'Batman v Superman' Gets Beaten Up by Most Critics in Early Reviews

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" better hope that bad reviews are not as dangerous as kryptonite. The first in a planned series of DC Comics cinematic universe films currently holds a mere 40 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Of the 65 reviews counted at the time of this publishing, 39 are "Rotten" and 26 are "Fresh." Early reviews for the film, which opens this Friday, rip director Zack Snyder for cramming in as much story as possible, while also overdoing it with the visual effects. Also Read: 'Batman v Superman' Review: Ben Affleck's Got the Cool Car, But Wonder Woman Steals the Show TheWrap's Alonso Duralde wrote, "That face-off between two comics legends becomes but one in a series of big things bashing into other big things, which is what Snyder and writers Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer mistake for storytelling." Here are some more disappointing reviews. Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune: "'You don't owe this world a thing,' [Diane] Lane tells Superman at one point. Maybe so. But at this point in the twinned mythologies of two extremely hardy DC heroes, humankind deserves a better blockbuster." Adam Graham of Detroit News: "The movie crams together a Batman story, a Superman story and lays the groundwork for several side tales, all in the space of a cluttered two-and-a-half hour collision that aims to bludgeon viewers into submission." Also Read: 'Batman v Superman' Is Fandango's Top Pre-Selling Superhero Movie Ever Mike Ryan of Uproxx: "Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was legitimately looking this forward to a movie that I found this dull. About halfway through this over two-and-a-half hour movie, I had to stop my brain from thinking about other things, like what groceries I needed to pick up at some point." Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily: "Gorging on bombast and self-importance, swamped by its own mythology, 'Batman v Superman' is loud, sprawling, and distracted. The action jumps around almost as fast as a man can fly, but nowhere near as smoothly." Lou Lumenick of the New York Post: "While '300' maestro Snyder puts together some very striking scenes -- which may be enough for many fanboys -- they never really cohere into a whole. He literally throws in the kitchen sink in a film that frantically introduces characters and concepts while never clearly establishing the rules of the DC Comics universe." Also Read: 'Batman v Superman' Red Carpet Canceled in London After Brussels Attacks Devin Faraci of Birth Movies Death "To say that 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' is a bad movie doesn't go far enough. This film feels like Zack Snyder hobbling the entire upcoming DC Movieverse before it gets started." A.A. Dowd of A.V. Club "What Snyder sees in these timeless characters is raw, herculean power, and little else; he pushes them closer to abstract icons of fascist supremacy than they've possibly ever been pushed, either paying lip service to or outright ignoring the values they've always stood for." Alex Abad-Santos of Vox "Megaton fight scenes are the reason people will put up with bad dialogue or bad logic in a film, so it's an outright tragedy when 'Batman v Superman''s showdowns become as boring as the rest of it. What happens when the stuff that's supposed to break you out of the monotony is just as monotonous as everything else?" But chances are, bad reviews will do nothing to deter audiences from flocking to the tentpole feature. The film will skyrocket to north of $150 million in its much-anticipated opening in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, industry analysts projected on Tuesday. Ben Affleck Is Batman: 16 Actors Who Played the Dark Knight Before Him (Photos) Lewis G. Wilson:Â The first actor to play the Dark Knight in Columbia Pictures' 15-episode TV series, "Batman." As the United States had just entered the second World War, Batman's nemesis was a Japanese spy called Dr. Daka, whose plan was to take over the U.S. through a group of American traitors. Wilson died in 2000. Robert Lowery:Â In 1949, Lowery took over for Wilson in the sequel series, "Batman and Robin." Fun fact: he grew up on Wayne Avenue in Kansas City pursuing Hollywood stardom. He died in 1971. Adam West: For an entire generation, West is Batman, thanks to his turn on the iconic TV series that ran from 1966 to 1968 and spawned a film. West's halting delivery and campy earnestness are a far cry from today's Dark Knight, but his Bruce Wayne stands as one of the most beloved portrayals. Olan Soule:Â The character actor, with hundreds of film credits to his name, was the main voice actor for the animated "Batman" from 1968 to 1984. He voiced the Dark Knight in several iterations of the character, from "Scooby Doo" to "Sesame Street" and several "Super Friends" cartoons. Michael Keaton:Â When cast as Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 film, fans wrote to Warner Bros. in protest. But to their surprise, his darkly comic portrayal clicked, and Keaton stayed on for "Batman Returns" and was supposed to be in a third -- but dropped out when Burton did. Kevin Conroy: Although they never saw his face, Conroy is regarded by fans as one of the finest voices Batman and Bruce Wayne ever had during his tenure as the DC superhero, which began in 1992 with "Batman: The Animated Series." He also lent his voice to Batman in a number of animated movies and video games. Val Kilmer: Kilmer took over for Keaton in Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever," a box office hit that received mixed reviews. He opted not to return for the next sequel, "Batman and Robin," because he believed his heroic character was marginalized in favor of the villains. Looking back on Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze, he may have been right. George Clooney: The then TV-star stepped up to the plate when Kilmer backed out and has regretted it ever since. "Batman and Robin" was critically panned and didn't do nearly as well at the box office as its predecessor did. Also? Nipples. Bruce Thomas: This actor first portrayed the Dark Knight in a series of OnStar commercials that aired between 2000 and 2002, then reprised the role for WB's short-lived TV series, "Birds of Prey." Rino Romano: The voice actor, who has also voiced Spider-Man, provided Bruce Wayne and Batman's chatter in animated series, "The Batman," which ran from 2004 to 2008 on Cartoon Network. Christian Bale: Christopher Nolan cast Bale as the vigilante in 2005's "Batman Begins," a welcome reboot to the franchise that lead to spectacular sequel, "The Dark Knight," and another massive hit, "The Dark Knight Rises." William Baldwin: He was on the shortlist to play the billionaire-turned-superhero in "Batman Forever," but lost the role to Kilmer. Over a decade later, he voiced the character in 2010 animated movie "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths." Bruce Greenwood: The veteran actor, who most recently appeared on the big screen in "Star Trek Into Darkness," voiced Batman in 2010 animated feature "Batman: Under the Red Hood," as well as animated television series "Young Justice." Ben McKenzie:Â The "Southland" and "The O.C." star voiced Batman for "Batman: Year One," a 2011 animated film based on the four-issue comics run of the same name from 1987. It was released on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download. Peter Weller: The 66-year-old "RoboCop" actor voiced an aging Batman in "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," a two-part animated movie released in December, and then January. Based on a 1986 comic book story arc by Frank Miller, the film followed Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham to after a 10-year hiatus. Anthony Ruivivar: The "Southland" star is the latest actor to voice Batman in the newest animated series, "Beware the Batman," which began airing on Cartoon Network earlier this summer. Unlike earlier cartoon incarnations of the Dark Knight, "Beware the Batman" is entirely computer animated. Previous Slide Next Slide 1 of 17 Christian Bale, George Clooney, Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton aren't the only other leading men who've played the caped crusader View In Gallery

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