Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice [Ultimate Edition] [Blu-ray] [2016]

(MINOR SPOILERS) This movie absolutely does not deserve all the negative criticism it gets. As a very keen comic reader, one who is particularly a fan of DC Comics and to be even more specific, Justice League related things, I can safely say that this movie did not disappoint. The hype was worth it. I've notice most complaints about the movie are about it being too dark in tone and a bit over crowded. Yes, it is dark but why is that a bad thing? Anyone who reads DC Comics will know that a dark tone has been a very common element to many of DC's greatest stories for nearly 30 years and especially in the last 10. With Man Of Steel, people complained that Superman was too dark and not enough of a "Good guy". This complaint continued here. Yes, Superman is supposed to be a good guy and no, he is not best known for being one of DC's darker characters but in recent years he has moved away from the old typical "I'm a big hero. I must always do what's right" thing. I personally find the perfect Boy Scout who's always right image Superman is kinda unbelievable. Comics have given his character a lot more depth and they have continued to do this with the movies with Henry Cavill. Superman IS a good guy and he DOES want to do what's right all the time but the world is not black and white and good or bad. Sometimes you have to make the best out of a bad situation. Sometimes you have to decide not what's good or bad but what's...least worst, we'll say. Superman wants to do right but in a world where there's so much bad, it's not always easy to know what's right, especially when you are a Super powered person who is both looked up to and hated by many. And as far as Clarke Kent goes, he too has a lot more depth. He is a believable character, despite being from Krypton and that is what these movies should do: bring fantasy and fiction into the real world. As for Batman? I can't say just how interested in Batman I am and always have been. I feel I know Batman like no other character meaning I really do feel like I know how Batman should be and when I see Ben Affleck in this movie, cape and cowl or suit and tie, he absolutely NAILS it. Batman is a dark character. We all have our own opinions but I feel to complain about Batman being "too dark" is like complaining about orange juice tasting like oranges. Bruce Wayne may be a billionaire but he hasn't exactly had it easy and that's no secret. Because this movie is Batman v Superman it was obvious it would have to be an older Batman. A well expirenced Batman. And again if you read, you will know that after a few years as Batman, Bruce has more than his fair share of every negative thing you could imagine happening and an older Batman has often been written as a harder character and in some cases, he has even lost his way from time to time. I didn't actually see many complaints about Ben other than people complaining about how Batman never kills but did in this movie. Well 1) Batman does not kill but HAS done. 2) Yes, (without giving too much away) he did things that might kill a person in the movie (MIGHT) but if you really look, he did it in a certain way and you can't actually prove they died at all and when death did happen, it wasn't actually intended. Ben Affleck will become the definitive Batman if he keeps going on how he is. Everything about his acting as both Bruce and Batman is perfect and his movements as Batman are spot on which has never quite been nailed before. I am very happy to call Ben Affleck Batman. As for the rest of the characters we saw introduced, I can't say much on any of them just yet because not enough was shown (it was only cameos/introductions though) but I can say a bit about Wonder Woman: Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just like with Batman and Superman, this is exactly how I imagine Wonderwoman. The way she speaks, the way she moves, her look, everything is just brilliant and I'm VERY excited for her solo movie. I saw Lex Luthor getting a few complaints. Some said he was too crazy. I picture Lex as a genius, a bit cocky but in an intimidating kind of way and he is a bit crazy but normally his insanity is due to his obsession and hatred for Superman. I see how some say he was a bit too crazy but I think everything else was good and here's my point: This Lex is young. Younger than most versions of Lex Luthor we see. But because he is young, I think he's a bit cockier and a bit more "power mad". A young man, a genius with billions of dollars under his name who is also obsessed with Superman in a bad way and who is a bit power mad is certainly gonna have a screw or two loose. Maybe the screws will tighten with age but I don't see it as an issue either way. I really like this version of Lex. I won't go into the plot details too much to avoid spoilers but I will say one minor thing in as discreet a way I can. The whole complaint about Martha makes no sense. It wasn't stupid or cheesy. I won't say why I think that because it might spoil it but I'll just say look deeper into it if you don't see it. So here's my summary: For comic fans, this movies is if not perfect, pretty close to perfect. Sure, it might seem a bit rushed in places but c'mon, this is a movie trying to bring together 3 of DC Comics biggest characters in feature length time through a story. I think they did a great job setting up the future of the DCEU here. If you're not a comic fan, it might be a bit harder to pick up but I really don't think you'll have too difficult a time with it. Some may wanna watch it twice but I think it's easy enough to follow and to get into. It's action packed and interesting and despite what critics say, it never fails to be exciting. The critics are mostly strictly movie critics meaning they are looking at this movie not as a comic book movie, not even as a superhero movie but a movie. These same critics reviewed Marvel movies and gave great reviews but they bash BvS. Why? Because after seeing the often humorous, more light hearted movies where the heroes fight the bad guys, they think Superhero movies aren't meant to be so dark. DC Comics is and always has been darker than Marvel Comics and I and many other comic fans love both. I think it's the same with the movies but unfortunately DC came in with their cinematic universe quite late. Critics really don't know what they're talking about with this movie. They did the same to Man of Steel and Suicide Squad but most comic fans love these movies (Man of Steel didn't win over some more classic fans though but I feel it's time to move on. This is how it is.) and these movies are comic book movies after all so I think you'd be best to trust what comic fans say about superhero movies before you trust what some critic who's probably never picked up a comic in their life and is reviewing dramas and horrors and everything in between and getting paid for it. Maybe I am a bit bias but if I forget my love for comics and these characters, I can still say it's a brilliant movie. Make your own mind up at the end of the day but please don't let a critic do it.

