Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice IMAX 4K Blu-ray Review & Comments

Casimir Harlow

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Got this a few weeks back, gonna do the entire trilogy once ZSJL is out and with that a/v score I can’t wait !
Cheers Cas.
 
Thanks Cas. From your review, I would really love to revisit this Trilogy, but will have to wait for the disks to be rentable (That Money thing). I see that this is the US release you reviewed; any news on when it might be released in Europe?
 
Thanks Cas. From your review, I would really love to revisit this Trilogy, but will have to wait for the disks to be rentable (That Money thing). I see that this is the US release you reviewed; any news on when it might be released in Europe?
26th April.
 
I watched Batman 5: Superman and found it to be a very disappointing sequel to Batman and Robin.

The film is very dark and dreary, and not nearly fabulous enough.
The absence of Chris O'Donnell left a gaping hole in the movie too. What happened to him? Did Batman kill him because he was so useless? Or did Robin just give up the cape to move to LA solve crimes for NCIS? NONE OF THIS IS EXPLAINED and therefore it made it very unbelievable.

I also think that, really, even a lesser known comic hero like Superman could have been given his own movie and not just introduced to the world as part of a Batman movie. It worked for Guardians of the Galaxy!

Also, why the nearly 10 year gap between Batman films?!

In conclusion, I think this film is good to watch with friends and family.
B- / 10
 
I watched Batman 5: Superman and found it to be a very disappointing sequel to Batman and Robin.

The film is very dark and dreary, and not nearly fabulous enough.
The absence of Chris O'Donnell left a gaping hole in the movie too. What happened to him? Did Batman kill him because he was so useless? Or did Robin just give up the cape to move to LA solve crimes for NCIS? NONE OF THIS IS EXPLAINED and therefore it made it very unbelievable.

I also think that, really, even a lesser known comic hero like Superman could have been given his own movie and not just introduced to the world as part of a Batman movie. It worked for Guardians of the Galaxy!

Also, why the nearly 10 year gap between Batman films?!

In conclusion, I think this film is good to watch with friends and family.
B- / 10
I saw the "Batman 5: Superman" and thought it was a score at first, but no number after Superman's name.
Then maybe it is like the new Football Superleague where only Super Heroes play.
Regarding Chris O'Donnell, he has a new business project
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Thanks for the review Cas, excellent as always. I already own the previous Ultimate Edition and was just wondering does this add any more footage to it or is it basically the same cut remastered with some of the same scenes presented in IMAX. Would you say it is worth buying if you already own the Ultimate Edition?
 
Thanks for the review Cas, excellent as always. I already own the previous Ultimate Edition and was just wondering does this add any more footage to it or is it basically the same cut remastered with some of the same scenes presented in IMAX. Would you say it is worth buying if you already own the Ultimate Edition?

I second that question.

I assumed it was the same as the previous blu ray ultimate edition except spruced up with 4K IMAX ratio and extra lick of paint so to speak.

Is it a longer cut?

Thanks.
 
Thanks for the review Cas, excellent as always. I already own the previous Ultimate Edition and was just wondering does this add any more footage to it or is it basically the same cut remastered with some of the same scenes presented in IMAX. Would you say it is worth buying if you already own the Ultimate Edition?

I’ve got the old UE and I wouldn’t return to it, but I’m on a DC high at the moment, and I’m loving this as a trilogy.

If you’re want it to better fit it with ZSJL then it’s worth it, even though it has no new footage, per se, the imax scenes (hell just the Knightmare scene alone) take on such a different scale it feels like new footage. And the colour timing gives it a different look, again more in-line with ZSJL.

If you’ve just watched ZSJL and you’re not up for an immediate revisit, probably the sensible option is to pick up this and ZSJL in 4K later in the year, possibly for Christmas when they will almost certainly both be in 2 for £30...
 
I second that question.

I assumed it was the same as the previous blu ray ultimate edition except spruced up with 4K IMAX ratio and extra lick of paint so to speak.

Is it a longer cut?

Thanks.

Hah, you're giving me a complex that I might have somehow managed to write an entire review on this disc and not cover any of this but, alas, it looks like that's not the case.

