Is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Critical Kryptonite?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice promises both an epic throwdown between two of popular culture’s most beloved characters and a world-building introduction to the DC Comics Extended Universe. Unfortunately, critics say this hotly-anticipated superhero flick is a big misfire — a narratively slack, overly self-serious action fest that fails to do justice to the essence of its titular heroes. Following the events of Man of Steel — in which much of Metropolis was reduced to rubble — Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) becomes deeply concerned about Superman’s unchecked power. Meanwhile, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) has some quibbles with Batman’s vigilante approach to fighting crime in Gotham City. The critics say Batman V Superman benefits from strong performances (particularly Affleck and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman) and moments of striking visual panache, but overall, it’s less gritty than depressing, and less exciting than bombastic.

Back in 2002, former Second City member Nia Vardalos earned heaps of praise and a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nod for writing and starring in the surprise hit rom-com My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It’s unclear what prompted a sequel 14 years later, but it’s here now, and critics say it’s not likely to win any awards. Vardalos reprises her role as Toula Portokalos, who discovers her parents were never officially married and decides to organize a bigger, fatter, Greeker wedding for them. The pundits say My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is predictably sentimental and harmless enough, but its recycled jokes and aimless narrative do little to justify its existence.

While the jury is out on its weekly worthiness, The Catch largely yields satisfying results with tried-and-true Shondaland production qualities, fun cases of the week, and bendy plot twists.

Heartbeat is a Frankensteined drama made up of hospital genre cliches and unlikable characters, though the cases-of-the-week are sporadically interesting.