Thirty extra minutes. Worth it? In short. Yes.
After the events of 2013’s Man of Steel, the world tries to determine whether or not Superman (Henry Cavill) should be praised for his actions or if he should be turned over to the US government. Batman (Ben Affleck) on the other hand sees him as a threat to earth and prepares himself to take on the Superman in the biggest gladiator match in history.
After the theatrical version of Batman v Superman was released, many came out of the film with mixed views. It was after this that director Zack Snyder announced that Warner Brothers would be releasing an Ultimate Edition of the movie with thirty extra minutes of story, violence and superhero action.
Snyder promised that these thirty extra minutes would help piece together the movie in a way that would make it feel full and complete, and that’s exactly what we got! The Ultimate Edition at times feels like a completely different movie; story points are explained more thoroughly and the film as a whole doesn’t feel like it’s been sent through a wood chipper.
This version of the film is not only filled in correctly, but it shows how sadistic Lex Luthor really is, as his hand is shown in every single attack in the movie; from Africa to Washington. This not only makes Luthor more of a threat to the protagonists, but also more threatening to those of the audience who weren’t sold on Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal.
Clark Kent also receives more screen time investigating the Dark Knight’s attacks in Gotham City. As he continues to search for answers about the masked vigilante, you begin to understand why Superman despises Batman so much and gives him a reason to attack.
The Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman is the version that should be viewed by anyone that hasn’t seen the movie yet. It highlights the best parts of the film and expounds on them. The direction by Snyder is still not the best with more action over substance, but this is overshadowed by the great acting of the cast. Affleck is the best Batman on screen in my opinion and Lex Luthor, though different, is excellent in the film. Henry Cavill embodies the entire being of Superman and there is not one point in the film where he makes you think otherwise.
Not all of the problems that people had with the theatrical version are fixed, but as one who thoroughly enjoyed the original, I think that this film although isn’t flawless, is the superhero epic I wanted it to be. DC has great things coming and you can tell that Batman v Superman is just the beginning.
Fun Fact:
This will be the tenth time Batman has been portrayed since 1943. Superman, on the other hand, has been portrayed sixteen times since 1939.
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