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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Review

How 'ultimate' is the new release and special features? It's definitely something you'll want to pick up.

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice left us with mixed emotions. This was the movie we were waiting for. We longed to see Batman and Superman together on the big screen. Having Wonder Woman appear as well has a fantastic bonus.

Then we found out Batman and Superman would be fighting each other. Isn't this the World's Finest? Aren't they practically best friends in the DC Universe? Sure, superheroes fighting each other is not a new concept. We know it happens and they end up fighting each other. Sadly, with this focus in the movie, we were left often wondering who were we supposed to be rooting for. (The answer is clearly Wonder Woman).

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The movie may have had some odd choices with the direction of the story, but the movie did deliver some nice visuals. With the extra footage in the Ultimate Edition, the story does become a little clearer at times. We get to understand Superman and his motives a little better. There are some cool moments, as well as other aspects explained a little more.

Does it make the movie better? It does help a little. The movie is still muddled at times. The cameos still feel forced. Lex Luthor is still all over the place. The dream sequence will still make you scratch your head. Despite being longer, it doesn't necessarily drag on. Because it helps the flow of the movie, you'll stay in your seat and take in all the sights. Surprisingly, I didn't notice much of a difference in the violence, which is part of the reason for the R-rating.

There is a lot of content in the special features. If anything, they'll make you even more excited for what's to come. This movie may have had some problems, but it does set up a lot. Seeing footage from 2017's Wonder Woman or the behind the scenes filming for the other Justice League characters, you can't help but get excited for the idea of this cinematic universe growing.

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Here's a run down of the special features.

  • Uniting the World's Finest (15:05) Zack Snyder, Ben Affleck, Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Geoff Johns, and more talk about the rich history of the DC characters. Behind the scenes look at filming and how they want to create a new cinematic world. Footage from Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa talks Aquaman, Ezra Miller on being Flash, Ray Fisher on being Cyborg, the new characters in Suicide Squad, etc.
  • Gods and Man: A meeting of Giants (12:28) Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Geoff Johns, Charles Roven Laurence Fishborne, and others talk about the two characters and how they've interacted in the comics. We see the history of the two and when they first met in comics along with how the relationship has been redefined over the years.
  • The Warrior, The Myth, The Wonder (21:16) A look at who Wonder Woman is. It's looked at why William Marston created the character and where he drew inspiration from. It wasn't sure if a book starring Wonder Woman could work back when she debuted. It turned out to be a huge success as she was one of the first female characters to have her own book.
  • Accelerating Design: The New Batmobile (22:46) Sal Masekela talks to the team that designed and built the new Batmobile.
  • Superman: Complexity & Truth (7:08) Henry Cavill talks about the character and how people look at him. Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder talk about how this Superman is different. Costume designer mentions how they had to make Clark's clothes hide who he is. Cavill describes the problems with fighting in costume in "rain."
  • Batman: Austerity & Rage (8:15) How do you bring Batman into the movie? Ben Affleck talks about how Bruce Wayne is as much of a costume as Batman. The designers talk about the new costume and gadgets he uses. The stunt team talks about how this Batman fights. Lots of behind the scenes footage
  • Wonder Woman: Grace & Power (6:48) We get a good look at Gal Gadot's take on Wonder Woman. We see how she trained and read up on the character. Others talk about how she carries herself when in character. They spent a lot of time figuring out how the costume should look since it's something she's had for many years, in theory. This really gets you excited for the Wonder Woman solo movie.
  • Batcave: Legacy of the Lair (7:12) The designers talk about making a new cave while trying to retain some of the legacy. They had to figure out who to fit in everything so it'd make sense in an underground lair.
  • The Might and the Power of a Punch (5:15) An analysis of the encounter between Batman and Superman.
  • The Empire of Luthor (12:33) Geoff Johns talks about how villains like Zod and Lex are opposites. Lex's history and evolution in the comics is shown. We see how he's similar and different in the movies.
  • Save the Bats (4:37) Trying to raise awareness for bat conservation. Bats are dying and it could be catastrophic for our ecosystem.
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The movie is far from perfect. In some ways, it doesn't have to be. Seeing DC's Trinity is great. The new footage does enhance the film but doesn't fix all the problems. It's still something you'll want to watch again. Now that the basics have been established, we can look forward to more with these characters. There was a lot of potential here. The Ultimate Edition shows more of a hint of what we could still. If you're a fan of the DC characters, you'll want this in your personal collection.

Here's a bunch of images to enjoy until you pick up your copy.

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition is now available in a Blu-ray combo pack with DVD, Ultra HD Blu-ray, and Digital HD.