Good article. I have had several issues with the DC superhero films post the Nolan Batman trilogy (which I loved), though I did enjoy Shazam and the Wonder Woman films.

My main issue is the way Superman has been treated. Everything that I love about the character - his romantic comedy banter with Lois both as Superman and Clark, the crowd-pleasing rescues through feats of heroic strength, his ability to be hoodwinked by brains over brawn, and the sheer uncynical optimism - seems to have been minimised or removed entirely. Consider the chemistry free interactions between Henry Cavill and Amy Adams - two actors I like a great deal, horribly underserved by dull screenwriting - and contrast them with the delightful interactions between Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder in the earlier Superman films.

My other big issue is Snyder himself. I'm just not a big fan of his work, even though I suppose 300 was an enjoyably mindless brawl, art-directed to within an inch of it's life. At least in Captain America: Civil War they followed through on the premise. Everything that film did right, Batman v Superman did wrong. On top of that, I really can't bear Synder's because-we-can attitude to visual effects. There really are only so many times you can throw General Zod through a skyscraper before it becomes numbing. Plus his treatment of the death of Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner was a fine casting choice, to be fair) is silly. Why have him die in a tornado that Superman could easily have rescued him from? Again, a because-we-can attitude to visual effects. Contrast that with the beautiful, understated, and poigant treatment of Jonathan Kent's death in the 1978 Richard Donner Superman. In that version, Superman really couldn't have done anything to save his adopted father.

Despite all this, I will keep an open mind when watching the Synder cut of Justice League, and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Apologies for the long essay. Thanks again for the article.