayson. Two, it definitively states the the Joker not only exists in this world, but that he and Batman have been butting heads for quite some time, thus allowing for the character to be inserted into future Batman films without the need for any pesky origin stories. Third, and most importantly, this incident has had a permanent effect on Bruce. He not only blames the Joker for Jason’s death, but himself as well. He blames his insistence on not killing even the most vile criminals, believing that the justice system would deal with them instead. Jason Todd’s demise created a harder, more brutal Batman; one who no longer has any compassion for those who victimize others. They deserve to be punished, swiftly and ferociously.
Big fat +1 for subtle delivery of vital information. Because trust me, this matters soon.
Meanwhile, remember Wallace Keefe? He comes home one day to find Lex Luthor in his house. Lex convinces him to testify at the Washington hearings regarding the Superman “menace.” Says he wants to give Wallace “something to stand for.” Dick move, Luthor.
Another swanky party. Bruce once again meets Diana, who returns his drive to him. Turns out she didn’t intend to steal it, only borrow it. Miss Prince is also investigating Luthor, saying he has a photograph that belongs to her. But she was unable to decrypt the information on the drive.
Bruce takes it home and begins the decryption process. While he’s waiting, he dozes off in front of the computer. We’ve already seen that he has disturbing nightmares. This one takes him to a post-Kryptonian earth, a desert wasteland populated by criminals. In the dream, he is taken to a box emanating a green light. He opens it, expecting to find the Kryptonite, but instead sees only a green light bulb. It’s a trap, and he is set upon by faceless soldiers, all wearing armbands with the mark of Superman. This leads us to the infamous gun scene, one staunchly rejected by many filmgoers. Batman has had a no-guns rule for many years. Guns kill, and that’s something he tries very hard not to do. However, we must remember two things: one, this is a colder, rawer Batman with less moral hangups than in the past; and two, it’s a dream. So he didn’t really use a gun.
Bruce awakens – or so he thinks – in front of his computer. Suddenly, a man in red armor leaps from the screen, screaming a dire warning to him: “Am I too soon?…….. Lois Lane is the key……. Fear him. You’re right about him. You’ve always been right about him.” The scene is quite puzzling for non-comic readers. However, those well-versed in DC lore will recognize The Flash, a man who can run so fast that he can actually move through time. (“Am I too soon?” implies that he has come from the future to warn Bruce, but is afraid he went back too far, to a time when his message won’t be discerned.) The “him” Bruce is right about is surely Superman. Or is it?
The two-part dream sequence nets a neutral score from me. The desert scene is action-packed and well choreographed, but the gunplay turned off so many fans that it unfortunately negated the impact. Next, the Flash scene was an OMG SQUEE easter egg moment for those who recognized him. However, those who didn’t were left scratching their heads, wondering who the screaming red dude was. So, unfortunately, the positive was balanced by the negative.
We’re currently sitting at +7, -3.
Bruce finally wakes up for real, and the decrypted info reveals that the White Portuguese is not a man at all, but is in fact a ship – carrying the contraband Kryptonite. He tells Alfred that he means to use it to kill Superman, because the world simply isn’t safe with a man capable of such widespread destruction running around free. Alfred may not agree, but he sees that Bruce feels justified.
Meanwhile, Clark is investigating the case of a murdered inmate at Blackgate prison. He discovers that the man bore the mark of the bat – a brand delivered by none other than Batman himself. A brand with which no one survives long in Blackgate. That Batman would decide who lives and who dies, even inside of prison walls, where justice is already being served, further inflames Clark’s animosity toward Batman.
Bruce sets up an ambush at the unloading of the White Portuguese, courtesy of some awesome Bat-tech. He plans to steal the Kryptonite, but is thwarted not only by the goons transporting it, but also by Superman himself. The Batmobile literally bounces off of him. Holy shit. It’s proven once again to Bruce that Superman is truly indestructible by human means, which makes getting the Kryptonite that much more important to him. Superman tells him next time the signal shines in the sky, don’t bother showing up. The Bat is dead. He then flies away, leaving Batman to continue his pursuit of the Kryptonite. He had placed a tracking device on the truck carrying it, and now knows exactly where it went – Lexcorp.
