Review Detail

"Man of Steel" is a decent movie. "Batman v Superman" is a terrible movie with a few fantastic scenes. Both movies have tons of potential buried beneath layers of mediocrity. As a lifelong fan of DC Comics, and someone who can appreciate Zack Snyder's vision despite the botched execution, I've long searched for a fan-edit that can chisel "Batman v Superman" into the gripping melodrama it should've been. To my joyous surprise, this fan-edit not only resuscitates "Batman v Superman", but also dramatically improves "Man of Steel", all within a reasonable runtime. I would not have thought this feat possible, but Job Willins has proven me delightfully wrong.

Pros:
Theatrical-Quality Editing (Mostly)
- I noticed only three glaring issues, mentioned in the "Cons" section.
No Dramatic Recharacterization
- Too many fan-edits of "Batman v Superman" try to force Snyder's interpretations of these characters to match their comic book counterparts. In the edits I've seen, this has never been done effectively. For example, you can't force Snyder's Batman not to kill without making severe and awkward cuts to Snyder's gorgeous action sequences. In my opinion, it's far better to recognize that this is simply a reinterpretation of the character, and live with that. This edit does exactly this, with one notable exception...
Superman
- Snyder really messed up Superman. Thankfully, Job Willins was able to correct most of these missteps with only a few subtle tweaks. Pa Kent doesn't indoctrinate Clark with weird Objectivist philosophy, and as a result, Superman doesn't feel bad about helping people. Superman accidentally kills Zod, but doesn't snap his neck like an executioner. These changes, although small, make a huge difference in aggregate. Now when Superman tells Lois that "No one stays good in this world", it feels out-of-character, and emphasizes just how low Luthor has brought him. This makes his eventual redemption all the sweeter.
Translocated Flashbacks
- A handful of flashbacks from "Man of Steel" were moved to "Batman v Superman" for dramatic effect. This was a masterstroke by Job Willins, and gave certain scenes even more emotional weight.
Wonder Woman
- Diana Prince has a significantly reduced presence throughout the film, making the Wonder Woman reveal much more impactful. As a bonus, the "I thought she was with you" joke finally makes sense, since Batman doesn't send her e-mails in this edit. (A minor detail, to be sure, but nonetheless appreciated.)
Limited Sequel-Bait
- Like most fan-edits of "Batman v Superman", "Man of Tomorrow" removes most "Justice League" sequel bait. However, it is not excised entirely, meaning this film can still serve as a prelude to the Snyder Cut.

Cons:
(Disclaimer: These are the only three edits that took me out of the film. The degree of care and expertise Job Willins exhibited throughout the remainder of the film makes me suspect these particular scenes couldn't possibly have been edited better, given the source material.)
Zod's Death
- The edit to remove Zod's infamous neck-snapping was jarring, largely due to the harsh cut-off of Hans Zimmer's swelling orchestral score.
Bruce Wayne's Introduction
- Bruce appears to have woken up, gazed out the window, and changed from sweats to a full suit in the time it took Alfred to even begin taking off his own coat.
Batmobile Chase
- The start of the Batmobile chase is too sudden, the henchmen's truck is inexplicably mangled, and the music is all over the place.

In conclusion, this is my go-to version of both "Man of Steel" AND "Batman v Superman", miraculously surpassing both original films at once. Job Willins is truly a master of his craft, and I look forward to exploring more of his work in the near future.