MOVIE REVIEW: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice--Ultimate Edition

I saw the blockbuster event Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on its opening weekend, eager to join the conversation that would inevitably ensue, even more so with the intense backlash by critics. I was disappointed in it when I saw it March, not because of the characters or the plot, but rather by the editing of the film. It was so choppy that it felt annoying: we'd be at LexCorp for 30 seconds, then in a rainy street for a minute, then somewhere else completely for more brief moments of time. There was no cohesion to the film; for as long as the film was, it felt empty. I debated whether to give the film 2.5 or 3 stars, and then I heard there was an extended cut. The editing problems were noticeable because there was an entire half-hour cut from the film at the last minute, thanks to Warner Bros. In respect to director Zack Snyder and the film, I elected to wait to review this film until I had seen the original vision for the film once it was released--now on Blu-Ray, entitled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice--Ultimate Edition. Now clocking in at a solid three hours and toting an R rating, does the Ultimate Edition improve on the theatrical cut? Heck, is the full movie even good?

Rated R for some violence

Note: In case you have not yet seen the film in any form, be mindful there are some spoilers in this review.

In its attempt to build a new cinematic universe, DC Comics pulled out its trump card in its second installment: the monumental face-off of its two biggest heroes for the first time on screen, and the first cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. For the most part, it pays off, and it's impressive how well the extended cut follows Man of Steel and establishes its new characters. Granted, the film still has flaws, many of which were inherited from the theatrical cut.

First off, the film gave itself the challenge in having Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg, Now You See Me, The Social Network) orchestrate a global chain of events that lead up to the climactic duel while having Lois Lane (Amy Adams, American Hustle) follow his breadcrumbs, while Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck, Argo) and Clark Kent (Henry Cavill, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) go on their own personal hunts against each other's super-identities, not to mention making Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot, Fast & Furious) relevant in linking her to the eventual Justice League. It has several threads, but in a three-hour cut, the job is done and is rather well-connected.

Luckily, the film is well-buoyed by performances. Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot steal the show as Batman and Wonder Woman. Though some have taken ill with the DCEU Batman, which appears to kill more than any other iteration, Ben Affleck portrays perfectly the Batman the film was going for. Gadot, though her character is obviously shoe-horned in, makes herself relevant and unforgettable, being the best part of the final Doomsday fight. Thankfully, Amy Adams and Henry Cavill are given more to do in the extended cut and are able to shine (although the writers are grasping at straws to keep her relevant in the third act), and Jeremy Irons as Alfred gets a few good quips in, too. And even though Jesse Eisenberg's take on Lex Luthor is divisive and different, I honestly don't mind it. It grew on me an hour into the theatrical cut, and I haven't had a problem with it since. It's appropriately neurotic for the madman that Luthor is in this franchise.

The mountain of a task Warner Bros. gave Snyder before March this year was insane. The film is of epic length and story, and it lost a lot by being cut to 2.5 hours. With an extended runtime, the movie can breathe and entertain. With an R-rating, the movie is easily the darkest we've seen any of these characters. Superman is no longer the Christopher Reeve Boy Scout, and the mood and tone surrounding Batman is even darker than the Nolan trilogy. It's a violent, gritty movie--definitely not for young children. There's war violence, human trafficking, superhero violence, large-scale explosions and destruction, and blood. It's all purposeful, though, with convincing character conflicts and long-term repercussions and motivations.

On second watch directly after watching Man of Steel, I enjoyed seeing how they continued Superman's quasi-allegorical arc. In Man of Steel, Superman's father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) remarks how Earth "will see him [Superman] as a god." That film is essentially the clash of gods among men, with the battle of the Luciferian General Zod against the messianic Superman. With repercussions felt across the world, Luthor, embittered by a powerful yet cruel father, equates power with injustice, without innocence, and upon seeing omnipotence personified through Superman he rejects the notion that Superman could be in any way good. "If God is all-powerful, he cannot be all good, and if he is all good, he cannot be all powerful." As a man, he tries to take on the god, but uses Gotham's Batman as an unwitting puppet to deal with it, fueled by rage for the seemingly-cruel carnage left in the wake of Man of Steel's climax. With a truce at the end of the titular duel, Luthor proclaims, "If man won't kill God, then the Devil will do it!" summoning the Doomsday monster from Zod's corpse. In a way, Luthor succeeds here, as Superman sacrifices himself to destroy Doomsday. The world is saved by the god's sacrifice (at least it appears that way until they hint at the resurrection in the final frame). For me, the hint of allegory and the futility of trying to destroy God made the Doomsday sequence and the final frame more meaningful than they were when I saw the theatrical cut. It's not a direct allegory by any means, but I think Snyder and writers David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio have concocted an interesting take on a Messiah story that gives their universe a bit more weight than the average superhero franchise. Additionally, I liked the set-up of Superman's sacrifice being the fire for Justice League's round-up, giving Bats and Wonder Woman appropriate motivation for creating the meta-human squad.

Of course, not everything improved in the new cut. While the film is holistically more coherent now, I still think the infamous "Knightmare" sequence is unnecessary. It kind of works for further establishing the psychological toll hunting a superhuman is on Bruce Wayne, what with the apocalyptic visions, but The Flash's (Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower) cameo immediately after just makes the whole scene bizarre and more confusing than necessary. Unfortunately, this scene probably won't be getting appropriate context until a future movie years from now. There are also a few too many dream sequences than is probably necessary. Even though I see a justification for Doomsday on second viewing, I still struggle to agree that he belongs in this movie that's already stuffed to the brim, especially when he only comes across as little more than a Cave Troll from The Hobbit movies.

Though the Batman v Superman makes way for the dawn of justice, it's still an entertaining picture.

In short, any plot problems present in the original theatrical release is still around for the Ultimate Edition, but there is some nice padding with the extra half-hour, letting the movie breathe and answering more than a few plot holes. In many ways it is superior to Man of Steel and is a well-paced story, even if some of the interpretations of the characters are unorthodox to say the least. I appreciate what Snyder's vision was for this film, and for the most part, it works. In the end, despite its flaws, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice--Ultimate Edition is lofty, but it makes its many moving parts feel relevant while having several gorgeous shots, all while firmly establishing the direction of the franchise and continuing where it left off in 2013. I give the Ultimate Edition 4 out of 5 stars.

I feel like I'll be in the minority on this one, but numbers aside, there is no doubt that the Ultimate Edition is a superior version of the Batman/Superman story. Even though it is long, I hope Warner Bros. learns from this and lets its directors execute their visions in the DCEU. Though the extended, intended version of the movie is flawed at times, studio interference really hurt the whole thing exponentially back in March. From here, Wonder Woman and Justice League look promising. Time will only tell.

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