Let me begin by clarifying where I come from when it comes to superheroes. I've been a comic book reader since 1976 when I found a spinner rack full of the things when on holiday at Skegness. It was a rainy weekend and, during a lull in the downpour, I went with my mother to the nearest shop. To stop my incessant moaning, she bought me a bunch of comics. In that bunch were a good mix of DC and Marvel comics and I was immediately hooked. I've loved comics and superheroes ever since. Both companies. There have been times when I've bought more Marvel and times when I've bought more DC, but I've never hated either company. And, so, you should see that my positive review isn't because I hate Marvel. Far, far from it. Having said that I'm, kind of, getting bored with Marvel Studios' current output. They aren't bad movies, by any means, but they are becoming far too homogenous. Too samey. Even though they have different directors, writers, cinematographers, etc, they are starting to look and feel the same. Bleeding into each other in an increasingly bland fashion. BvS is definitely NOT like a Marvel movie. It is its own beast, with its own tone and feel. More akin to a mythological epic rather than a popcorn friendly fun-fest. And that is one of the things other people react negatively about with this movie. Not enough fun and frolics. Well, as I mentioned earlier, I'm a very long time comic reader and I can tell you that not all comic stories are sweetness and light. Not all comic stories are fun and frolics. The "Extremis" storyline in Iron Man (which Iron Man 3 was partly based upon) was NOT a fun fest. It was a very serious, important and deep story. The Civil War story (which the recent Captain America movie was based on) was NOT sweetness and light! People who watch superhero movies need to get out of the mindset that these movies have to have one tone. They need to stop thinking that all superhero movies should have fast quips, prat falls and comedy side characters, because if they don't all we'll end up with will be superhero movies that are just comedies with superhero characters. BvS has a specific story about the fall from Superman's battle with the Kryptonians in MoS. Not just the fall out from the destruction and deaths (you are naive if you think there weren't similar amounts of death and destruction in most of the Marvel movies. We just didn't see it. That many explosions, aliens, huge fricking space ships flying through the canyons of New York? Come on!), but also the fall out of people's emotions. Both Superman's emotions and the other people of planet Earth. BvS is an exploration of how people would really react to such a disaster. How they would react to the arrival of a creature like Superman. The narrative twists and turns taking in the many different feelings such events would bring about. Fear. Awe. Love. Hatred. The movie is complex because the reactions to such an event would be complex. Aside from the story, this is a beautiful movie. The world is extremely well realised. The powers shown work very well on screen. Each actor in this movie hits their mark. Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot are excellent additions to the universe. I'd say especially Gadot, but we don't get to see as much of her as Affleck. What we do see of her is more as Wonder Woman than as Diana Prince but what an entrance she makes as Wonder Woman in the final act! She comes across as powerful and graceful. A little smirk to herself mid-battle as she relishes being able to cut loose is a particular highlight for me. She is a warrior! And, yes, a stunningly beautiful one at that. Affleck is great as both Wayne and Batman. I very much look forward to seeing both actors play these characters again and I'm especially looking forward to Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman movie coming next year. The extras are interesting and in-depth, going into the comic book histories of all the characters and giving glimpses of Suicide Squad and the Wonder Woman movies. I love this movie. I can't wait for more DCEU movies. I can't wait for more Marvel movies too. I just hope they are more than just the cookie cutter sameness that I've seen up to now. It is truly a Golden Age for comic book superhero fans. It's been a long time coming and long may it continue.

