On July 19th, Warner Bros. is releasing Zack Snyder’s BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE on Blu-ray and DVD starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Holly Hunter and Jesse Eisenberg. We had a chance to view an advance copy of the Ultimate Edition Blu-ray. What makes this extra special is the inclusion of scenes that were cut from the theatrical release, in some cases featuring characters you never saw previously. Jena Malone, as one example, is shown on the home video release for the first time. There’s new footage with Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck and Amy Adams, plus featurettes covering everything from the new Batmobile and Batcave to creating a new Wonder Woman. This release is pretty packed.

It’s a little amusing to think about how just four years ago, Christopher Nolan wrapped up THE DARK KNIGHT trilogy, bringing closure to his cinematic take on the Batman legacy. The very next year we received a new take on Superman with 2013’s MAN OF STEEL, which introduced Henry Cavill as the new Clark Kent/Superman, and put Zack Snyder in the driver seat as director. This was also in many ways Warner Bros’ answer to the dissatisfied fans who thought 2006’s somber SUPERMAN RETURNS didn’t have enough action. What we got from Snyder was a decent Superman movie that was arguably overloaded with action and disaster sequences in which thousands of people perished just from collateral damage… it was also much more bleak and serious that people had ever seen in a movie featuring The Big Blue Boy Scout. Little did many folks realize then that MAN OF STEEL would actually be the start of a new DC Comics big screen universe, as the studio is trying to quickly catch up with the box office success seen by the numerous Marvel movies. Once THE AVENGERS came out, Warner Bros. saw the huge bucks a team movie could bring in, and determined they needed to hurry up and get to a Justice League movie, which would bring all the big DC heroes together in one ensemble film. The lead in to that comes out this weekend in BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. Oh sure, on the surface it looks like a comic book film about the company’s two biggest icons, but it’s really an appetizer for a much bigger project.

The movie begins with the most overdone comic book movie sequence of all time, done yet again, as we see a flashback to young Bruce Wayne and his parents Thomas (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Martha (Lauren Cohan) meeting a dark fate while exiting a night at the cinema. The spin this time is the flashback ends in a more dream-like state, while still showing how Bruce got his influence. Cut to the big final battle we saw at the end of MAN OF STEEL. Superman and General Zod are slugging it out over Metropolis, ripping through buildings and streets leaving dead bodies in their wake. Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) races through the street headed toward his financial building, as a Kryptonian ship crashes above him, taking out several skyscrapers in the process. It’s complete carnage, all because of the two warring Kryptonians that Earth never wanted or expected. We not only see how this disaster affects Wayne, but others in the city as well. We then cut to 18 months later, with Lois Lane (Amy Adams) in Africa to interview a warlord, only things go bad. Superman (Henry Cavill) saves her, but more people die in the process, and some now blame him for the death and destruction there as well. Back in Metropolis, Senator Finch (Holly Hunter) wishes to bring Superman before a hearing asking him to answer for what he’s done. Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is hoping to get her help in securing a piece of salvaged Kryptonite from across the world, pulled from the wreckage of the world engine Zod was trying to use on Earth (yeah, you may want to re-watch MAN OF STEEL before seeing this). Bruce Wayne in disguise as Batman is tracking a crime boss in Gotham, and isn’t afraid to use brute force to get the answers he needs. The basic story pieces are put in place. Lex is up to no good and wants the Kryptonite, and also gains access to the crashed Krypton ship and Zod’s body. Bruce is closing in on some unexpected truths and connections that will make him hate Superman even more. Lois is trying to find out why things went nuts in Africa, and Clark is trying to decide if he really is a villain to the people of the world or a necessary evil. Once Batman resolves to bring down the big guy, all bets are off… and there’s a mysterious third player in the game who has her own secret motives.

As a comic book fan, I have to appreciate what Zack Snyder is trying to do here. I still say his WATCHMEN is perhaps the best possible adaptation of the source material, even if it doesn’t necessarily make for a great movie in the minds of some – if you’ve never read the original book, let’s just say I doubt anyone could have adapted it better. That said, he’s someone who clearly likes comic books and wants to appeal to the fans, but there’s a big difference between incorporating iconic comic book moments and telling a cohesive comic book story. Snyder clearly borrowed select elements from classic material, like Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” and Dan Jurgens’ “The Death of Superman” storyline, but rather than adapt the already excellent material he just sampled sections of it here and there. When the title fight finally happens (pretty late in the two and a half hour film), there’s panel perfect shots of an armored Batman trading blows the only way he can with Supes, but the motivation is different and the resolve at the end is kind of silly. Plus all of it just leads into another battle that’s much bigger and bloated. This for me was strike one, as I think this movie could have easily been just about Batman choosing to fight Superman, and the outcome of that. What ends up actually being the big giant battle at the end should have been saved for another film, and the dramatic end result of it really feels premature. But again, this movie is more about setting up the inevitable Justice League films, so a lot of what you see is just plot device to get that thread moving.

