Three factors made Batman v Superman soar this first weekend for a worldwide box office of $424 million.
The first was a great concept. The idea that we finally get to see Batman tangle with Superman is a dream come true for geeks like me.
The second was a great marketing plan. The teasers and trailers whetted our appetite. Even the controversial pick of Ben Affleck as Batman made us want to see if he was truly as awful as some predicted he would be. He wasn't, and he actually made a fairly decent Batman considering everything else that was wrong with the film.
The third was Wonder Woman, and a wonder she was. Her appearance in the film in full battle gear was the one and only scene in which my audience erupted into a wild roar! She was everything we wanted her to be, and so much like the hero of old...strong...defiant...sure-footed...brave...kick ass. She spoke with her actions and didn't overly dwell on words or insecurities. She's reflective of the new, more empowered woman of today. She is much like other characters from the entertainment world including Xena Warrior Princess, Buffy and Vampire Slayer, Sydney Bristow of Alias, Elizabeth Keen of The Blacklist and Jane Doe of Blindspot. And before them all, coming full circle, was Women Woman. Thank goodness for her return.
She saved the movie for many of us. Unfortunately, her battle-ready debut came nearly two hours into the film. But she arrived, a long awaited and cherished moment, in which she saved Batman and Superman from doom. They needed her desperately, and she delivered for them and the audiences that sat through an otherwise humdrum film.
Batman v Superman has been bashed by those who know better. While I won't pile on, allow me to summarize, as this will make a great case study for my university entertainment class.
The story had lots of confusing elements (example; some audience members did not understand the beginning when Superman was battling General Zod. The filmmakers didn't consider that not all audiences know the back story).
The storyline was not always logical (example; why would the world hold Superman accountable for people who get shot by bullets in the desert when he arrived to save the day?).
The storyline was often unbelievable (example; while we are suppose to suspend belief in all films, it's a bit hard to swallow that while in a death match with Superman, Batman suddenly makes him his friend when he discovers that their mommies were both named Martha. Wow. Really?).
The storyline was not often true to character (e.g. Lex Luthor is an evil, diabolical genius, but he is not crazy as depicted in the film. There's a difference, and the writers and director apparently can't tell the difference).
The storyline had elements that were simply not needed or were exaggerated (example; pick any of Batman's dreams. Really. Any one of them.).
The storyline painted them into a corner (e.g. at the end of the film, Superman dies and a funeral is also held back in Kansas for Clark Kent. It's one thing for Superman to be brought back to life, but what are the townspeople going to think when Clark suddenly appears in the next movie after they attended his funeral?).
Critics gave Batman v Superman a Rotten Tomatoes score of 29%. That's really, really bad. Audiences gave the film a "B" overall CinemaScore. That's not good, either, considering that various past Batman films have scored an "A". Worse, is that while women gave it a "B", the primary audience of men gave it a "B-". So while Batman v Superman soared at the box office this first weekend, word of mouth may crash it to the ground come the second weekend.
But you gotta love Wonder Woman. There's only one adjustment that would have made the film even better, as pointed out by my buddy Rod, who is a die hard comic book aficionado. Superman should have tossed the kryptonite spear to Wonder Woman so she could have killed the beast.
That would have been fitting indeed, because she deserved full recognition for helping to save both the planet and the movie.