Hey guys,
As mentioned in the general BVS edits thread, I’m working on my version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Before, I had two different edits, including one that delayed Batman’s entrance until 20 minutes into the movie, but, after consideration, I decided to instead refine the Less Radical Edit, which keeps the theatrical opening.
Generally speaking, the first and second acts are radically restructured for clarity. The inciting incident of the film is now the Metropolis battle, with the Sahara Desert fight pushed back as the point of no return or, if you prefer, the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This is still very much Zack Snyder’s BVS, but the most egregious elements towards the source material are omitted. Neither Batman nor Superman wantonly kill people. Furthermore, the Knightmare scene and mid-movie Batmobile chase are completely omitted.
(Rather Long) Complete Cut-List
• Wayne Murder/Metropolis Scene Kept Relatively Intact:
o Cut Thomas Wayne trying to punch Joe Chill.
o Ended Metropolis Scene prematurely, as Batman about to save girl (footage will come into play later).
• MOVED UP: TV Montage of Superman Debate from mid-film to function as a veritable “reaction” to Superman’s existence. In any case, it clarifies the political situation far sooner.
o Patronizing scene of Day of the Dead festival in Mexico completely axed.
• The first act is heavily restructured for (attempted) structural clarity:
o Wallace, not Superman, is the ONE watching these TV montage. (Established via a shot of his newspaper-covered apartment).
o MOVED UP: Wallace’s defacing of Superman monument.
o Consequently, the Daily Planet reacts to the news.
o MOVED UP: Clark calling Ma Kent. End with “Nothing was ever simple…” TO
o Introduction of Batman Branding Scene (Kept Ultimate Cut Extensions with Football Game)
o MOVED UP: Branding Victim Being Jailed, which, as per Ultimate Cut editing, connects directly with Wallace getting released from prison. Now, THE FIRST TIME we see Luthor is when he ominously turns around in the bomb-filled wheelchair.
o Clark sees the news of the branding on TV (Theatrical Cut version). The rationale was that this, along with Perry’s warning about Gotham, would be sufficient, to make Clark curious about Batman. (I wasn’t a fan from a performance perspective of the short Ultimate Cut scene with the blind man in Gotham.)
o Clark researches the branding more on his computer.
o MOVED UP: Clark proposes that he write an article about Batman.
• Redubbed Lois, so she is asking permission to go to the Sahara and see desert radicals.
o MOVED UP: Clark receives invite to the ball, cut from “Charity crone with a thing for nerds…” TO
• (When Clark warns Lois, he is now implied to be talking about the terrorists being dangerous, due to the restructure).
o PUSHED BACK: Lex Luthor at LexCorp, meeting the senators, cut from “Kindness of monsters…” TO
o Batman in Batcave. We see KGB Beast’s face for the first time, so the audience will start to glisten some significance of seeing him in the desert.
o Lex Luthor and Finch talking in his study. His warning about monsters coming from the sky is pre-emptive, as the Sahara scene is about to happen. The intention was to play like the moved-up opera scene in L8wrtr’s cut of Revenge of the Sith.
o PUSHED BACK (HEAVILY): Entire Sahara Desert Sequence
• Superman’s first official “action” in the movie is no longer killing the General. The General runs off when he hears firing.
• Superman smiles after stopping the drone.
• Sahara Desert functions as the point-of-no-return, as Metropolis was already an adequate inciting incident.
• The second act is likewise shuffled around, though it starts becoming like the Ultimate Cut towards the end.
o Senate Hearings begin.
• I strongly felt that the hearings were a big enough deal to Superman that they should only begin at the outset of Act 2 and not be seemingly “forgotten” about for a long stretch of time.
• Ends with shot of male Senator TO
o Male senator grants Lex access to Zod’s body and the crashed ship.
• No stuffing a Jolly Rancher in a senator’s mouth. (Lex is not yet full-blown crazy at this point.)
o Wallace arrives at Finch’s office, directly after, in order to fully highlight Lex’s manipulation.)
• Lex’s machinations punctuated with a literal punch TO
o The underground fighting scene featuring KGB Beast and Batman.
o Lois arrives back at her apartment and examines bullet; bathtub scene.
• End with delicate fade to black over scene of intimacy, connects with next scene…
o Batman in bed with anonymous person. He receives his invite to the party too.
o MOVED UP: Lex Luthor gets knowledge from Kryptonian ship.
• (I actually believe this scene was originally meant to be earlier, as Lex’s outfit matches the one he wore in the earlier montage.)
• Scene ends with Lex screaming, overloaded by knowledge.
• Implication here is that this sends Lex over the edge, justifying somewhat his erratic rationale for the rest of the film.
o Lex Luthor’s party.
• Lex Luthor’s somewhat awkward speech about knowledge seemingly corresponds with the fact that he has already downloaded a bunch of alien knowledge.)
• Superman no longer follows Batman downstairs.
o Lois examines bullet with STAR Labs scientist.
• CUT overdone line: “See, that’s what makes you a good reporter.”
o Scenes play out in order of Ultimate Cut:
• KGB Beast orders branding victim’s execution; branding victim’s execution.
• Lois Lane in the men’s bathroom.
• Perry scolds Superman.