**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD** For the first time ever, DC Comics' two most famous heroes appear in a movie together, in Zack Snyder's latest foray into the world of comic books (following 300, Watchmen, and Man Of Steel). Loosely based on Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, the movie sees the two heroes manipulated by Lex Luthor into direct conflict, with the megalomaniac businessman looking to pick up the pieces. Ultimately, the two are forced by circumstance and timely intervention by Lois Lane (and later Wonder Woman) to team up to fight a horrific creature created by mixing General Zod's (the villain from MOS) dead body and Luthor's own DNA. Firstly, as I am reviewing the 3 hour Ultimate Edition, I'll start with the negatives : It IS, despite my fanboy inclinations, too long. Too much time is spent on the illegal arms subplot, with Bruce Wayne sneaking around Luthor's headquarters like a naughty little schoolboy. To some, the ethos of Batman - namely his original subtitle of 'The Dark Knight Detective' - is fulfilled here; to me, the investigations should be done at night, when no-one is around, in full costume. The destruction of Wayne Financials' skyscraper, in my opinion, is cut far too close to September 11th imagery. The intention is to make this fantastical world realistic, and Snyder has never run away from superhero / real world parallels, but I think this skews too close to questionable judgement in the way it is presented. Now the positives : Snyder is an outstanding visualist - light, darkness, cloud, snow, sun, and rain are all tools that he uses to frame every scene as a kind of living comic book - the slo-mo (which is often criticised) is used here to accentuate particular moments, such as the image of Bruce Wayne's mother's pearls breaking as the back street mugger pulls the trigger. He can tell a story with small scale, intimate moments (such as a steamy bath scene between Lois Lane and Clark Kent), as well as huge, widescreen, special effect set pieces. My opinion is that he is one of the most underrated directors working in Hollywood today. The script - co-written by regular Batman visitor David S. Goyer - is great, full of plenty of hints of both characters past, as well as their possible futures.And while it shows an occasional James Cameron like tendency to err towards the over complicated (thanks to trying to cram too many ideas in), when it flies (no pun intended), it soars. The action - although it takes around 70 minutes for the new Batmobile to get down to business, it is worth the wait. Faster, sleeker, and more agile than it's predecessors, only Superman's steel physique stops it - which is the way it should be. Happily, Batman is able to get it back to the Batcave without too much damage. The final hour is full of action, revelation, and delightful set pieces. Along with Cameron, Christopher Nolan, and Michael Bay, Snyder is truly a master at orchestrating this kind of prolonged action, placing the viewer right in the middle. The design - production design (pitched somewhere between the realism of Nolan's trilogy and the abstract / high art of Burton's Batman films), costumes and vehicles are all top notch. And if you think the new Batmobile is good, wait 'til you see the Batwing! The cast - Henry Cavill as Superman / Clark Kent conveys the scripts' dilemma of how an alien can fit in on our world, as well as his fierce intensity when in the blue and red, perfectly. Ben Affleck as Batman / Bruce Wayne deals with, for the first time, being an older version of the character - an idea from Miller's book. He refers at one point to doing this 'for twenty years' - which puts his age close to Affleck's own. This is a Bruce Wayne who, while not exactly jaded, has been changed by his years on the streets (and the roofs) of Gotham. Sporting an ever present nine 'o clock shadow, a haunted look in his eyes, Affleck's Batman goes even further than Christian Bale in portraying the tortured loneliness of the character. This is nicely balanced by Jeremy Irons as Alfred - sardonic, sarcastic, and always ready with a withering put down, the impression is of a battle hardened general, which in a way, is exactly what he is. Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman slides through scenes with effortless glamour, only being revealed as the battle ready Amazon in the last hour. She too has her own demons, revealing that she has not fought since 1918 - feeding nicely into her upcoming stand alone movie. Amy Adams makes a terrific Lois Lane - spikey, sexy and determined. More than a damsel in distress (as in the 80's movies), she actually saves the day on more than one occasion. Laurence Fishbourne is an archetypal newspaper editor, not given much to do other than shout, but as always, he does it well. And finally - last but not least - Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. A world away from Gene Hackman's original version, and Kevin Spacey in Brian Singer's tepid Superman Returns, he is a cackling, manic ball of energy that steals almost every scene he is in. I haven't always been a fan of Eisenberg, mainly due to his habit of speaking really, REALLY, fast and never taking a breath between lines, but here, it's an asset. And when he is given his comic book hairdo in the last act, and Batman reveals he's heading for Arkham, we know this won't be the last we see (or hear) of him. Conclusion? For comic book fans, terrific. For action movie fans, terrific. For every one else, tread carefully. Casual viewers should be advised - this probably isn't for you. The numerous references to comic book lore means much of it will probably pass a lot of people by. It's a shame, because it's a great movie, gritty and realistic, while treating it's source material with as much respect as a nearly hundred year old medium deserves.

