Story Notes - Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice

I finally watched Batman v Superman and I have story notes. 

• the destruction of Metropolis from Bruce Wayne’s perspective is a brilliant start. And Bruce Wayne’s connection to it via a Wayne Enterprises building and staff was a good idea. But rather than establishing and then killing off some unknown character that has no comic history, they should have killed off Lucius Fox. Somebody who meant something to Bruce Wayne and somebody audiences might recognize from the Nolan films. 
• Superman should be wracked with guilt from the destruction of Metropolis. He should be a mess. He’s a God who failed and the hatred of the public should be real. We are on Bruce’s side. 
• Lex Luthor swoops in to help rehabilitate Superman’s image. This is a direct steal from Max Landis’ Superman pitch made on Screen Junkies YouTube. This makes so much sense. Superman needs PR and direction. He’s new and he’s clueless about what to do with his powers. Then a powerful corporation comes in to help. And Superman gives in. That is more relatable to people than the Martyr complex they tried to portray in the film. 
• We see Superman doing superhero things. And it’s at once glorious and cynical. 
• More importantly, it makes Batman more suspicious. This is a grizzled Batman. He knows Lexcorp has never been up to any good. It makes him think Superman is a puppet of Lex Luthor. 
• Lex Luthor’s motivation becomes sharper. He plays with Superman like a toy. He’s a charming egomaniac who wants absolute control, break things apart because he’s selfishly interested in it, to stave off boredom. 
• A scene with Martha and Lex Luthor. Martha needs to see through Lex like a good mom does when she realizes her son’s friend is up to no good. 
• Lois and Clark has conflict. Lois doesn’t know how bad things are with Lexcorp but there’s always been rumours. Clark is just happy to figure out how to use his powers for good. He’s becoming the hero he always wanted to be and he feels like his girlfriend doesn’t understand him. 
• Batman’s arc is well done. I wouldn’t change much there except... NO KILLING. Yes he can go hardcore but Batman DOES NOT KILL. It makes him as much as an idealist as Clark but in totally different ways. It makes him a superhero worth following. He’s pushed to the edge, yes, more violent, less intolerant but never kill. This is a fantasy. 
• Alfred and Lois inevitably team up. Both see their respective family member driven to doing something wrong or being manipulated and both look for evidence to help them. 
• Bruce Wayne confronts Luthor. There’s acknowledgment that they’ve had history and run ins. But Superman brings it to another level. Luthor wants Bruce Wayne/Batman brought down. 
• Superman discovering Luthor’s real plans - that Luthor just wanted a superhero puppet. Superman’s rage and disappointment in Mankind is right there, in someone he built a relationship with through the movie, not through gossip and news articles with Batman. 
• The fight starts happening in the Batcave. Batman booby traps the Batcave. It explains how he’s got the upper hand. It’s his turf. Plus it’s cool.
• Superman gets pushed to the edge. The combination of Luthor’s betrayal, Batman’s insistence that Superman is Luthor’s lackey, his mother’s kidnapping, the physical torture through Kryptonite, shows Superman’s rage and he destroys Batman’s home in the process. Batman’s think he’s won because he recognizes the rage in Superman. Batman sees Superman as the worst version of himself. 
• Except Superman stops himself from killing Batman. Because even with all that he’s surveyed, he just wants to do the right thing. That his mother wouldn’t approve. 
• Luthor is disappointed. If he can’t control Superman, nobody gets this Superman. Instead Luthor’s made an imperfect clone of Superman. He’s Superman that’s full of rage and raw emotions. Not Doomsday but an extension of Superman himself. 
• Batman promises to find Martha, actually using his detective skills to find her. Superman fights Bizarro Superman and the fight it brought to the city. 
• Batman finds Martha, Superman is more calm now that he knows Martha is safe. He sacrifices himself with the kryptonite spear, impaling himself and Bizarro. 
• Batman and Luthor are in a standoff. Luthor has now Kryptonian technology to play with. Batman now has a purpose to gather a team of heroes - to bring down Luthor. 
• It ends on a cliffhanger note that sets up Justice League with a grounded threat of a villain who technically won against Superman and Batman.