21% Of Fans Believe This Is David S. Goyer's Worst Screenplay

(Welcome to Survey Says, a feature where we conduct a movie-related survey for a random group of people and explain why they're completely right, completely wrong, or somewhere in-between.)

Davis S. Goyer is one of the most successful genre screenwriters out there, with classics like "Blade," "Blade II," and  "Batman Begins" under his rhetorical belt alongside some exceptional story credits (namely the rest of Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy). A short time ago we ran a poll (with 628 American respondents) asking which of his many screenplays was the worst of his oeuvre. The results had some surprises, but one clear "winner" walked away with the "worst screenplay" title. 

Certainly with such a long career there was some stiff competition in the pack, but just over 21% of fans voted "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" to be his least successful script.

Next on the list with slightly over 17% apiece is "Zig Zag," an ambitious, well-cast, but convoluted film where John Leguizamo has to overcome danger to return stolen money, followed by "Jumper," which follows a man who can "jump" (teleport) and uses it for thievery. (Perhaps Goyer should stay away from "theft" plots? That seems to be the census...)  

Next in the poll is the messy "Blade: Trinity" at almost 14% (an unfortunate follow-up to two great films), and "Man of Steel" at just under 12%. "Man of Steel," is one film I'll steadfastly defend, boasting a great villain with a consistent motive and as a strong origin story overall. Its reputation was tarnished with a controversial ending, but if one looks at it as the origin of Superman's "never kill" rule, it lands much harder on an emotional level. Finally, rounding out the poll are "Terminator: Dark Fate" at 11% and "Dark City" at almost 7%, another film that's actually excellent but not necessarily accessible for mainstream audiences. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend a "Dark City" watch ... it's a mind-bending sci-fi noir but it's unique, smart, and has amazing atmosphere once you let yourself get into it.

While the later-released "Ultimate Edition" did address some issues and plot holes that made it into the theatrical cut, the story of "Batman v. Superman" still has a number of problems that couldn't be fixed with a simple recut. For one quite central thing, Lex Luthor's plot is nonsensical and overcomplicated while his established motivations don't make sense — he supposedly hates "gods" being elevated above humanity, so he wages war on Superman ... by making an uncontrollable one, AKA Doomsday, as part of one of the longest and most convoluted plans in comic film history? 

That doesn't even begin to cover the large swatch of plotting shortcuts that don't quite make sense, like Batman's uncharacteristic gullibility and imperviousness to reason, the whiplash one gets from thinking of the rapidly changing world opinion on Superman, or the infamous "Martha" conflict resolution. To be completely fair, Goyer had an unenviable task in being effectively asked to jump start the DCEU via duct-taping the "The Dark Knight Returns," "The Death of Superman," and the early origins of the Justice League stories together (each with dramatically different tones, timelines, and character arcs). Still... the fans have spoken, and it doesn't quite work.