December 1, 2016: Television Premiere of “Batman v Superman” Rates Highly

160602-BvSUltimateEdBluray2According to TVbytheNumbers, the television premiere of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” received extremely good ratings for HBO.

The HBO premiere of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” performed fairly well, tying for third in adults 18-49 with a 0.9 and bringing in 2.33 million viewers.

“Batman v Superman” made its TV premiere on Saturday, November 26 at 8.00pm. You can catch it again on Thursday, December 1 at 8.00pm, and then on Saturday, December 3 at 5.40pm.

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DE-EL
DE-EL
December 1, 2016 7:15 am

Interesting seeing as how I heard it was the theatrical cut that was released and most people prefer the UC. Looks like there is hope for those who support the film (like me) after all…

Steve Wright
Steve Wright
December 1, 2016 1:43 pm

The movie has seen a mostly 180 in perception among the masses… sure there those that will hate it no matter what but there has been a definite shift to appreciation. FAults and all

Super El
Super El
December 1, 2016 3:25 pm
Reply to  Steve Wright

That’s a bold claim.

Really. I know you liked it, and I disliked it. But te audience and the critics were pretty divided and talkative about this movie.

To say that there is a generally positive shift for the majority is a REALLY bold claim to make.

lcmcbain
lcmcbain
December 1, 2016 5:38 pm
Reply to  Super El

I believe it’s an incorrect claim at that. In the sense that I still think it is deeply divided among the masses or any other.

NeoRanger
NeoRanger
December 2, 2016 9:03 pm
Reply to  lcmcbain

Home entertainment isn’t the same as going to the movies, something that I’m not sure studios really look at when they only look at the numbers. A television viewing must be seen in a different context, not the least of which is the lack of the price of admission (even if it premiered on cable TV).

I don’t think the movie, as a movie, is nearly as divisive as we were led to believe when it was in theatres. I also don’t think it’s a good blueprint for ticket sales for future DC movies.

Steve Wright
Steve Wright
December 5, 2016 11:59 am
Reply to  NeoRanger

They do. Popularity on Home Video and Television has allowed many movies to get sequels. One of the biggest franchises that benefited from this was the Austin Powers movies.

LJ_602
LJ_602
December 7, 2016 12:26 am
Reply to  Steve Wright

And Batman Begins.

Steve Wright
Steve Wright
December 5, 2016 11:57 am
Reply to  lcmcbain

I don’t think it’s incorrect at all. I’ve seen a very clear opinion shift on the movie from a lot of people. Sure, it’s not universal, but there’s been an opinion change. And to be honest, I don’t think it was as negative as those that hate the movie would like everyone to believe. Sure, it wasn’t loved and the flaws were nitpicked, but the vitriol that some would like to see isn’t there. I have read many articles where people have changed their minds thanks to the extended cut.

lcmcbain
lcmcbain
December 5, 2016 3:30 pm
Reply to  Steve Wright

What I think is incorrect is that the there has been a 180 and that the vast majority now appreciated the movie. I think it’s more a feeling of ambivalence or even indifference overall. Yes, I think many believe the EC is better. But that’s not necessarily saying much. Some people still love it, some hate it but many just think eh, not terrible, not great. (That’s what I’ve gleaned from the many articles I’ve read) We should aspire to more imo.

sundevil82
sundevil82
December 1, 2016 7:18 pm

I wonder if they couldn’t use the ultimate cut. That was definitely better then the theatrical edition and should just become the default version. Seems kind of soon for it to be on cable doesn’t it? I remember man of steel took at least 10 months to premiere on HBO.

s-shield
s-shield
December 2, 2016 3:18 pm

I personally don’t get the love for the extended cut. I think the theatrical version is better. I, for one, already know Luthor is the bad guy. I don’t need 45 extra minutes slow walking me to that revelation, lol.

sundevil82
sundevil82
December 3, 2016 3:57 am
Reply to  s-shield

I personally prefer iThe extended cut because it has more scenes with Clark/Superman and it flows better IMO.

DE-EL
DE-EL
December 3, 2016 8:28 am
Reply to  s-shield

Agree with Sundevil82. The love for the extended cut is primarily due to the fact that there is more Clark/Superman scenes; him investigating Batman, having more personal character moments like talking to his mom, and for sure, more lines of dialogue. The extended cut makes it very clear that BVS was supposed to be MOS2 and that Zack Snyder had wanted a MOS trilogy, only for the studio to insist on having more screentime with you-know-who than Superman AKA the REAL hero…

LJ_602
LJ_602
December 3, 2016 11:12 am
Reply to  DE-EL

I don’t know if I would say it was anything Zack Snyder wanted, but it was the original plan. Don’t forget he was the one that wanted Batman in the sequel somehow, said he would love to adapt Dark Knight Returns and was able to achieve both after Kevin Tsujihara became CEO and made JL a priority. But as far as which version is better I’d say ultimate cut for the same reasons, more Clark. IMO, if they needed to cut a scene, it should have been the nightmare scene. That scene just causes confusion. Everyone I know that isn’t… Read more »