Luthor, as it turns out, is behind not only the smuggling of the Kryptonite, but also the desert ambush that nearly killed Lois Lane, and claimed several other lives. It’s now clear that he set it all up with the sole intention of making Superman look dangerous to the public – and it worked. However, a woman who witnessed the attack tells Senator Finch, the head of the international committee reviewing the incident, that she was threatened by Luthor, and that her testimony blaming Superman was false. Of course, she dies about 30 seconds later, pushed in front of a subway train. Classy, Goon #1. Very classy.
Senator Finch appealed to Superman an national television to come to the hearings and speak for himself. To her surprise, he shows. It’s time for the testimony of Wallace Keefe. As Keefe is speaking, Senator Finch realizes something that even Superman can’t see – it’s a setup, and they’re all screwed. The courtroom explodes around him (originating from Wallace’s wheelchair), leaving only Kal-El standing in the rubble. Once again, he’s painted as a killer. He rescues who he can, then disappears in anguish.
Batman, meanwhile, has broken into Lexcorp and stolen the massive chunk of Kryptonite. It’s time to make a weapon that can kill a man who’s more than a man. And while we’re at it, training montage.
Holy shit – for someone who’s supposed to be portraying an “older” Bruce Wayne, Ben Affleck is ripped. Dude is a straight up beast. Props.
Remember Lex asking for access to Zod’s body, and the Kryptonian ship? Now we see why. He removed Zod’s fingerprints to gain entry to the parts of the ship the government couldn’t figure out how to open. Once he does, the ship reactivates, and begins to impart to him all kinds of ancient Kryptonian knowledge. Including, apparently, how to make a monster. The ship advises strongly against it, but psychopathic egomaniacs don’t listen. Oh well. More on that in a bit.
Bruce finally finds Diana’s missing photograph on the decrypted drive, and can’t believe what he’s seeing. It’s her, alright – in 1918, dressed in full warrior garb, surrounded by WWI soldiers. Who – or what – is she?
Alfred pops up to impart some sage advice to Master Wayne. Fighting Superman is basically suicide. There’s no way a human being, with no superpowers, can hope to defeat a Kryptonian in physical combat. He truly believes Bruce is walking to his death. Bruce responds, “I’m older now than my father ever was. This may be the only thing I’ve ever done that mattered.”
Lois discovers that Wallace was framed for the court explosion. He wasn’t responsible, and had no plans to die that day. But effigies of Superman are being burned in the streets. The Washington bombing is the last straw in the eyes of the public – he’s gone from hero to villain in their minds. Distraught, Clark talks to his mother, who tells him that he should live the life of his choosing. Be anonymous, or be a hero. Just be happy. If that isn’t Mom advice, I don’t know what is. Clark then has a vision of his dead father, Jonathan Kent, who speaks to him of guilt, redemption, and peace. While this is happening, Martha Kent is kidnapped – as is Lois Lane.
Batman, now prepared to fight Superman, lights the bat-signal, knowing that Superman will show up to stop him. What he doesn’t know is that Supes is already looking for him, thanks to the psychotic machinations of Lex Luthor. Lois was kidnapped purely as bait – once Superman arrived, Lex informed him that he had his mother as well, and she would die if he didn’t kill Batman.
Lex Luthor, it seems, doesn’t believe in gods. Their existence is apparently a blow to his massive ego. So he wants to expose Superman as flawed, imperfect, and thoroughly un-super. If Superman kills Batman – even to save his mother’s life – it will show that he isn’t so principled and benevolent after all.
News cameras capture the beginnings of the epic battle. Diana Prince sees them on TV, while checking her email. She sees that Bruce has sent her picture – and discovered her secret. He also sent a file labeled “meta-humans,” which she opens to find evidence of other supers. We know them to be the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, respectively. These small cameos serve nicely to set up future solo films, as well as the upcoming team up. +1
Meanwhile, the battle of the heroes rages on. Batman is getting his ass thoroughly handed to him, until he pops open a Kryptonite gas grenade. Suddenly, Superman is weakened enough to throw his first-ever blocked punch. The shock on his face shows that he clearly had no idea that any such substance existed, or that he could ever be weakened to such an extent. However, the effect is temporary, and he’s back to kicking Bat-butt in no time. Batman wisely wore his heavy-duty armor for this fight, but he’s still taking a beating. So he uses another grenade, and this time gains the upper hand. He flings poor Supes around like a rag doll, before finally revealing his piece de resistance – a Kryptonite spear.
