Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ... Faster than a sleeping pill

I WAS bored watching director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013), and things haven't changed watching his sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. This is because the film doesn't allow viewers time to empathise with either superhero. Just when you think you can get behind one cardboard superhero, Snyder whips you to another scene involving another superhero.
   Another big letdown is the purported battle between the two white superheroes. It's a misunderstanding that could have been resolved with both of them having a tete a tete. After all, I'm sure Superman didn't mean to wreak havoc of untold billions of dollars when he fought the evil General Zod at the end Man of Steel.

  In scenes meant to hark back to the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York, Bruce Wayne/Batman sees his building crumble to dust during the terrifying battle, which killed and maimed his staff, triggering anti-Superman sentiments that will consume him.
  While some might say that this is just collateral damage, I believe this may be the first film that studies the effects of a superhero's battle against his nemesis. Viewers never see the consequences of the X-Men's battles against baddies, or Deadpool's rampages against his enemies. Snyder may be hinting at a certain superpower riding roughshod over the world and disregarding the consequences of its actions.
  Batman, instead of seeking out Superman via Facebook or Twitter and demanding an explanation, subsumes his anger.
  Batman, Superman and perpetual nemesis Lex Luthor won't leave an impression on viewers because

(From left) Clark Kent, Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne enjoy
wine and canapes.

they're hardly around long enough.
  For example, Lex (Jesse Eisenberg) rails about growing up in a strict Eastern European nation, but his tousled hair, whiny voice and thick lipstick will not send chills down your spine because he looks more like a distracted hippie than a menacing megalomaniac.
  Finally, viewers expect fireworks when the eventual battle between the two superheroes arrives, but all they get is Batman thrown across a large dilapidated hall.
  Amy Adams plays reporter and love interest Lois Lane, and like her role in Man of Steel, she is again wasted. Why are women always damsels in distress for men to save? But she does look good in a bathtub and she does get wet towards at the end of film retrieving something of the utmost importance.
  Superman's image takes a battering in this film because he's implicated in two terrorist attacks. Against this backdrop is rising resentment against his God-like status. There are references to him descending from the sky and one image shows him slowly approaching ground with his cape blowing and the sun behind him.
   Someone says: "He answers to no one, not even God."
   Lex refers to Superman as a devil coming from the sky.
  Someone also says: "We project ourselves onto him. He's not the devil or Jesus."
  "We're not even special. There's Superman. We're not alone (referring to Superman being an alien). Superman descends from the sky."
  Batman's pearls of wisdom include: "How many good guys are left? How many stay that way?"

Bruce whispers sweet nothings to
Diane Prince/Wonder Woman.

 Viewers find out that Superman is a mummy's boy, because he rushes off to see her after an attack. "You are not a killer ... Be their hero. Be their angel," says Martha (Diane Lane).
  After another attack, Superman disappears from sight and is next seen hiking in cold, freezing conditions and imagining his dead dad giving him a lecture. Why didn't he just fly there, I thought.
  Lex continues his rants. "If God is all sinful, he cannot be all powerful."
 His definitely has a God complex and considers Superman to be God. He does one nasty thing and says that God (Superman) now bends to his will.
  "If man doesn't kill God,the Devil will do it."
  In the one scene that brings reporter Clark Kent and Bruce together, the former asks the latter what he thinks about Batman's vigilantilism.
   Bruce retorts that Clark's paper is hypocritical with its anti-Superman editorials.
  Clark exudes a semblance of social justice when he asks his imperious editor Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) why the paper isn't covering issues about the poor.
   Perry replies that that people don't read newspapers anymore.
   Diane Prince/Wonder Woman looks pretty in revealing dresses.

2 out of 5 stars