• Gala scene with Wonder Woman and Batman (included Ultimate Cut additions).
• Batman starts decrypting files…
o Radically retooled Batman’s nightmare.
• Knightmare footage and flash of The Flash completely axed.
• Batman instead remembers the Metropolis battle. Here, we see the conclusion, cut from the beginning, including the part where he gives Superman a death stare.
• Structurally, I was never sold on the idea of already establishing Batman’s animosity for Superman so early on then seemingly ignoring it with a plot about a “dirty bomb” for the next hour. This seems to connect the animosity and the next scene.
o Batman argues that Superman is a menace with Alfred INTERCUT with Superman receiving photos of branding victim, including Ultimate Cut additional scene of going to Gotham.
• Pushed back shot of Perry asking for Clark for later use.
o Batman puts a tracer on the LexCorp truck with the Kryptonite.
o Cut Batmobile chase, where Batman MURDERS people. This also removes Superman uncharacteristically threatening Batman.
o Batman arrives at the Batcave (Batmobile no longer messed up.)
o Scenes play out in order of Ultimate Cut:
• Lex Luthor receives kryptonite.
• Lane confirms that bullets are special.
• Finch demands Superman appear before the Senate.
• Various characters see this on TV.
o PUSHED BACK: Perry asks for Clark. Questions Jenny “Does he click his heels three times and go to Kansas?” TO
o Superman in Kansas, talking to his mother.
o Scenes play out in order of Ultimate Cut:
• Senate witness confesses lying to Finch.
• Lane finds out more info about the bullet, including the connection to LexCorp.
• Bruce Wayne watches on TV.
• Finch and Luthor share some barbs.
• Senate witness is killed.
• The ill-fated senate hearing (with Ultimate Cut addition of Superman saving people).
• Alfred chops wood.
• Batman gets kryptonite.
• Lois and Superman at the hotel.
o Batman training montage, with added shot (from earlier) of looking at Jason Todd costume pensively.
o Cut Batman finding files on Wonder Woman (really inappropriate pacing-wise).
o Scenes play out in order of Ultimate Cut:
• Lex resurrects Zod.
• Lane sees newsreport about Superman.
o Cut scenes of Superman willingly abandoning humanity and heading off to Antarctic.
o Lane investigates further into Wallace with Ultimate Cut additions (fridge full of food, lead-lined chair, etc.)
o Scenes play out in order of Ultimate Cut:
• Alfred and Bruce in the ruins of Wayne Manor.
• Ma Kent being kidnapped.
• Batman lights Bat Signal.
• Lane kidnapped.
• Lane and Lex talking on the roof.
• Superman saves her/is told that he must kill Batman.
• Clock starts ticking.
o Cut pace-killing scene of Wonder Woman getting an email (pushed back to later) but retained Superman scene, saying “No one stays good forever.”
• Furthermore, chronologically, it doesn’t make sense. Why is Wonder Woman lounging in a hotel room, only to be boarded, ready to go on an airplane soon after?
o Schlock filled battle between Batman and Superman remains the same as Ultimate Cut.
• Sorry, but the one gripe I didn’t have about the movie was the Martha scene.
• The third act is almost untouched.
o Used theatrical cut footage of excellent Batman warehouse scene (so it’s less obvious that Batman is murdering people).
o Scenes play out in order of Ultimate Cut:
• Superman confronts Lex.
• Doomsday awakens.
• Doomsday and Superman fight at the monument until Doomsday hits him off to parts unknown.
o Cut large section of Doomsday battle, where Superman comes back to punch Doomsday into space, only to be hit by a US nuke.
• (I felt this was a highly redundant action beat, considering we just saw Superman taken out of action, and we’ll see him ACTUALLY die in the next 20 minutes or so. Not to mention the fact that it paints out the military to be completely idiotic.)
• Instead, it plays out this way:
• Wonder Woman sees Doomsday dispatch helicopters and leaves to go help.
• Batman arrives on the scene and is almost immediately taken down. (CUT bit where he tells Alfred that they need the spear, as Batman doesn’t actually do this, Lois does.)
• Wonder Woman saves Batman.
• Superman arrives back to help. (He is presumably arriving from being thrown after the monument scuffle, rather than returning from space.)
o Scenes play out in order of Ultimate Cut:
• The trio fights Doomsday.
• Superman dies.
• Lex Luthor is arrested.
• Montage of mourning Superman.
• Lois receives ring.
• Clark’s funeral.
• Rousing speech of Batman talking about rebuilding, with people holding vigil around broken monument.
o Cut scene of Lex Luthor and Batman. It just feels awkward, considering that it’s the second time we cutaway from the funeral scene, only to return.
o Final shot is extended shot of Batman walking away on his own, presumably to assemble the Justice League. No floating dirt tease ☺
o Post-credits sequence (because apparently DC movies have those now too): Wonder Woman finds email with videos of future Justice League members.
Thank you to darthrush and Octorox very much for testing an earlier version of this. If anyone would like to test this new version, which runs 2 hours and 30 minutes, I’d be much obliged. Please PM me.
The workprint should be available soon.
When finally released, the end result will be a 5GB 720p MKV and a full-bitrate 1080p BD50.