July 19, 2016: “Batman v Superman” Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Special Features Review

160602-BvSUltimateEdBluray1The Ultimate Edition of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is out today on Blu-ray/DVD in a variety of formats (4K, 3D, etc…). Last week I was lucky enough to receive an early review copy of the standard Blu-ray combo pack, and sat down to watch all the Bonus Material included in the 3-disc collection.

What wasn’t clear at first glance was which disc contained what content. They all look fairly similar, but on closer inspection I noted that the first disc displayed the DVD logo, and was therefore obviously the DVD version of the film. The other two discs feature the Blu-ray logo, with one of these two discs also sporting the words “Ultimate Edition”. The Blu-ray disc without the “Ultimate Edition” inscription contains the theatrical version of the film along with the “Special Features” Bonus Material.

The “Special Features” are a series of 10-15 minute behind-the-scenes documentaries that focus on a particular aspect of the movie.

“Uniting the World’s Finest”, “Gods and Men: A Meeting of Giants” and “Superman: Complexity & Truth” are all quite entertaining, and contain some interesting behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. I was especially intrigued by “The Empire of Luthor”, which delves into Jesse Eisenberg’s take on Superman’s arch-nemesis. However the pick of the bunch is definitely “The Might and The Power of A Punch”, which breaks down the fight scene between Superman and Batman with statistics and scientific data.

The other titles, “The Warrior, The Myth, The Wonder”, “Accelerating Design: The New Batmobile”, “Batman: Austerity & Rage”, “Wonder Woman: Grace & Power”, “Batcave: Legacy of The Lair” and “Save the Bats” are worth a watch, but weren’t as interesting to me as a Superman fans.

Unfortunately, that’s the extent of the Bonus Material on this Blu-ray collection. It’s somewhat disappointing that there isn’t more. While the content that is there is well put together, you get through it way too quickly, and that’s somewhat disappointing… considering the movie itself is a 3-hour marathon.

Purchasing the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is definitely a must if you’re a fan of this film… but if you already purchased the digital HD version, you may think twice about forking out more money for this collection. But then owning a physical copy you can share with friends is always a good thing.

All in all I’d rate the “Special Features” a 7/10 for quality… but a 5/10 for quantity.

Purchase “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” as a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Ultimate Edition 3D Blu-ray, Ultimate Edition Blu-ray, and on DVD from our Online Store.

2 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kent-Darr
Kent-Darr
July 20, 2016 6:28 pm

Interesting review Steve, when the special features were released a while back I thought it was fully loaded with documentaries and the like but appears not. Would have been great if we got a similar documentary for Batman and Wonder Woman like what Bryan Singer did with Up,Up and Away-The Amazing Story of Superman.

God In A Cape
God In A Cape
July 21, 2016 6:03 am

Thanks for the review Steve, I find it too bad that Zack usual “maximum movie mode” like he did with Watchmen and MOS wasn’t here this time. Maybe they’re all too busy for preparing JL nowadays that they’re unable to spend the time to make the featurette.