I won't spoil much of the story, most people know it already, mixing the classical Superman vs Doomsday and Superman vs Batman comics. You'll hear many insulting comments about Zack Snyder these days and how he does superhero movies. Honestly since recently, I hated what Snyder does, his Dawn of the dead is so bad it's bad, with ridiculous scenes with the dog not attacked by the zombies for no reason, the van with side openings for chainsaws that of course kill more heroes than zombies ... Then 300, yeah it's a worldwide success, but I still wonder why. The deliberately greyish but still not totally black and white image usage with the lots of red contrasting only tired my eyes and didn't feel graphically awesome, and the poor story with the hunchback betraying (sooo obvious), and shouting "spartaaaa" all around became ridiculous fast. So I didn't give much of his future movies. I somehow did't watch Watchmen when it was released and watched Sucker punch first, was confused obviously but didn't really hate it. Then I saw Watchmen and I was really stunned by both the visual elements, the narrative, the character development ... It's still one of my all time favourite superhero movies. Then Man of Steel. First I watched only the beginning Krypton scene and when young Clark saved the schoolbus and I stopped, something didn't click and I didn't want to watch more. Weeks later I tried again and really really liked it. Now on to B v S. First I'll say it's an adult movie, meaning a movie targeting an adult audience, not children or teenagers (or older teenagers). The themes of a "greater power" that could fight for the good but also become a menace, an alien being coming to Earth, thus not Earth born, the extreme destruction and death caused by a fight of 2 very powerful beings and their psychological consequences, the reaction of the lambda citizen to such events, having difficulties to fit in, a "dark" superhero ready to use lethal methods to help his fellow citizens ; those are very serious themes, that need a mind both capable of deep analysis and perspective to take in and appreciate. So here we are with now lots of super hero movies that are mostly "fun", even comical (Guardians of the galaxy, Ant man), and a very dark and serious super hero movie happens. A movie where super heroes are treated with psychological flaws, extreme hatred or love for such super beings from "normal" humans. And yet these characters show human emotions and both try to help others and live a normal life. So yes I love this movie.

