Batman Collection (4k Ultra HD + Blu-Ray)

Batman 4k

“Jack Nicholson is the Joker, who emerged from a horrible accident as a maniacal criminal. Michael Keaton is the Caped Crusader, who emerged from a childhood trauma to become a masked crime-fighter. Kim Basinger is Vicki Vale, the talented photojournalist desired by both men. And Batman is the movie, the all-out spectacular directed by Tim Burton, set to songs by Prince and a music score by Danny Elfman, and an Academy Award winner for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (Anton Furst and Peter Young).”

Tim Burton’s Batman was a gamechanger for comic book films, let alone for the character itself that found a new audience and captivated the imagination of children all over the world. Today, it’s easy to compare this film to Nolan’s interpretation and not find the same type of enjoyment you once did, but I’ve always had a special place in my heart for this film. It showed filmgoers that Batman was supposed to be a dark character, violent and brooding, a far cry from Adam West’s version.

Burton’s vision brought not only that darker world to the screen, but helped solidify his unique style for audiences early in his career. Burton’s Gotham City is more like a modern-day Rome, with giant statues all around the city. The tall, eerie buildings with unique architecture and overall set design is one of the defining characteristics of this film and one of the aspects that gained critical acclaim.

To this day I’ve always thought Michael Keaton was an odd choice for Batman given his comedic background, but given what came directly after (Bale not included), it’s easy to see that he’s the best choice. Keaton’s portrayal never really struck me as the damaged loner type with a dual identity. He’s basically just quiet and secluded Bruce Wayne who dresses up at night, and the first woman he meets he almost immediately reveals his secret identity. It’s not the ideal version of Batman but at that point I suppose anything is better than tights. Jack Nicholson is a tour de force as The Joker, giving one of my favorite performances of his. He’s plays the balance between psychopath and comedian so well, stealing every scene he’s in. As much as I am intrigued by the rumors that Robin Williams was in talks to play him had Nicholson declined the role, I still don’t think there is any replacing his iconic role that fits the tone of this film perfectly. Nicolson’s Joker is timeless, and a statement that comic book films should be taken seriously in a time when they weren’t the tentpole films of the summer.

Video

Batman is presented in 4k 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. This 4k transfer features HDR to provide the most brilliant brights and deepest darks possible. As excited as I was for this transfer, the opening credits of the film left a bit to be desired, but that concern quickly dissipated as I saw the streets of Gotham looking as clear and as detailed as I’ve ever seen. Grain is a bit noticeable at times, especially since Burton’s film is so dark, but it’s manageable and never overwhelms the picture. What little color there is in the film, mostly anything associated with Joker, has a brilliant and well-balanced tone that contrasts nicely with all the dark scenery.

Audio

The audio has been upgraded to a Dolby Atmos track and was one of my favorite things about this new set. Levels sound great, fully utilizing the surrounds and the Atmos speakers, especially during the Batwing sequence. Danny Elfman’s score sounds phenomenal, better than I’ve ever heard it, as well as Prince’s original songs. It’s a nice addition to the new transfer.

Special Features

These extras are imported from other releases, so nothing new here.

• Commentary by Director Tim Burton
• On the Set with Bob Kane
• Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman
• Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight Parts 1-3
• Beyond Batman Documentary Gallery
• 3 Prince Music Videos
• The Heroes and The Villains
• Batman: The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence
• Theatrical Trailer

Batman Returns 4k

“Gotham City faces two monstrous criminal menaces: the bizarre, sinister Penguin (Danny DeVito) and the slinky, mysterious Catwoman (Michelle Pfieffer). Can Batman (Michael Keaton) battle two formidable foes at once? Especially when one wants to be mayor and the other is romantically attracted to Gotham’s hero? Like the Academy Award winning 1989 original, Batman Returns is directed by moviemaking wizard Tim Burton. And like the first blockbuster, it’s a dazzling adventure that leaves you breathless.”

Tim Burton returns to direct a much darker take on The Dark Knight in Batman Returns, bigger in scope and story, and introducing two more iconic Batman characters: The Penguin and Catwoman. Although the film has its issues, this was the last good sequel of this particular Batman franchise and maintains the dark tone that Burton established in the first film.

Even though I prefer the first film, Batman Returns has its redeeming qualities. The set design is more grandiose than the first, allowing us to see much more of Gotham City in so much of a way that it becomes a character in the film; it’s seedy underbellies, the sewer which apparently is perfectly acclimated for penguins, and towering statues of titans. The contrast between the dark and gloom of the city and the pureness of the white snow gives the film a beautiful look. Action is heightened, and instead of Batman being limited to a smattering of kicks and punches like in the first, he seems much more agile and takes on groups of baddies at once.

