Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Legend has it that director Zack Snyder was streaming his Dawn of Justice one day and was unhappy with the color, specifically red, a shade relevant to much more than a certain Last Son of Krypton. And so, the studio took the unusual step of remastering the movie from the existing 4K video transfer and rereleasing it, with the new version addressing Snyder's crimson concerns as well as showcasing the de rigueur IMAX scenes in their full and correct 1.43:1 aspect ratio. For better or worse, the movie hasn't changed: This is the three-hour, R-rated "Ultimate Edition" that details evil Lex Luthor's elaborate scheme to frame Superman for horrific crimes and trigger the ire of Batman in order to lead the duo into mortal combat. It's a direct sequel to Man of Steel and a pivotal stepping-stone to Justice League and the larger DC Extended Universe or "DCEU" that also introduced Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman.

The new tweaks deliver a richer overall color palette, one that's less harsh and more pleasing to the eye, to give us a fresh take on a well- worn small-screen staple that's been everywhere over the past five years. Black levels remain solid, grain can be mildly inconsistent, and a few of the busier shots can look a little noisy. Bright highlights are powerful, particularly in the Dark Knight's electronic eyes, in street- lights/headlights, and atop a deadly kryptonite spear. The gorgeous IMAX footage does indeed reveal significantly more picture information that heretofore had been missing in the home theater.

This is my first time hearing the soundtrack in Dolby Atmos, and it provides a worthwhile boost to Dawn's unique breed of over-the-top havoc. The destruction in any given skirmish is on such a mammoth scale that it demands to fill an entire room, and it surely does here, as if we're unfortunate enough to live across the street from the Gotham/Metropolis war zone. The clarity and definition within the mix is just as laudable, as when an angry swarm of flying rodents is referenced by the crisp flapping of their wings.

What's worth noting is what's not here: This is a single-disc package offering no seamless branching to the theatrical cut, and no regular Blu-ray version. Like the original release, high dynamic range is HDR10. The supplied digital copy is—as of press time—the old presentation of the movie, but with a substantial new feature about the restored Justice League, while the disc provides a quick introduction and a wide-ranging, first-ever director commentary for BvS that's specific to this remastered Ultimate Edition disc package.

ULTRA HD BLU-RAY
STUDIO: Warner, 2016
ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1/1.43:1
HDR FORMAT: HDR10
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core
LENGTH: 183 mins.
DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder
STARRING: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Jeremy Irons