What works and works quite well is Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. He’s actually excellent in the role, taking the character exactly where it needs to be for a new generation, and playing the part in a darker and more sincere way than we’ve ever seen. This is a Dark Knight who doesn’t have a “one rule” about not killing, and has reached an extreme point of even torturing his victims to get what he needs. He’s been hurt, and he’s not afraid to hurt others. He also for the first time feels like a much more important character in a big universe, almost as if when the Justice League forms he will easily take on a grander role, even when surrounded by those who are much more powerful than him. Gal Gadot has some fun as Wonder Woman, who is used very sparingly in the film but still gets some great glory moments. The tease of her character and the bigger story she comes from is very well done, and we’re given just enough to keep us intrigued and wanting more. She also looks good in the armor, holding her own from a visual standpoint against the hulking boys on either side of her. Henry Cavill is fine as Superman, carrying on the performance he succeeded with admirably in the first film, but here it feels like he has much less to do. There were times when I wanted him to speak out and address the citizens of the city, and instead he just plays the strong and silent outsider, which took some of the humanity away from the character. Perhaps this was done so that the alien would feel “alien”, making the more extreme decisions of folks like Batman seem more justified, but the Superman I’ve come to love would had tried to reason more and use his words. Maybe we’ll see the character grow into that later, who knows. The only times Cavill gets to feel more natural appear in a few moments with Lois, and some heated arguments with Perry White (Laurence Fishburne, who also doesn’t have much to do here) at The Daily Planet. Some have said this comes across more like a Batman movie that Superman happened to be in. I’d disagree with that, as I thought it was pretty well balanced, but the lack and dialogue and emotion from Supes does make his character less impactful on the audience.

Then there’s Jesse Eisenberg… yes, I’m starting a new paragraph just for him. He’s not bad or annoying like some of the trailer have led folks to assume, it’s just a very different take on Lex Luthor, and is at times a little refreshing. Gone is the shrewd and determined businessman, replaced with a spoiled and somewhat bitter rich kid born into wealth and morally corrupt. Eisenberg manages to have fun in the role, but it’s definitely a reading that will divide audiences. Some might love it, others will hate it, and some won’t know what to think. What bothered me about him was more of a writing error, in that Lex kind of lacks any defined motivation in this story. Why does he want to hurt Superman? What did Superman do to him? Is it because he feels threatened by him? That’s never really defined. Perhaps his character just likes taking down people in power, but we’re not given a definitive reason for his actions and that feels like a mistake. Amy Adams is serviceable as Lois, but much like Superman here she just doesn’t seem to be as emotive as you’d want her to be, even in moments of what should be extreme distress. In all honesty I thought her performance was one of the weakest elements in MAN OF STEEL, and she doesn’t do much here to change my mind.

The big highlights are an intense car chase with Batman in the Batmobile trying to catch a truck, the title fight (of course), and a sequence with Batman unleashing justice on a warehouse full of goons – that last one is flat out phenomenal. But it’s all wrapped up in a story that seems to keep tripping over itself, and ends things in a very over-the-top and hurried way. The score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL borrows a lot from MAN OF STEEL, but manages to come up with some fun themes, particularly Lex Luthor’s operatic-sounding overture, and Batman’s brooding underscore. There’s a feeling of familiarity here, almost a touch of SPIDER-MAN 3, which was a big comic book movie plagued by studio insistence of including too many characters and overlapping stories… the end result being a mess. BATMAN v SUPERMAN isn’t the same level of mess, but it does feel clunky. What Warner Bros. and DC Comics seem to be missing is something Marvel Studios did so brilliantly, and that’s world building. THE AVENGERS only worked because the solo movies that came before it carefully established the characters and gave them room to breathe. This movie just crams all the big stuff together and forces in the other characters, which will somehow have to come together in the first JUSTICE LEAGUE movie. I’ll say this, if you’ve never seen MAN OF STEEL, or even if you have, re-watch it before seeing this one as there’s a lot you’ve probably forgot about since 2013, and the movie takes for granted you’ll remember it. And if you liked MAN OF STEEL (as, for the most part, I did), you’ll probably like most of what’s on display here… though it’s doubtful you’ll love it. As a comic book movie there’s a lot here for fans to embrace, but as a movie there’s a lot here that could have been better. Just based on the post-screening activity last night, I’ll say this much for it – it’s a film people will definitely want to discuss with others.

The Ultimate Edition features 30 minutes of new footage and is actually rated R. These added scenes do give the Superman character much more weight and logic, something that was sadly missing in the theatrical version. We also get a stronger revelation of just how dark Batman is here, even realizing that the Bat-brand he gives criminals leads to certain death in prison… and Batman knows this. When people are shot in this version, blood sprays in dramatic fashion, even if done with CGI. But the biggest change is definitely the motivations of the two leads, as we finally understand why Superman wants to put a stop to Batman, and why Batman feels forced to bring down the Man of Steel. It’s available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and 2-disc DVD Special Edition for $28.98. The Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the Ultimate Edition in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version and special features in HD, and Digital HD versions of both the Ultimate Edition and theatrical version. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition and hi-definition, as well as the Ultimate Edition in hi-definition; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the Ultimate Edition and theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray; and the DVD features the theatrical version in standard definition. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack include digital versions of both the Ultimate Edition and theatrical version movies in Digital HD with UltraViolet*.

The Blu-ray discs feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment that aren’t Dolby Atmos compatible.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Standard Definition 2-Disc DVD contain the following special features:

• Uniting the World’s Finest
• Gods and Men: A Meeting of Giants
• The Warrior, The Myth, The Wonder
• Accelerating Design: The New Batmobile
• Superman: Complexity & Truth
• Batman: Austerity & Rage
• Wonder Woman: Grace & Power
• Batcave: Legacy of the Lair
• The Might and the Power of a Punch
• The Empire of Luthor
• Save the Bats

These featurettes are quite satisfying, particularly for fans of the Zack Snyder take on these characters. It’s fascinating seeing the use of real bats, and learning the importance of their preservation. And it’s great seeing each principal character get their moment in the spotlight with these bonus videos, particularly the Wonder Woman featurette. It’s safe to say BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE The Ultimate Edition is a better version of the film, but at the same time frustrating as it serves as a realization that audiences did not get that better version in theaters. Perhaps the only letdown of this release is the absence of a commentary track and a gag reel, which seems like two big missed opportunities. Still, comic book fans may consider this one a must-own, if only for the cultural significance it holds for the DC Comics cinematic universe.

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