Short answer: you assume correctly. And, no, it is not a longer cut than the previous longer cut.

"Nonetheless, this new IMAX-expanded version of the longer 3 hour cut, R-rated, brutal and at times very effective, gifted a colour scheme in-line with Snyder's Justice League, as well as the hindsight of having seen that end to his 'trilogy', does make it a more engaging watch."

It's made me think about the definition of new footage though, because certainly there's more "information" in the IMAX scenes. Just have a look at the shot of the Knightmare sequence, and the ensuing battle is littered with bodies.
 
Hah, you're giving me a complex that I might have somehow managed to write an entire review on this disc and not cover any of this but, alas, it looks like that's not the case.

Short answer: you assume correctly. And, no, it is not a longer cut than the previous longer cut.

"Nonetheless, this new IMAX-expanded version of the longer 3 hour cut, R-rated, brutal and at times very effective, gifted a colour scheme in-line with Snyder's Justice League, as well as the hindsight of having seen that end to his 'trilogy', does make it a more engaging watch."

It's made me think about the definition of new footage though, because certainly there's more "information" in the IMAX scenes. Just have a look at the shot of the Knightmare sequence, and the ensuing battle is littered with bodies.

Sorry Cas, it was just the part about R-ratedness that made me wonder if there’d been more violence added or something!

The really mad thing - and this is going to kill you - I watched and actually enjoyed the theatrical cut (I think the bells and whistles of watching in the cinema added to the immersion) but I have yet to watch my ultimate edition steelbook blu ray!!!!!!
 
Sorry Cas, it was just the part about R-ratedness that made me wonder if there’d been more violence added or something!

The really mad thing - and this is going to kill you - I watched and actually enjoyed the theatrical cut (I think the bells and whistles of watching in the cinema added to the immersion) but I have yet to watch my ultimate edition steelbook blu ray!!!!!!

Wow, that's actually awesome news for you mate. If you enjoyed the TC, then the longer cut is going to blow you away, and there's no better way to watch it than on this new release.

It was always R-rated (obviously not the TC). I think there are a few scenes in there which are surprisingly violent (the prison scene) and I think that almost anything involving Batman was pretty brutal, in a refreshing way.

Damn, defo don't unwrap your Ultimate Edition steelbook, pick this up instead and watch it first!
 
Wow, that's actually awesome news for you mate. If you enjoyed the TC, then the longer cut is going to blow you away, and there's no better way to watch it than on this new release.

It was always R-rated (obviously not the TC). I think there are a few scenes in there which are surprisingly violent (the prison scene) and I think that almost anything involving Batman was pretty brutal, in a refreshing way.

Damn, defo don't unwrap your Ultimate Edition steelbook, pick this up instead and watch it first!

Yeah, I think I’ll get this on 26th. :)
 
Martha scene still remains cringeworthy for me. Besides this, this is a solid movie with loads of replay value. The IMAX scenes look excellent but its a shame the Doomsday fight is not IMAX.

This is a reference disc offering HDR eye candy experience.
 
I saw the "Batman 5: Superman" and thought it was a score at first, but no number after Superman's name.
Then maybe it is like the new Football Superleague where only Super Heroes play.
Regarding Chris O'Donnell, he has a new business project
View attachment 1497673
Well at least he didn't just pee in a jar and call it granny's peach tea
 
I watched the UE Blu-ray before Zack Snyder’s Justice League and they certainly work much better together now with the new JL. I’ve never seen the theatrical version as I didn’t catch it at the cinema, and have no desire to watch anything but the longer cut. For the new commentary and IMAX scenes I’ll definitely get this. Actually the Blu-ray still looks very decent and the soundtrack is of course superb.
 
What would be the best way to watch this on a scope screen? I'm assuming, by masking the top and bottom of the image. By doing so, am I losing alot of detail in the IMAX scenes?

I mask other films like The Dark Knight and Mission Impossible Fallout and don't really miss the image in the top/bottom frames but highly appreciate the jump up in picture quality.

I have a 55" LG B7 but feel it would be wasted compared to my 3m wide scope screen. Always the compromise....
 

