Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opened in theaters this weekend earning over $420 million in worldwide box office sales.
This has been one of the most highly-scrutinized releases in recent memory. It's also, oddly, been one of the more contentious in this writer's experience and observation.
The fans have had a strong response to the prevailing critical take on the film, which happens with large releases. What's notable, however, is that the average critics grade is about 5/10, while the average audience scores it at roughly a 3.5/5 — so not as wide a gap as some might imagine.
Interestingly enough, the prevailing box office story this weekend became about critics being unable to stop the financial success of this film. What's worth pointing out about that is that the journalists airing and writing these reports know full well that critics were never under any assumption that Batman V Superman wouldn't make money. Poorly received films often do.
Batman V Superman was always going to be under a microscope, simply because there is so much riding on it financially and otherwise for Warner Brothers — as well as for fans. It seems to have reached a fever pitch that speaks to an industry that is — in some respects — eating its own tail, though.
Here, Roth Cornet, Eric Eisenberg, and Clarke Wolfe unpack why Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice seems to have inspired such heated emotions both within the entertainment industry and without.
Take a look and let us know what you think.
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Roth: @RothCornet
Clarke: @ClarkeWolfe
Eric: @EEisenberg