Two years since its announcement, Warner Brothers’ highly anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is finally out, and—with as much criticism as it has been met with—was definitely worth the wait. With beautiful cinematography, a killer music score and a decent plot, the movie kept me on the edge of my seat for almost the entire film.

We see our story begin with the classic Batman origin story. Shocker, right? In actuality, the way the sequence was put together was very artistic, making the story I’ve seen and read about so many times very entertaining. There is a moment where all you see is the gun and the pearl necklace pulled against it, and as the shooter pulls the trigger the necklace is snapped apart and pearls go flying in slow motion. It’s a refreshing spin on a classic story.

After the shooting and falling-into-a-cave montage, Ben Affleck says the line, “In the dream, they took me to the light…a beautiful lie.” Cutting to Metropolis during Superman’s battle with Zod, viewers see Bruce Wayne exit a helicopter as the city is being destroyed and getting into an SUV before an expected high-speed race against time begins. Five minutes into the film and the first action sequence is taking place, which is expected in superhero films. We watch as Bruce saves people from the catastrophe around them and see the resentment set in his eyes as he gets his first glimpse at the man with the red cape.

Skip ahead eighteen months, and you’ll come to what is depicted as the present time of the film. Kryptonite is found, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) pulls a stunt where Superman (Henry Cavill) has to save her, Batman goes on a hunting spree looking for the White Portuguese, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is introduced and his plans of making a Kryptonite weapon are revealed. Filler scenes occur, we see Lois investigate a strange bullet, Bruce encounters Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) at a fundraiser Luthor is hosting, and finally, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are introduced. I’ll leave the storytelling here before I spoil the film any more for those who haven’t seen it yet.

I really love how this film was portrayed. The dark, grittiness of it was what the film needed. There are many who say that it was too dark of a film, that it didn’t have enough humor. I’m sorry, this isn’t a Marvel superhero film. I’m not trying to throw them under the bus, I usually prefer Marvel films, but I’ve come to expect and enjoy the heavy plot that DC films give. This sort of film gives great characters to try to psychoanalyze and figure out what their motives are.

My favorite character from the film is actually Lex Luthor. Jesse Eisenberg’s performance is reminiscent of Heath Ledger’s Joker, and I fell in love with him the moment Luthor was on screen. He’s a psychopath. He’s twitchy, scatterbrained, and doesn’t necessarily understand how to speak to others around him. The character is usually portrayed as a savvy business man, but the fresh look at him is exactly what was needed to tie this film together, and give Batman and Superman a common enemy.

Another great aspect of the film is Hans Zimmer’s score. As a musician, one of my favorite things about a film is the soundtrack, and Zimmer’s does not disappoint. After scoring Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel, Zimmer knows how to capture the essence of the characters and plot and highlight each aspect of the film.

All in all, yes, I really loved this film. There were some things that could have been better, but it was a very good film. I like what it represents, what it showed us, and the feeling of excitement for what is going to come. Justice League isn’t too far off, and Suicide Squad is just around the corner. Good job, DC, you’re starting to catch up. B+