Edited and summarised version of my BvS comments on ZSJL thread.

I watched the extended (non IMAX) version, three hours and two minutes of a film I hated with a passion. I have now pre-ordered the IMAX edition and ZSJL
  • The editing is tighter than ZSJL.
  • It has very nice picture quality. Yes it's grainy but there is excellent colour and contrast. The IMAX version has the correct colour grading and is even better.
  • The soundtrack is amazing and uses all the speakers including the heights regularly. The LFE does the job very nicely too.
  • To me the extra set up means that "Martha" is no longer a clunky coincidence shoe horned in to stop the fight.
Before watching the extended BvS, DC did not have a trilogy to rival the MCU. CAS says they have one now. I would go one step further. DC not only have a trilogy, but with the first Wonder Woman movie they have/had a DCEU. It's a pity that Aquaman is a little out of sync but that couldn't be helped.

If AT&|T go through with this on HBO, we will end up with an Injustice type story which is definitely one of the better Superman story lines out there.
 
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What would be the best way to watch this on a scope screen? I'm assuming, by masking the top and bottom of the image. By doing so, am I losing alot of detail in the IMAX scenes?

I mask other films like The Dark Knight and Mission Impossible Fallout and don't really miss the image in the top/bottom frames but highly appreciate the jump up in picture quality.

I have a 55" LG B7 but feel it would be wasted compared to my 3m wide scope screen. Always the compromise....

Both ZSJL and BvS will not work self-masked.

This is NOT to say that, carefully re-framed tactical masking done by the director could not achieve a constant 2.4:1 ratio, but there are compromises that even he has to make about what information to lose. But at least it can be variable masking, in other words he can mask the bit on the frame where you lose the least information, rather than just a bit off the top and bottom, which is sometimes the worst of both worlds, and which is all home owners can do.

So, for example, taking that last shot of the Knightmare (the bottom shot in the review), the director might choose to lose the bottom of the image entirely, rather than crop top and bottom. But if you self-mask at home, you'll find you not only lose some of the bottom structure Batman walked out of, but also lose the top of the bellowing flames in the distance.

It's worse in ZSJL. There were a few leaping shots where no amount of tactical framing wouldn't have cost you in image, and a shot where WW was throwing the bomb where you'd have to either lose the bomb, or her, because they're at opposite ends of the frame.

I know that 1.33:1 frustrates projector owners, but really these films should be watched the way we've been given them. Self-masking the IMAX version of BvS will not achieve the same 2.4:1 constant ratio that the old Ultimate Edition release had, so you'd be better off just sticking with that if you want 2.4:1.
 
Good review Cas. I'm not a mega fan of DC (don't ask about Marvel! :D ) but it seemed to me that your review was pointing towards a 8/10 at least maybe a 9/10 but you've marked it a 7/10?

I rated the film a 7/10 before anyway (I still find Desert Batman to be quite hilarious! I keep thinking "comb the desert!"). I imagine there is bound to be a 4K trilogy boxset at some point so I might wait for that.
 
Thanks Cas, looking forward to this. Personally I’d give the movie an 8, really never understood the hate for it, although I’d admit, the ending goes on a bit too long, same as MOS in that sense.
 
I’ve got the old UE and I wouldn’t return to it, but I’m on a DC high at the moment, and I’m loving this as a trilogy.

If you’re want it to better fit it with ZSJL then it’s worth it, even though it has no new footage, per se, the imax scenes (hell just the Knightmare scene alone) take on such a different scale it feels like new footage. And the colour timing gives it a different look, again more in-line with ZSJL.

If you’ve just watched ZSJL and you’re not up for an immediate revisit, probably the sensible option is to pick up this and ZSJL in 4K later in the year, possibly for Christmas when they will almost certainly both be in 2 for £30...
Thank you, it was the mention of R rated footage led me to think there might be some extended scenes added on but appreciate you clearing it up. I bought the 4k DC box set a few months back and wasn’t sure whether or not the remastered edition would be worth getting but based on your review it will be put on the list along with ZSJL to buy in the not too distant future. I am one of the few who likes the DC films so am looking forward to seeing both of them.
 

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