Back in March the highly anticipated and much maligned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters. There weren’t a lot of gray areas when it came to opinions. I was one of the few that understood the justifiable criticisms but at the same time, I also recognized its potential for success. This past Tuesday the Ultimate Edition was released on Blu-ray with an additional 30 minutes of footage. Did it make it better? Or did it make it worse? Did my opinion sway one way or another? Warning, spoilers ahead…
While my overall opinion hasn’t changed too much, the Ultimate Edition and its 3+ hour running time did improve on some of the details that made the theatrical release seem choppy. This is especially true to Superman (Henry Cavill). In this edition, we see more of what drives Superman, the conflict he faces in trying to “fit” into our world. The repercussions from the events in Man of Steel were still at the forefront but now have a slightly improved narrative. Cavill is still a favorite of mine in the role of Clark Kent/Superman. I’m hopeful that future installments showcase just how good he is in the role and how important Superman is to comic book industry as a whole.
As for the overall movie itself, the additional 30 minutes which coincidently caused it to get an R-Rating, still has the same flaws with too many stories to draw inspiration from. Director Zack Snyder had so much he wanted to say and do that even at 3+ hours, you still feel like something is missing. Sometimes, less is more. We do however get to see which character Jena Malone played. After much internet speculation and to the chagrin to many, she did not play either Barbara Gordon or Carrie Kelly. In fact her character turned out to be none other than Jenet Klyburn. Who you may ask is Jenet Klyburn? Klybern was character from the 70’s and is a lead scientist over at STAR Labs. Not sure why Snyder cut her scenes. Her scenes equaled to less than five minutes of screen time but did help Lois (Amy Adams) with an important part of her investigation into Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).
Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, still represent the films greatest highlights. And I still get a thrill at seeing glimpses of The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) which only makes me look forward to seeing what kind of Cinematic Universe is on the horizon. It’s only natural that we compare DC with what Marvel has been able to accomplish. DC is a complete opposite in terms of tone and presentation, that in and of itself is not a bad thing. It’s okay to be different; it’s okay to be darker. Perhaps not so literal though. Director Zack Snyder for better or for worse has created what he deems as a “realistic” take on our DC Superheroes. It’s an ambitious take for sure and I’m of the belief that this take comes from Warner Brothers need to play catch up with Marvel and cashing in on the comic book movie genre that shows no signs of slowing down. Certainly not for the foreseeable future that any way.
In a couple of weeks, Suicide Squad will hit theaters followed in 2017 with the big screen solo debut of Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot. Both are highly anticipated so their box office success or failure will serve as an important barometer for DC’s Cinematic future. Zack Snyder and company have promised a lighter Justice League film on the heels of the criticism both Man of Steel and BvS has received. Hence why Warner Brothers has decided to go with a PG-13 Suicide Squad as oppose to doing an R-Rated version that many thought would come about given Marvel’s success with Deadpool. Either way, the one thing I know for sure is that I’ll be there front and center to take it all in.
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams and Jeremy Irons
R 186 Mins
BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE ULTIMATE EDITION – ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
