‘Batman v Superman’ Ultimate Edition Review Roundup: R-Rated Extended Cut an Improvement Over the Theatrical Cut

If your first thought after sitting through all 151 minutes of “Batman v Superman” was “I wish that had been half an hour longer,” then Warner Bros. has just the Blu-ray for you. The film’s R-rated “Ultimate Edition” is now available, with reviews suggesting that it’s a significant improvement over the theatrical cut — though the final product still leaves something to be desired.

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Writing for TheWrap, Phil Owen calls the new version a “major triumph” and asks why the new footage was excised in the first place. “Lo and behold,” he continues, “somehow ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ has become something that approaches a functional movie. In the process, it only makes the original cut even more inexplicable and terrible.”

Before providing a comprehensive rundown of all the new additions, Vulture‘s Abraham Riesman notes that “some of it clarifies previously confusing plot points, but a lot of it just provides information one could pretty easily infer. That said, there are some delightful — though not always intentionally delightful — additions to the brood-fest.”

READ MORE: No, Critics Disliking ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Is Not a Conspiracy

Though admitting that the Ultimate Edition is still imperfect, Collider‘s Steve Weintraub argues that it “does solve tons of little things which didn’t make sense in the original release so instead of a dozen problems, I’m only frustrated by a few things and it’s a lot easier to forgive a few things than a dozen.” Again, not exactly high praise — but beleaguered fans will have to take what they can get.

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