As he drags Superman to the location of his impending death, he delivers a somber speech:
“I bet your parents taught you that you mean something. That you’re here for a reason. My parents taught me a different lesson – dying in the gutter, for no reason at all.”
Which brings us to the most maligned part of the entire movie: the infamous “Martha” scene. Let me tell you why you’re wrong to hate it so much.
One, it’s very well acted. The emotion of both men are raw and real. Both of their lives have been shaped by their mothers’ love: Bruce, growing up without it; and Clark, growing up with only it. Two, it fits quite nicely into the plot. Bruce has spent his life wishing that he could have saved his mother (and his father too, I’m sure, but whatever. Dads aren’t in this scene.), so of course the words “Save Martha” are going to have a visceral impact on him, in his extremely emotional state.
Now, as for the “Why would Clark call his mother ‘Martha’ instead of ‘Mom’ crowd: HE WANTED BATMAN TO FIND HER IN AN EXTREMELY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AND SAVE HER LIFE. He would need to know who he’s looking for – he doesn’t know who ‘Mom’ is. Fucking duh.
The two of them fighting was epic, whether you care to admit it or not. It lived up to the decades of anticipation. +1
Fortunately, Lois arrives in the nick of time to help explain things. Martha is Clark’s mother, Luthor has her, and she’s going to die very soon if they don’t put on their big boy pants and work together. Realizing there’s a mother named Martha he can save, Bruce snaps out of his funk and agrees to help. He’ll save Mama Kent, while Supes can go deal with Luthor.
Enter the super-awesome Batplane, and the ever-invaluable Alfred. Between the two, Batman finds and disposes of Lex’s goons in short order. This is one of the film’s most badass scenes, as he takes down multiple guys with hand-to-hand combat before – yes – using a gun on some of them too. This Batman uses guns. Get over it. Martha is found, battered but safe. (It’s okay, I’m a friend of your son’s.” “I figured………the cape.” All the lulz.)
Lex, for his part, is sanctimoniously celebrating his assumed victory over Superman. No dead Batman has been presented, so Martha is going to die. Except she’s not, because you’ve been outsmarted, douchebag. But Luthor has another ace up his sleeve, and it’s a doozy. The monster he created on the Kryptonian ship is ready to be born. And he has given his demon child the adorable name Doomsday. Hey, if the shoe fits…….
So, here’s the Big Bad. And he is indeed both big and bad. But something about his appearance is just…….off. He doesn’t look that different from his comic book incarnation. Yet he brings to mind a cross between the Hulk’s Abomination, and Lord of the Rings’ cave trolls, rather than his own character. I blame bad CGI – the only poor visual effect in the movie. It’s a legit gripe from fans. -1
+9
-4
However, the combat is still awesome. Superman is trying his best, but this creature is not only huge and strong, he’s also Kryptonian. Supes wasn’t ready for this. His only option is to grab the moster and fly him away from earth to deal with him. Above our planet’s atmosphere, however, is a lovely place for the military to shoot a nuke with minimal casualties. (Hey, at least they weren’t dropping it on Manhattan.) The bomb hits its target. Doomsday falls back to earth, while Superman floats lifeless in the air. Pale and gaunt, he briefly resembles his Bizarro counterpart, although I imagine that was more of an easter egg than a real implication of anything. Superman is quickly healed by our yellow sun, and he flies back to earth to continue the battle. Unfortunately, Doomsday has this pesky little problem. Anything that damages him only serves to make him stronger afterwards. He evolves every time he’s hurt.
Fortunately, Batman is in the fight too. But Doomsday quickly crashes the Batplane, and Bats is just about screwed (hence the succinct “Oh shit” line). Doom locks on and prepares to zap him with the eye laser. Luckily for him, something stops the blast. Or rather, someone. Standing before him is Diana Prince, Amazon Warrior. You can call her Wonder Woman. Now she gets a point for her introduction. +1
Batman and Superman both realize that only a Kryptonian weapon can hurt this creature, and that their only hope is to retrieve the spear that Batman made to kill Superman.
