The movie labours to portray Lois as a tough-as-nails reporter. “I’m not a lady,” she says early in the film. “I’m a journalist.” On a trip to D.C., she confronts a source in the men’s room, prompting him to say that she “belongs” there given her “balls.” But that’s just thin and corny posturing from the screenwriters. Lois is consistently used as a pawn.

In one of the opening scenes, Lois is interviewing an African warlord. Things go awry, and she’s held at gunpoint. Superman saves her. Later, Lex Luthor pushes her off a building. Superman saves her. During the final showdown, she gets stuck in a body of water. Superman saves her. Notice a pattern? That last instance is particularly frustrating given that, for a moment there, I thought Lois was about to save the day. Lois goes into the water to retrieve a Kryptonite spear that could defeat Doomsday. But she ultimately fails, necessitating the aid of her super-boyfriend.

Perhaps the only female character in the movie who's never defined by her looks (or her love for Superman) is Holly Hunter’s Senator Finch. She’s wary of Superman’s unchecked power, but equally concerned about Lex Luthor’s evil plot. She’s smart and knows her way around a good aphorism. Too bad the movie’s plot ensures that we won’t see her again in the franchise.

In a movie as busy as this one, we can’t expect that every character will be well-defined. Hell, Batman and Superman barely are. But Batman v Superman relies far too heavily on the damsel-in-distress trope. And, while Wonder Woman certainly isn’t in distress, the movie still gives her short shrift. At least she’s getting her own flick soon enough.