DE-EL
DE-EL
December 3, 2016 5:38 pm
Reply to  LJ_602

I remember that. But I don’t think his plan was to have Superman overshadowed so much. I mean, like we agreed, the UC had WAY more Clark/Superman time; via both his supporting cast and his villains. Batman had very few of both. Speaking of the UC, I agree that they could’ve gone without the Knightmare sequence. I understood it on every level, but I don’t think it was necessary. With MOS, I had to explain lots of things to my non-comics reading friends, but with BVS, I ended up working twice as hard. I had to explain the omega symbol,… Read more »

NeoRanger
NeoRanger
December 3, 2016 7:30 pm
Reply to  DE-EL

I wish I had the time and the equipment to fanedit BVS. I’d cut it into a fantastic movie. That Knightmare sequence can be cut down to a fraction of what it is in the movie and it’d work wonders. Remember how Singer cut out the Return to Krypton sequence, because he felt it didn’t flow with the rest of Superman Returns? That’s the Knightmare sequence, only a hell of a lot more confusing. I know Snyder has said he was the one who wanted Batman in the sequel, but at the same time early on he led us to… Read more »

DE-EL
DE-EL
December 3, 2016 9:16 pm
Reply to  NeoRanger

Having Batman in the film was Zack’s idea, but not to the expense of overshadowing Superman. Looking at the BVS UC, it’s very clear that he had MOS2 on the brain. No matter where you went in the film, you could always trace the story back to Superman in some way. Thing is, the studio wanted a world-building film that included WW, Flash, and the rest of them. The studio also wanted to have more Batman in the movie since this was a new interpretation and that the public needed to understand how different he is than Christian Bale. Yeah,… Read more »

LJ_602
LJ_602
December 4, 2016 3:41 pm
Reply to  DE-EL

There’s enough in the film to establish Bruce’s fears about Superman. The opening, the dialogue between him and Alford, the letters and the confrontation between Batman and Superman. I wouldn’t put so much blame on the studio. Yeah, there were things they wanted to establish, but the director isn’t cut out of the editing process. When the studio says the film has to be 2 1/2 hours he’s there supervising that process. I think the choice was his and he chose what he thought was more important to him for his story, which is now how the old and cynical… Read more »

Steve Wright
Steve Wright
December 5, 2016 12:00 pm
Reply to  LJ_602

Actually, it was documented before the movie came out that he turned in the extended version and Warners edited it down. Pretty sure he mentioned it in interviews. And, keep in mind, this was before the movie was released.

LJ_602
LJ_602
December 6, 2016 9:50 am
Reply to  Steve Wright

I went back and looked at some interviews, articles and everything else about Zack Snyder and the edit for BvS. What I found was that the original version was about 4 hours long. Senior Editor David Brenner was the guy who was responsible for editing it down, in conjunction with Zack Snyder. In a Collider interview Zack Snyder states “we didn’t take out much of the Superman/Batman story, because I felt like that was kind of the movie” “But there were ideas we trimmed back and that’s what you get.” That’s how they are all stated when coming from Zack… Read more »

Super El
Super El
December 3, 2016 11:25 am
Reply to  s-shield

there is more Superman stuff really. It’s also not as choppy as the theatrical version. That the only thing that really tipped my hardcore friends off

The problem is that, aside from making sure the pacing is more fluent, people still have the same problems they had before.

If your problem with Superman was that he feels so sorry for himself all the time, something he was supposed to grow out of in the first movie as that was its core. It’s telling that Superman, while saving children and being admired by the people, is compleatlly devoid of happiness.

Steve Wright
Steve Wright
December 5, 2016 12:05 pm
Reply to  Super El

I didn’t see that at all. He was uncomfortable with the God like worship. He was very much smiling and happy when he saved the little girl…He only looked worried when they reacted to him like he was a God. This was very believable to me and something I’m glad they touched on. The point of his journey was that he was to doubt his place. Whether or not people even wanted him to help. Whether or not he should. He came to the conclusion by the end that we all knew he would come to, but that was Superman’s… Read more »

Super El
Super El
December 6, 2016 4:51 pm
Reply to  Steve Wright

Yeah. That one half-hearted smile with the girl that was wiped away by the adoring people, with Superman looking in the distance as he contemplates how he seems to be perceived by the people with the music inspiring a depressing monotone drone. Same with all the other saving scenes. If you think I have a problem with the themes and prefer it to not have Superman doubt himself ever, then you’d be wrong. The problem is that it’s not a stark conflict of interest. The themes overtake the entire scene, and there isn’t any room for real character, and any… Read more »

sundevil82
sundevil82
December 6, 2016 5:15 pm
Reply to  Super El

I am in complete agreement that this version of Superman needs to be more charismatic and have his own voice. There is a medium where sunny disposition can meet self doubt and they have yet to tap into that. I have been pretty vocal and critical about the writers and the other powers that be not giving Superman much to do and say. The last three movies (including SR) have only shown a stoic Superman and in my opinion, THAT has been the main problem with people not responding to the character. Captain America has similar ideals and people have… Read more »

