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| Click the pic to watch the video review |
Right off the bat, you'll notice that the story makes way more sense. It’s told in a much more chronological and cohesive manner. You'll also notice that many of the scenes were re-ordered in a much better sequence. The benefit of this was that the characters we developed in a much better way. We actually get a better sense of their motivations as well.
I appreciated Amy Adams (played "Lois Lane") so much more in this version. She's cracking cases like Sherlock Holmes and even reveals some insight as to why Superman couldn't stop that bomb.
As for Superman/Clark Kent, we found out that he wasn't so much of an emotional jerk after all. He followed up with the victims, and showed that he really did care. The theatrical version cut out many of the scenes that really dug into the moral dilemma of "who's good or bad" and "What's right or wrong". When someone stated that Superman was a hero, we didn't get to see much of the other side of that story questioning "Well who's hero is he really?" In a nut shell, the ultimate version made me actually care a little more about Superman's character.
On to Lex Luthor...Jr? Well they did a much better job of showing us more of Lex's plans and just how much he really was involved with the conflict between Batman and Superman. This definitely helped to add to his character's motivations and devious nature that we're all accustomed to. The scene where Lex is captured in the spaceship made way more sense as well, which was a much better setup for Darkseid's arrival.
The Bad:
If you had high hopes like me that there was going to be another intense action scene like Batman's final fight scene, then I'm sorry to tell you it's not happening. Many of the additional scenes were more so for the sake of filling in the plot, and not so much action packed visual delights.
I STILL think that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex was a fail overall. I don't think that using the alternate universe's version of "Alexander Luthor" (from the Crisis on Infinite Earths comic series) was a good move at all. This movie was made to be a commercial, and mainstream film. That means that only comic fans may catch that character difference while casual movie goers may be mystified as to why this version of Lex is so different. Also, I think that Lex's "insanity" would've made more sense had he simply gone crazy AFTER he started messing with the alien technology. (I HATE that jolly rancher scene) -_-
The Reason:
Batman V Superman was both a Win and a Fail at the same time. It primarily had only two goals. The first goal was to give us the two most iconic superheroes on the big screen while teasing the Justice League's existence. The second goal was to appeal to average movie goers AND comic fans alike.
With the studio panicking over the long run time and forcing Snyder to cut it short, I think the studio failed in the sense that the Ultimate version was obviously a better film. However, if they wanted to cut things out they should've just cut out Doomsday. And yes, I know, that would've meant Wonder Woman too. Honestly, I don't think all of her scenes were needed. Why? Because this was a setup movie. When we saw that awesome trailer for BvS, we didn't know Wonder Woman was going to be in it, and we LOVED it. She could've been teased like everyone else, and got us excited for her upcoming solo movie. Doomsday could've simply been teased.
Furthermore, I've been on record to say that Superman's death was incredibly premature. Such an event is not something you cram in the last 20 mins of an already bloated movie. That could've been saved for Man of Steel 2 where we could've focused and cared more.
Now Snyder also failed in the sense that no one told him to make a 4 hour movie. (yes it was originally going to be 4 hours!) As a director your job is to tell us your story but do it effectively.
Now to be fair, both the studios and Snyder still win. Studio gets Geoff Johns (awesome comic writer) to supervise all of their projects moving forward as an executive producer. They also added Ben Affleck to direct and executive produce some of their films as well. (This way they can reel in Snyder if he goes off the reservation again.) Snyder wins because he gets a second chance to direct the Justice League movies.
So I should also clear this up. My previous rating of Batman V Superman is now going to be reduced to just a 7/10. I will chalk this up to "fanlexia" (watch the video for a more detailed explanation.)
Overall, I believe that this ultimate edition is what should've hit theaters regardless of its time length. There wouldn't have been as much of a divide, in my opinion. Feel free to give it a watch and purchase or download as you see fit below.
Blu-ray Bonus Features:Thanks to Warner Bros. I also got an early look at the bonus features that will be included in the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition, so to add to my final thoughts on the film he is a breakdown of what you will get with he Blu-Ray and how it will enhance your experience.
Reviewing the special features, we get a chance to take a look at some great previews of the rationale on who the justice members are. We’re then given a little more additional insight into why things like the "Martha connection” may be more important than some may think. If you loved Wonder Woman in the movie, then you’ll more than likely appreciate the background stories and the development of the character in general. (Probably one of my personal favorites of the special features.) I didn’t care as much for the Batmobile special feature, but if you’re a car-nut, you’ll probably appreciate it more. We definitely get to see just how deep Snyder’s love and intrigue for Superman and his moral complexity. For those of you who really want to nerd out, there’s a nice breakdown of the actual fight between Bats and Superman. However, it was a little disappointing in the sense that it ends a bit prematurely. I was looking forward to something that could salvage Lex’s character, and didn’t find it.
Overall, I’d say that if you really loved the theatrical and the Ultimate Edition then you’re probably the best candidate to really appreciate what the special bonus features have to offer. While I did enjoy the Ultimate Edition, I didn’t feel wow’d by most of the special features, however, I did like some of the background information presented, and more of the commentary rationales by the show’s writers. At this point, I’d probably say that simply watching the Ultimate Edition is more than enough of a payoff for those somewhat disappointed with the theatrical version. However, the bonus blu-ray features simply are simply just that: a bonus.
The Rating: 8.5/10
My [Loosely based] Ratings scale
10-9 = A Must watch at any cost.
8.5- 7.5 = Theater worthy
7-6.5 = Matinee/rental worthy at best
6 = Watchable (If it's free)
5 - below = Avoid at all costs
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