Doomsday is now ridiculously powerful, strengthening with every blow. Wonder Woman, for her part, is having fun with the fight. It’s been a very long time since she encountered something that could stand up to her. The three heroes each unleash their strongest attacks. May I just take a moment to say that THE TRINITY IS FUCKING GOLD. I grew up purely on Marvel, and this is so awesome it’s still sending me into paroxysms of fangirl. This right here is what comic book movies are made of, and made for.
Superman briefly leaves the battle to retrieve the spear. He finds Lois, who begs him not to use it, knowing that it has the power to kill him. But he knows that it’s the only way to stop Doomsday, and that the greater good is more important than himself. Leaving a sobbing Lois behind, he takes the spear and flies back into the battle.
It has already weakened him by the time he arrives, but he nevertheless fights to get it to where it will do the most good. Unbeknownst to him, while he was gone. Wonder Woman cut off Doomsday’s hands, and massive, razor-sharp spikes grew back in their place. As Superman uses the spear to stab him in the heart, Doomsday responds in kind. Clark, despite his mortal wound, drives the spear deeper into Doomsday, and the Kryptonite finally does its job.
The creature is finally dead, the destruction brought to an end. But it’s too late for Kal-El, son of Krypton. Except it can’t be, because this is a movie and he’s the hero and he’s a super hero and they don’t die, right?
Wrong. Bruce and Diana retrieve his lifeless body and bring it to Lois. She is understandably brokenhearted, but it is perhaps Bruce who grieves the most in this moment. He finally sees just how badly he misjudged Superman. That he was a true hero, one who would – and did – give his life to save innocents. Had they been willing to work together from the start, perhaps this never would have happened. Bruce Wayne is once again consumed by guilt, another death on his already heavy conscience.
Who expected Superman to die? I have to give a point for this one. It was a legitimate shock, and it took balls to do it (even if it isn’t permanent – more on that in a bit). And it’s also canon, so there’s nothing for the comic book faithful to be upset about.
Meanwhile, the military enters the Kryptonian ship to find Lex Luthor, who has created another monster – Steppenwolf. Can you say sequel setup? Lex is taken to prison, where his head is shaved, and his ridiculous persona is dropped. Finally, this is the Lex we were all waiting to see. Too bad he shows up at the end. But, like I said, sequel. Maybe he won’t suck so bad next time.
Lois, Bruce, and Diana travel to Kansas for Clark’s funeral. There, Martha gives Lois a gift – a ring Clark had bought for her. That he wanted to show it to his mother first displays just how well Zack Snyder gets the “boy scout” image of Superman. It’s a little thing, but it’s a big one too.
We see two funeral taking place simultaneously – the actual one, a simple service in rural Kansas, with a walking procession and a horse-drawn hearse carrying the plain wooden coffin – and a symbolic state funeral in Washington DC, with full military honors. Like Bruce, the world sees how badly they misjudged Superman, and try to atone through their collective grief. The black casket, adorned with a silver “S” logo, is likely a hint that Kal-El’s death is less than permanent. (In the comics, the resurrected Superman wore a black suit with a silver S, in place of his usual red and blue suit with the yellow S.)
After the Kansas service, Bruce tells Diana that they need to find and unite the other superhumans in the world, because there are more lunatics like Lex, and the world will need defending. She says that humans have created a world in which standing together is no longer possible, but he believes that, despite their many flaws, most men are still inherently good.
Bruce then leaves to visit Lex in prison. Batman shows up with the bat-brand. He doesn’t use it, but tells Luthor that he’s having him transferred to Arkham Asylum. The fear in his eyes is palpable. Batman says “I still have some friends there………they’re expecting you.”
Lois, still graveside, takes a handful of dirt and drops it on the simple wooden coffin. As she walks away, the dirt begins to tremble and rise. SEQUEL! +1
Adding in one point for the perfect casting and performances of Ben Affleck and Jeremy Irons, and one for the fantastic cinematography. This was truly a beatiful film to watch.
Final tally: +14, -4, for a net score of 78% positive. In my personal opinion, it was even better than that, but I was really trying to be fair and objective in this assessment. And I still came up with a movie that had a hell of a lot more good than bad.
Please tell us what you think! I’d love to hear your points and counterpoints. What did you love about this movie, and what did you love or hate? Let us know in the comments!