‘Batman V Superman’ Is Breaking Box Office Records, But Is It Any Good?

If the question was who would win in a fight between Batman vs. Superman, the answer seems to most definitely be Warner Bros.

According to Cosmic Book News, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is on its way to shattering box office records for Easter weekend, a title previously held by last year’s Furious 7, which clocked in at $82 million.

What’s even more remarkable is the fact that Batman V Superman has been almost universally panned by critics and fans alike, yet the number of ticket sales keep growing higher. Deadline actually makes note of that conundrum with several insiders “scratching their heads” at how the negative reviews aren’t affecting opening box office at all.

According to their insight however, those negative reviews may simply have been the result of a “bandwagon effect” in which a small sampling of negative reviews were able to seep into the public’s consciousness prior to all the critics being able to actually release theirs. In turn, critics began merely piggybacking off those initial reviews.

But the article also makes mention the key components Warner Bros. actually got right with the film, first by releasing it during a weekend where kids have off from school and simply by priming the pump to tell the kind of story fans have been waiting for their whole lives.

“Warner Bros. finally made the movie that most Batman fans wanted a see: A movie that was akin to an adaptation of Frank Miller’s beloved The Dark Knight Returns comic book series, which ends with Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne beating the crap out of each other. No amount of dagger-throwing by New York Times critic A.O. Scott or Wall Street Journal‘s Joe Morgenstern was going to prevent audiences from seeking BvS.”

And, indeed, fan reaction has been mixed, but not altogether negative. When doing a search on Twitter for Batman V Superman, there are just as many tweets detailing how horrible the film was as there were fans that thought it wasn’t as bad as critics would have you believe.

batman v superman mostly just bums me out. somewhere in there was a great cast & good idea that deserved a tighter script & better director

— Andrew Goldfarb (@garfep) March 26, 2016

Most of the things that bothered critics about BATMAN V SUPERMAN will return to bother them again in JUSTICE LEAGUE with the same director.

— Superhero Feed (@SuperheroFeed) March 26, 2016

Haven’t seen the Batman v Superman film, but I CAN say I’ve never seen so many offended that a film has done so well at the box office.

— John Scalzi (@scalzi) March 26, 2016

[softest voice possible]

I liked Batman v Superman.

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) March 26, 2016

I didn’t hate Batman V Superman, but didn’t like it, either. Too many little things in it really irked me, was way too rushed

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 26, 2016

Ultimately, the biggest disappointment from fans is nothing compared to that of the Batman V Superman‘s star, Ben Affleck, whose reaction to the negative reviews during a recent press junket has since gone viral. As reported by USA Today, Affleck’s expression turned dour after he was politely told that the movie was destroyed by critics and fans.

“Affleck was joined by his co-star Henry Cavill, and the reporter gently asked the two about the negative reviews the film was getting. Cavill started to answer, and in one of the most arresting images of heartbreak I’ve ever seen at a press junket, Affleck went to his far-away place.”

Shining example of how music can turn “mundane” into “abso-freakin-lutely hilarious”-> https://t.co/JQMwuYHUti #BatmanvSuperman #PoorBen

— Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) March 26, 2016

[Image via Superhero Hype]