On March 26, the much anticipated “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” hit movie theatres across the nation and it was well worth its’ hype.

About 30 minutes into “Batman v Superman,” I thought to myself, “I like this movie, but I can already tell that a lot of people won’t.” Only 28 percent of critics who reviewed the film on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a positive review. Although audiences have been more receptive, the film has been highly divisive. I know people who loved the movie, others who despised it and a lot in between.

However, even though I know that not everyone will love the movie, I think the film is a must-see. You might have heard that the story is a bit lacking, and I agree. The core story is quite simple, but there’s way too much going on, leaving the film overwhelming and overstuffed. The portrayal of Wonder Woman, while a very cool character, suffered due to the casting of Gal Gadot. She’s improving from her early work, but she’s still struggling with the English language and still has a lot of growing to do as an actress.

Even with a simple story, there’s a lot to like in the film. Returning as Superman, Henry Cavill once again does a great job. Jeremy Irons makes a great Alfred and, while I originally didn’t like his performance as Lex Luthor, Jesse Eisenberg gradually grows into the role and ends up being pretty entertaining.

The fight sequences are gritty, brutal and fun. Whether they’re between Batman and Superman, Batman and his inner dream demons or everyone versus Doomsday, they are entertaining aspects of the film.

By far, the standout of the film is Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Much of the internet was up in arms over his casting, but I applauded it. While Affleck has always been a great actor, I cannot believe how good he is in this movie. Affleck’s Batman is a force of nature. He is a man fanatically committed to justice, but also to making every criminal pay for the death of his parents. Unlike Christian Bale’s portrayal, Affleck’s Batman is a hardened veteran and a borderline psychopath after being beaten down by his experiences.

Some people have taken issue with this characterization and see it as too brutal, but I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to see a Batman solo film.
Obviously, all this praise will come as a shock if you’ve only heard bad things. Even if you didn’t like “Man of Steel,” the dark tone of the film and you think the casting is a mistake, I still recommend you see “Batman v Superman.” You could very well be taken by surprise and like it a lot.