Michael Keaton seems to play the role with much more duality than before, wrestling with the caped crusader façade and his personal life, seemingly wanting to be open and honest with those he cares about. This in turn, like the first, leads to him to being fine with his identity being discovered days after meeting an attractive woman. Danny DeVito doesn’t have the same charisma as Jack Nicholson, but The Penguin in this film doesn’t really call for that. Instead of the cartoonish villain from the television series, he’s more calculating and definitely more sinister, with his ultimate plan of murdering the first-born child of everyone in Gotham. Michelle Pfieffer I thought made a great Catwoman, handling the vastly different identities of Selina Kyle and Catwoman extremely well. That being said, the film origin of her character being pushed out of a window and somehow gaining extraordinary agility and superb whip abilities is a bit far fetched but does seem to fit in Burton’s universe. Another favorite of mine is Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. His character as a whole is pretty useless, but his acting and line delivery are my favorite things about the film.

It’s a shame that the films took a turn after this one, mainly due to backlash from parents for it being too dark and mature. Warner Brothers was much more interested in selling toys and marketing relationships than maintaining the tone of the comics. Although the pacing is a bit slow at times, and the story tends to get a little muddled, I’ll still always enjoy it as the last entertaining Batman film until it’s rebooted.

Video

Batman Returns is presented in 4k 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. Like the first film, the opening credits left me with a bit of worry at just how dark everything was, but once we are introduced to the snowy streets of Gotham City my worries were over. The new HDR transfer is very clear and detailed, with the grain at a manageable level. The contrast between the bright colors and the dark blacks of the cold city is the most noticeable thing about the film. Everything about this is absolutely stunning, much like seeing it for the first time.

Audio

The audio is presented in a new Dolby Atmos track and sounds just as good as the first film. A good balance between the surrounds and center channel ensure dialogue is heard concise and clear, with a lot of powerful sound demonstrated best on the action sequences. Again, Danny Elfman’s score sounds great, a perfect fit for Burton’s world in Batman Returns and every other film he does.

Special Features

No new extras on this disc, but are also imported from older releases. These include:

• The Bat, The Cat and the Penguin: Making-of Featurette
• Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Sage of the Dark Knight Part 4
• Beyond Batman Documentary Gallery
• Siouxsie and the Banshees “Face to Face” Music Video
• The Heroes and the Villains Profile Galleries
• Theatrical Trailer

Batman Forever 4k

“Riddle me this, riddle me that, you’ll find adventure on the wings of a bat! Brace for excitement as Val Kilmer (Batman), Tommy Lee Jones (Two-Face), Jim Carrey (The Riddler), Nicole Kidman (Dr. Chase Meridian) and Chris O’Donnell (Robin) star in the third spectacular film in the Warner Bros. Batman series. Joel Schumacher (The Client) directs and Tim Burton coproduces this thrill ride of a movie that thunders along on Batmobile, Batwing, Batboat, Batsub and bold heroics. Hang on!”

Batman Forever, in my opinion, is the worst direction any franchise has taken, effectively ruining the character and sending the series into a tail spin it could never recover from. With distraught parents complaining to anyone who will listen that Batman Returns was just too dark and scary for their kids to bare witness to, they flocked in droves for Batman Forever, with the first 10 minutes containing more gun violence then both previous films combined. That didn’t matter though, because the film was more colorful, the gadgets were bigger, better, and most importantly, they could sell more toys. You don’t have to read any further than the synopsis on the back of the box to realize this is all that mattered.

As the director changed to Joel Schumacher, the tone of the film changed as well. No more dark and brooding, no more gloomy mansions and foreboding architecture. Bright neon colors invade every crevasse, normal movie lighting is changed to red and green hues which contaminate each scene. It’s the total opposite of Burton’s universe done purposefully that destroy the integrity of the film. The writing is completely different: “I’ll get drive-thru.” These little attempts at injecting humor into the film all fall entirely flat, making you shake your head more than anything. Val Kilmer is a decent Batman I suppose, I never really hated his take on the character, just everything around him. Tommy Lee Jones should not have been in this, or in fact Two-Face at all, who is just one of the most annoying villains I’ve ever seen. Jim Carrey is one of the only redeeming qualities, and although I really don’t enjoy his Riddler, it’s the closest you get to being entertained in the entire film. Chris O’Donnell could have been an interesting Robin/Nightwing given the chance, but unfortunately that never came to fruition.