N/A

Here goes another review to add to the mix. First of all the product: arrived on release day for a change, nice to see Amazon improving their game. No ultra violet code found in the packaging so that's a minus. Two discs included, one theatrical version one ultimate edition, I doubt the theatrical version will ever be watched. Being an avid fan of superman and batman ...and wonder woman, TV shows and films growing up in the 70's I have mixed feelings on many of the films since Michael Keaton played batman in the 90's. Generally I have enjoyed them all. I can probably say I enjoyed batman more with the reinvention of batman in batman begins. Unfortunately the reinvention of Superman was less appealing despite him being my real childhood hero. The suit is cool the actor is great the krypton story well portrayed but the wow factor has gone, and the superman theme music with it. :( Batman v Superman messes with characters I used to love quite alot. First of all Batman. Ben Affleck does a better job than I hoped and many criticisms I have heard are not warranted. However there does seem to be a little something lacking. Alfred is OK. These two really needed their own batman film prior to the release of this movie so we could really get to grips with the changes in the portrayal of Gotham's knight his butler, and their relationship dynamic. The theatrical version of this film does a very poor job of this. Superman: can't say much more than already said without going into spoilers, but as with man of steel there are aspects of this film which are great and others that.... erm well, suck. Wonder woman: next to no introduction. As with the new batman actors , wonder woman would have been better to have her own film first rather than be introduced in this one. Totally lacked any wow factor. Such a shame for such an awesome character. Other superheroes and the film in general: other superheroes are briefly mentioned but removing the wow factor, the excitement and smiles when the hero turns up. Lex Luther, "the greatest criminal mastermind" is terrible and would have played a better joker. It is a film worth watching even if only once. I think the film makers are really missing out on a film that could've been epic. This film is quite dark, the mood the characters, everything. TV heroes once well portrayed are less appealing and suitable for kids. Many superhero films are bringing in bad language and sexual references that might appeal to some but make the product no longer suitable for kids. This is a real shame and a massive flaw when you then consider how much promotion merchandise is aimed at kids. The story is actually pretty good. So overall, watch it, you can form your own opinion but if like me your hero is superman you won't be thrilled. If your hero is wonder woman you will be disappointed. If your hero is batman, you maybe left confused. I would love to spend time analysing it all further but I seem to fall asleep watching it lately. Maybe that's just my jet lag.

With all things such as art, movies, music etc it is always a preference of taste to the individual. This movie recieved quite a slating from reviewers upon release in the cinemas and to be fair I thought most reviews were a little harsh. A lot of people complained that the film was to dark and serious, not enough laughs. With all the great Marvel films that have come out I feel we get our fair share of the more lightened Super hero movies to keep us entertained. But honestly it's nice every now and again to watch a movie that has a darker, brooding and grimmer tone to it in both story and visualisation. For me, and again it's personal preference here, I loved this film from start to finish. It's quite long the extended cut but it's worth it compared to the theatrical release. Also the old Batflick didn't seam to be welcomed as the new Batman and to be fair again I thought Ben Afleck did a great job, also the on screen presence of Wonder Woman was awesome. Luckily for me this film wasn't over bombarded with to many different superheroes. The villains were good, Lex Luthor was a tad crazy compared to the Lex we have come to know over the years but again he added a nice dynamic to the heroes. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, only to say that the ending had me shocked, but in a good way. Looking forward to seeing what they do with the Justice League movie and really looking forward to the stand alone WonderWoman film. Man of Steel was quite an onslaught to the senses visually, I much preferred this films pace and story. Anyway I loved the film and would recommend to anyone that wants a darker super hero movie

None Spoiler Thoughts on this Ultimate Edition. 'Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs.' I watched this film at the cinema and although I enjoyed it, I found later I was irritated by the pacing and plot throughout. It appeared to jump about and try to cram in too much. This ultimate edition paints a completely different picture and if you are at all a fan of the DC universe or comic book movies it is essential viewing. The extra 30 (odd) minutes really fleshes out Clark Kents/Supermans role and you can see his motivation for the sometimes odd behavior shown in the origional theatrical release. It also adds depth to the actions of the other characters that was lacking before. So much so that it felt like watching a completely different and much better film. This film took a bashing in the reviews when it was released for cinema and although I thought a lot of it was bandwagon-ism the essential points were valid. It is a shame it wasn't this version of the film that was reviewed. Although it doesn't change the tone or a few of the other issues brought up with the origional (re the characterisation of Batman and Lex Luthor), it is a much more solid plot and creates a better vision for the DC Universe moving forwards.

The movie looks great! So many things and easter eggs. I give 4 stars because delivery took so long!

OTTIMO

Mucho mejor que la versión normal, muy recomendable ya que llena pequeñas lagunas de la historia

Inexplicable que Warner haya distribuido tan pocas copias de la Ultimate Edition en nuestro país. Esta edición es la que contiene la versión extendida con todo el metraje, una media hora más, que no pudimos ver en el cine. La edición UK, que es la que he comprado, incluye audio y subtítulos en diferentes idiomas, entre ellos el inglés y el castellano. Imprescindible, si eres fan del DCU.

Edición inglesa con la versión extendida de la película y el audio totalmente en castellano. Perfecto porque no solo es más barata que la edición española, sino que ademñas esta es muy difícil de encontrar.