Batman V Superman: 12 Early Reactions You Need To Know

3. Character Motivations Don't Always Make Sense

This is something else fans were worried about from the trailers, where Bruce Wayne's comment about killing Superman even if there's just a 1% chance of him being bad just seemed a little forced and hollow. It turns out this isn't a line out of context but actually indicative of the movie's overall unconvincing narrative through-line. The skeptical critics are numerous: "Batman and Superman's inherent distrust for each other never quite adds up" (Indie Wire), it "never develops quite as forcefully as it should, and the life-or-death battle between the two icons ultimately comes down to a series of misunderstandings" (Variety), "the animosity between the pair never feels fully earned" (Gamesradar), and it "strains to...set up a plausible conflict between the two superheroes" (Empire) Luthor's schemes were meanwhile piled on also, decried as "both numerous and not massively well thought out, despite the fact he frequently appears to be omniscient" (Empire), while "the motivation for his elaborate masterplan remains very unclear" (Digital Spy).