DE-EL
DE-EL
December 6, 2016 6:28 pm
Reply to  sundevil82

I see what you’re saying, but I don’t think it’s fair to compare him to Cap. Cap is a war veteran and WWII hero and is therefore revered. DCEU Superman’s first outing was during an invasion that rocked the planet, which led to him becoming partially hated and partially liked. It’s all about the worlds they’re in and the circumstances of that world. It’s not just them. I mean, Cap went from a soldier to a vigilante who frequently fights others, goes on the run, and prioritizes his best friend over maintaining peace. DCEU Supes has done nothing but help… Read more »

sundevil82
sundevil82
December 6, 2016 7:24 pm
Reply to  DE-EL

I hear what you’re saying, but I was mainly just referring to their ideologies in general being similar. Not necessarily their movie universe counterparts. They share similar outlooks and personality traits. I used Cap as a comparison to emphasize that they don’t have to make Superman a silent or stoic hero because the people in charge may think he’s a square or not cool enough. Some of the things cap said in his movies are things that I can picture superman saying. My overall point is though is that I want superman to speak more and share his ideology and… Read more »

Super El
Super El
December 6, 2016 10:10 pm
Reply to  DE-EL

It’s not about those specific political actions that @sundevil82 was talking about. It’s about the fact that Steve Roger’s outlook comes from a persevering and optimistic place, something that was shared with the general character of Superman. Steve went against the government because he believed in the best of Bucky, even when the entire world didn’t. He rebels against S.H.E.I.L.D because they choose safety and secrets while he believes in Freedom and Trust(Truth). The fact that so many people actually enjoyed this Captain America, the one who sticks to his guns and rebels from a cynical establishment, and embrace him… Read more »

jclhillvj
jclhillvj
December 3, 2016 3:06 pm

Interesting, I just watched “Superman Returns” and realize that Zach Snyder’s vision of superman has ruined the magic of superman, although superman returns could have been better, it’s those “Richard Donnor” type movies that hold the beauty and goodness of what Superman means to us fans.

GodzillaofSteel
GodzillaofSteel
December 3, 2016 8:18 pm
Reply to  jclhillvj

I enjoyed both Man of Steel and Superman Returns. I also really enjoyed the Ultimate Cut of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. I think the next step for Warner Brothers is to make a Superman film that combines elements of all 3 movies into one epic movie. Perhaps we’ll get such a Superman-film now that Geoff Johns has a more prominent position and role at Warner Brothers.

Hbrandenburg
Hbrandenburg
December 5, 2016 2:36 pm
Reply to  jclhillvj

I really think the right answer is somewhere in the middle. The Donnor Superman was great, but it’s over. That type of portrayal would be a hit with the hardcore Donnor fans but doesn’t really fit with what “the average Jane/Joe” wants to see. The DCEU Superman, so far, is an over-correction. Hopefully Justice League and MOS2 will bring him back to the middle somewhere, although I think there is a large subset of fans who won’t take anything but Donnor’s Superman.

Super El
Super El
December 6, 2016 5:01 pm
Reply to  Hbrandenburg

The average joe love Iron Man. They love Deadpool and Captain America. They loved Spider-Man and Black Panther. Star Lord and Antman. Heck, even the Supergirl Superman was a large hit with the audience.

I think a Richard Donner Superman, who was basically just Bronze Age Superman, would still be okay with the average joe.

Believe it or not, 1978 was a pretty cynical time, with it just being 3 years after the Vietnam War after all.

redcape
redcape
December 7, 2016 12:04 pm
Reply to  Super El

Maybe….but Iron Man managed to produce two stinker sequels. And Deadpool? Garbage! An excuse to make an R rated movie.

As for the Donner Superman. They tried that in SR. I liked it! But in today’s world people just wouldn’t relate to any of the 1978 stuff.

lcmcbain
lcmcbain
December 7, 2016 1:10 pm
Reply to  redcape

SR didn’t fail because of the homage to Donner’s Reeve. Had nothing to do with that.

Super El
Super El
December 7, 2016 2:36 pm
Reply to  redcape

Deadpool was definitely not garbage, if we go by the mayority consensus. I didn’t think any special of it but whatever. And Ironman was literally one of the three most revered characters in the Avengers despite having such aweful sequels. That’s because despite how aweful the sequels are, the people still agreed that Robert Downey Jr played an amazing Tony Stark…. Also, Superman Returns did horribly because it was boring. Not because of the Reeve Superman’s optimism. If anything, it was critiqued for not being enough like Reeve’s Superman, as one of the most common complaints has always been that… Read more »

Joe-Kent
Joe-Kent
December 5, 2016 9:00 am

What cut was shown?

Steve Wright
Steve Wright
December 5, 2016 12:07 pm
Reply to  Joe-Kent

theatrical