Maybe the trailer for the Batman V Superman “Ultimate Edition” will fix everything
The world has had a few months now to process Zack Synder’s joy-free, nearly monochromatic, defiantly unfollowable Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. The whole thing now seems like a strange, half-remembered dream. Did Jesse Eisenberg really play Lex Luthor as a crossbreed of The Joker and Willy Wonka? Was Jimmy Olsen summarily killed off in the first few minutes with little fanfare? And did the two title characters really bond over the fact that their mothers are both named Martha? Yes, yes, and dear God, yes. Snyder has been threatening the world with an even longer, R-rated “Ultimate Edition” of his already lengthy film for months, and now that supersized edition has an official, minute-and-a-half long trailer for fans to scrutinize for clues. And they’ll have some time to do their detective work: The “Ultimate Edition” hits digital HD on June 28, with a Blu-ray version following on July 19. This two-disc iteration will also contain about a dozen featurettes, including “Batman: Austerity & Rage” and “God And Men: A Meeting Of Giants.” Sounds immersive.
So what’s truly new or different about this trailer to distinguish Snyder’s 182-minute edition of the film from the two-and-a-half-hour juggernaut that already disappointed viewers back in March? Well, for one thing, Jena Malone is (briefly) here, playing a mysterious character who seems to be a friend of Amy Adams’ Lois Lane. “That’s what makes you such a good reporter,” a smiling Malone tells Adams. “Stuff like this still shocks you.” Cut to a huge explosion. The footage flies by here so quickly that the casual viewer will register few, if any, differences. But the eagle-eyed fan will spot a plethora of newly-restored moments, including this shot of Ben Affleck in the shower.
Alas, even with the freedom of an R rating, final boss Doomsday remains smooth and featureless below the waist here, just as he did in the theatrical cut. Not for him the anatomical correctness of Dr. Manhattan in Snyder’s previous Watchmen.