Video

Batman Returns is presented in 4k 2160 Ultra High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. The transfer on this looks phenomenal, like the others. There is a little less grain in this one, and the brighter sequences do allow for some more fine detail to come through than in Burton’s films. Colors, and there are a lot of them, look brilliant with the HDR and are contrasted nicely against some of the darker scenery and the Bat-Suit. However, there are a few sequences that are lit with red and green lights that make the film look rather soft, but that’s no fault of the transfer. Overall, this is a great looking film, and there are fans out there that would love to include this in their set. Whether you enjoy it, or for nostalgia purposes, you won’t see this film look any better!

Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos and like the previous films, you won’t be disappointed by this track. In fact, this sounds much better than before, probably because of all the cartoonish-action taking place, but the surrounds are well balanced, proving a lot of the action and score. The opening credit sequences is one of the most impressive parts to the film sound-wise, as the titles swoop in from the left and right you’ll be absolutely amazed!

Special Features

No new extras here. But these include:

• Commentary by Director Joel Schumacher
• Additional Scenes
• Riddle Me This: Why is Batman Forever?
• Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight Part 5
• Beyond Batman Documentary Gallery
• Seal “Kiss from a Rose” Music Video
• The Heroes and The Villains Profile Galleries
• Theatrical Trailer

Batman & Robin 4k

“George Clooney plays the Dark Knight, who’s facing his deadliest threat yet: coldhearted Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and venomous Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman). Batman has more than Gotham City to protect: The youthful eagerness of crime-fighting comrades Robin (Chris O’Donnell) and Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) puts them frequently in harm’s way. Very special effects include a wild skysurfing sequence and Mr. Freeze’s outrageous arsenal of ice-blasting weapons. Joel Schumacher directs.”

If Batman Forever sent the series into a tail spin, Batman & Robin was the final nail in the coffin for the franchise. Double downing on the ‘we only want to sell toys’ mentality by Warner Bros., it’s hard to effectively place blame on just who is responsible for one of the biggest flops of all time, setting back comic book films and DC in particular for almost a decade.

I remember going to see this film in the theatre with a friend of mine who was crazy about Batman, first day, first showing. We were quickly baffled by the tone of the film, the horrid writing, and the whacked physics of the film when Batman knocks Mr. Freeze’s gun out of his hand to land on the smallest part of a giant statue, perfectly balanced. That moment alone lets you know what kind of film you’re in store for: one that makes zero sense. It’s rumored that if you meet George Clooney and tell him you saw this film, he will refund your money. Although this film somehow propelled him into leading man status in Hollywood, he still acknowledges they are responsible for killing the franchise.

I won’t go into all the things that make this film a complete mess, as there are too many to mention. That being said, as with Batman Forever, I know there are fans of the film out there somewhere, for purely nostalgic reasons or genuine enjoyment. As much as I disapprove of the shift in tone of the films, you can’t deny that they are more suitable for children, more cartoon-like, and for them, probably more enjoyable.

Video

Batman & Robin is presented in 4k 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. This 4k transfer looks astonishing, with a very crisp and clear detailed picture. As with the previous film, it’s one of the most colorful films out there, with blue, green and red hues which make the film look outlandish but from a technical viewpoint look fantastic with the HDR, especially contrasted with the darker sequences.

Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, one of the best parts of this disc. Levels are well-balanced, powerful sound coming from the surrounds: all the weird cartoonish effects, head trauma sounding like two coconuts being banged together, penny-whistle slips, they are just plain dumb but do sound incredible on this track. This film has the least impressive score of the four, but still is powerfully presented through the surrounds.

Special Features

No new extras here, but it’s always fun hearing Joel Schumacher apologize for the film in the commentary track.

• Commentary by Director Joel Schumacher
• Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight Part 6
• Additional Scene
• Alfred’s Lost Love
• Beyond Batman Documentary Gallery
• 3 Music Videos
• The Heroes and Villains Profile Galleries
• Theatrical Trailer

For fans like me, the first two films are a no-brainer purchase, but the completist in me wants to have the entire franchise, despite the quality. Warner Bros. has given these films a great treatment and all look and sound fantastic, and has also given consumers the opportunity to buy which ones you want, which not all companies do. A box set containing all of them is set to be released later this year for those who can wait who want them all, but for now, these films are a must for fans.