Blu-Ray Review:Batman Anthology




	Blu-Ray Review: Batman Anthology By Jason Gillard *No Screen shots were provided by the studio.

Movie This set comes with Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and dare I say it Batman and Robin. By now the merits of these movies have been debated to death. I am going to assume that if you're picking up this set you are a fan of these films. For me, Batman and Batman Returns are my favorite. It might have something to do with the fact that I am a Tim Burton fan, but I think most people regard those as the best of the set. Batman Forever I can tolerate, but it can't hold a candle to the first two. Batman and Robin is really not worth you're time, but since it comes in the set I am going to regard it as a freebie. Joel Schumacher took the franchise to a new low by putting nipples on the batsuit in Batman and Robin. Did I just say nipples? Is that even allowed? In any case the movie destroyed the franchise and became the brunt of many jokes. Michael Keaton was Batman for the first two films with Val Kilmer for Batman Forever and George Clooney for Batman and Robin. I never understood why Keaton was so concerned about getting typecast into the role. Honestly what has he done since? Anyway if you're a fan of Batman you will like the first two films tolerate the third and maybe watch the forth film without telling anyone or maybe not. Batman 8 out of 10 Batman Returns 9 out of 10 Batman Forever 7 out of 10 Barman and Robin 4 out of 10

Video Batman - Warner gives us a beautiful 1080p transfer for this film. Being that this is the oldest film of the bunch I was expecting the transfer to suffer a little. I was pleasantly surprised that they have done a very good job here. Burton's films usually don't have much colour in them but this transfer replicates Burton's dark colour palette well. So obviously Black levels are good here. I noticed that the detail seems to be a lot better here. There are some shots in the film that come across soft, but the detail is better than the DVD. I didn't notice much in the way of grain, dirt or anything else that would cause distraction when watching the film. Overall, Warner has done a nice job with this transfer and fans of the film will be happy with what they get. 8 out of 10 Batman Returns -Again for me this film offered the best transfer of the bunch. There is a lot of colour in the second film and it pops in a lot of scenes. Near the beginning of the movie we're treated to a bunch of criminals dressed as clowns and they look fantastic. Detail is also fantastic. You can see the creases with startling clarity in Catwoman's suit. Black levels are stunning and I have to say I was really impressed with this transfer. There is some softness to be found but not a lot. The picture is clean and is definitely reference quality for this catalog release. 9 out of 10 Batman Forever - Since this film is newer, you would think the transfer would hold up better. Well if I had to describe this transfer in one word it would be inconsistent. A lot of the problems I had with the transfer would be, one scene the detail would be fantastic and the next scene it would be awful. Colours tend to be overblown and I found the black levels to be inconsistent as well. Looking at Schumacher flashy style it's possible that this was the way the film was intended to look and not a problem with the actual transfer. There are some pluses here as well. There didn't seem to be much grain or tampering with the picture to bump up the detail and overall it's not a bad transfer. Will just have to go on the fact that the overblown colours are all apart of the style. 7 out of 10 Batman and Robin - The most recent of the films gets a really decent transfer. The colours here are ramped up even more than Batman Forever. People complain that the movie Speed Racer was a trip inducing film with all it's colour, but I would say this film is punch in the face with crazy colour. Black levels are really solid here and that is important to the scenes that are dark. Detail is also fantastic, showing textures and small details with great clarity. Even though this is probably one of the worst films, those of you who actually like the film are treated to a great transfer. 8 out of 10

Audio Batman - Considering the film is over 20 years old I was expecting this to have the worst track of the bunch. It's just that sound design twenty years ago was not as good as what we have now. Warner gives the film a 5.1 Dolby HD track and it's not bad, but there are instances where it doesn't hold up. The rear surrounds are more active than I was expecting with certain scenes pulling you in. The various Prince songs seem to blare out of all the channels. Bass is good but sometimes needed to have a bit more rumble in certain scenes. Dialogue for the most part comes across ok, but there is a few instances that I had to reach for the remote to hear what was being said. Overall the presentation is pretty good here and definitely trumps the DVD release. 7 out of 10 Barman Returns - This film definitely does better in the sound department. All the surround channels are alive and well. Bass is much more constant. There are many car chases and cool fight scenes to take advantage of the Dolby 5.1 TrueHD track. Dialogue comes across a lot more clearer as well. Anytime we are in the Penguins sewer layer the sound design really makes you feel like you're there. I should also point out that Elfman's score also comes across very well here. Overall this track is definitely better than the first film and for the most part does a great job. 8 out of 10 Batman Forever - Just as Schumacher is over the top with colour he is also over the top with his sound design. All channels are packed to the gills with sounds. Sometimes they even overpower the subtle effects that are in each channel. Gunfire, punches and kicks punch you in the face with startling power. Bass is also really tight adding extra power to explosions and the like. Dialogue comes across pretty clear and consistent. The soundtrack is also over the top, but sounds great on this Dolby 5.1 TrueHD track. Batman Forever sounds great and it's just as over the top as the visuals in the film. 8 out of 10 Batman and Robin - Again the worst film of the bunch gets the best Dolby 5.1 TrueHD track of the bunch. Dialogue is absolutely perfect, not once did I have to reach for the remote. The surround field hits you from every angle bathing you in a shower of sound. Bass is also fantastic adding extra power to breaking ice, punches, kicks etc. Again everything is over the top, but it's meant to be that way. Separation from channel to channel is also really well done. Also for this film the soundtrack is a big part of it and it comes across with clarity and power. Overall it's the best track of the set and if you can sit through the film you could be in for a treat. 9 out of 10

	Extras Before I start talking about the extras on each movie, these extras are the same as the DVD release. There is nothing new produced for this set and everything is in SD. Batman Audio Commentary Legends of the Dark Knight Shadows of the Bat, Parts 1-3 Beyond Batman The Heroes and the Villains Storyboard Sequence On the Set with Bob Kane Music Videos Theatrical Trailer First let me say and this goes for all the extras, I hate the fact that there not in HD. If you want people to buy a HD release everything has to be in HD period. That being said, if you don't have the previous DVDs there are some nice extras included here. The highlights for me on this disc was "Shadows of the Bat Parts 1-3". This documentary which also spans the other discs is very involved going over almost everything to do with the production. I also really liked "Beyond Batman" which focuses on things like make up, special effects, props etc. It's really interesting. Overall judged sorely on the content I think it's a good set of extras. 8 out of 10 Batman Returns Audio Commentary Shadows of the Bat, Part 4 Beyond Batman The Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin The Heroes and the Villain Music Video Theatrical Trailer Again I would have to say that I enjoyed both "Shadow of the Bat, Part 4" and "Beyond Batman". "Shadow of the Bat" goes on to discuss casting and production and the story. It's not as in depth as the first three parts but it's still good. In "Beyond Batman" they discuss makeup, sound design, special effects and my favorite animatronic puppets. Again it's a great extra and well worth a view. Overall there are some good extras on this disc, but the overall package is not as good as the first film. 7.5 out of 10 Batman Forever Audio Commentary Shadows of the Bat, Part 5 Beyond Batman Riddle Me This The Heroes and the Villains Deleted Scenes Music Video Theatrical Trailer I listened to Schumacher's commentary to see what the guy was all about. I found this track to drag in a lot of spots. There weren't any big revelations, so I would say skip it. Again I liked "Shadows of the Bat, Part 5". What's good about this part is it details how the tone of the movie shifts from the first two and discusses how they went about changing the bat cave. The "Beyond Batman" section again covers things like makeup, special effects and stunt work, but I thought it really seemed to be light on content for this one. Overall the extras are still decent and worth a look 8 out of 10 Batman and Robin Audio Commentary Shadows of the Bat, Part 6 Beyond Batman The Heroes and the Villains Deleted Scene Music Videos Theatrical Trailer I am starting to sound like I am repeating myself, but both "Shadows of the Bat, Part 6" and "Beyond Batman" are the highlights here. I did think Schumacher's commentary was interesting because he definitely sounded like he knew the movie was bad. So it's a little interesting to hear him squirm. "Shadows of the Bat, Part 6" is a must watch because cast are really to the point about why the film failed so miserably. "Beyond Batman" is again interesting to watch discussing costumes, special effects etc. Even though I didn't like the film, I still watch the extras and I think you should at least watch some of these. Overall a decent collection of extras, I just wish they were in HD. 8 out of 10

	Overall I know some of you won't buy this set because you only like the first two films. For me I would still buy it because even though the last two movies are not the greatest, Warner has still done a good job with the transfer and the audio and they have given us a lot of extras. The collector in me wants them all. Maybe at some point they will release the individually, but if you're a fan of these films you probably won't wait. Overall, I think they have done an excellent job with this set. 8.5 out of 10 Batman Anthology Blu-ray is available now from Amazon.com