Batman Anthology (Batman / Batman Returns / Batman Forever / Batman & Robin) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, Kim BasingerDirector: Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher
Studio: Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Format: Box set, Color, Dubbed, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Digital 1.0
Running Time: 508 minutes
DVD Release: March 10th 2009
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DVD Review
This year the BAT goes BLU?BATMAN - Batman (Michael Keaton) vs. The Joker (Jack Nicholson) in the amazing first extravaganza! With Kim Basinger. BATMAN RETURNS - The Bat (Michael Keaton), the Cat (Michelle Pfeiffer), the Penguin (Danny DeVito). And Christopher Walken, too! BATMAN FOREVER - Riddle me this: The Dark Knight (Val Kilmer) bat-battles Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey). With Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell. BATMAN & ROBIN - Will Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) put the world on ice? George Clooney wears the hero's cape. Also with Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone. All four box office hits on Blu-Ray for the very first time!
User Reviews
bat blu - Rating: 2/5
does anyone know how to make this blu ray appear on ps3 as widescreen? I absolutely hate a full screen movie -- help...
WAY OVERPRICED! - Rating: 3/5
First of all, let me tell you that I like to watch these movies from time to time, even the last two, which (with all due respect to the people involved in their production) were two bombs. So to put it in perspective, let's compare it to another high profile catalog movie franchise, namelly the "Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection". Although a lot of people are complaining about the use of DNR (digital noise reduction) on some of the Star Trek titles, the fact is, those movies have NEVER looked so good. Speaking of the films themselves, only the fifth is generally considered bad. So there you have a box with five great films and a bad one for $69.49, which means each film for $11.58 (if you only buy it for the good films, then it would be $13.90 per film). Now, here we have the Batman films, which have been released in special edition DVDs a relatively short time ago (so the improvement in quality is not as noticeable as with the Star Trek films) which contains two great films and two bombs for $83.49, meaning each film for $20.87 (if you only buy it for the good films, it would mean $41.74 per film). I imagine that most of the people who ever intended to purchase these films heve already purchased the SE DVDs. Of course, the Blu-ray editions are an overall improvement and I do intend to buy them, but NOT at this price. So, Warner Video, I realize you only care about numbers, so here are some numbers for you to consider:
Batman Anthology
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,319 in Movies & TV
Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #179 in Movies & TV
I believe that clearly makes my point, doesn't it?
Batty Great - Rating: 5/5
Was a great offer when i got it, not so expectacular as the last ones, but quite interesting if you travel in time.
Great - Rating: 5/5
Awesome Disc Set, but only the first movie has a digital copy, not that it matters really.
The anthology gets a much-needed HD release - Rating: 4/5
This review is for the Blu-Ray edition.
The Batman Anthology includes Batman (1989 film), Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin. The first two films are directed by Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Corpse Bride), the latter two by Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo's Fire.) Stars of the films include Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice), Val Kilmer (Top Gun), George Clooney, Jack Nicholson (Chinatown), Jack Palance (Shane), William Hootkins (Star Wars), Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Billy Dee Williams (Empire Strikes Back), Danny DeVito (Matilda), Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter), Pat Hingle (Hang `Em High), Michael Gough, Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men), Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut), Jim Carrey (Dumb and Dumber), Drew Barrymore, Chris O'Donnell (Scent of a Woman), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill), and Arnold Schwarzenegger (the Terminator.) The musical scores for the first two films are composed by Danny Elfman (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Spider-Man), and the ones for the latter two films are composed by Eliot Goldenthal.
For years, the campy sixties image of the television Batman series tarnished the good name of the dark, atmospheric comic book saga that had inspired it. And for years after that, there was want for a dark Batman film that stayed true to the character's comic origins. After being in development hell for nearly a decade, Tim Burton took the directorial reins and made the film so many had strived for, for so long. The follow-up, Batman Returns, was even darker and more atmospheric, but still gained good feedback.
Joel Schumacher took over the franchise with Batman Forever, which received more mixed reviews, but ultimately still maintained favor with a lot of long-time fans of the Batman franchise. Unfortunately, his second effort in the series, Ba tman and Robin, was universally maligned. Following its failure at the box office, the fifth movie in the series was cancelled. It wouldn't be until 2005 that another Batman movie would see the light of day. This set chronicles the rise and fall of Burton and Schumacher's Batman series.
First in the set is the 1989 Batman film. Michael Keaton stars as Batman, with his primary nemesis being the Joker, portrayed masterfully by the legendary Jack Nicholson. The plot involves Bruce Wayne/Batman dealing with crime in Gotham City, and coping with tragedies of his past as he falls for a reporter investigating, of all things, Batman. Following a near-fatal accident, criminal Jack Napier dons the alias of the Joker and takes over the largest local crime organization. It's up to Batman to put a stop to the Joker's schemes, which include tainted chemicals in household products and nerve-gassing the city. This is by far the best film in this set, with beautiful performances from the entire cast, including an all-too-often overlooked performance from the late Pat Hingle (may he rest in peace) as Commissioner Gordon. This is Batman the way it was meant to be experienced - dark and moody, but with plenty of action and just enough of the Tim Burton touch to keep in interesting.
Batman Returns comes next, with Keaton reprising the role of the Dark Knight. This time around, he is pitted against the Penguin, a freakish human played by Danny DeVito, who has joined forces with a local industrialist portrayed by Christopher Walken. Batman's reputation in Gotham isn't exactly a whole lot better than the foes he thrashes, and the devious twosome sets up a plan to frame the Bat. Bruce Wayne's troubles are only increased by the arrival of a third villain, Catwoman, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who acts as a vigilante of sorts. Now the Bat has to fight a battle on two fronts. While my opinion may be in the minority, this is actually one of my least favorite films in the Batman series. It's more Burton's film than Batman's, and the whole thing reeks of it from start to finish. There are some classic scenes, but this is p roof that darker isn't always better. Burton had it right the first time, and this is what happens when one man gets too much creative control on a project. Still, it's a pretty good film and I'm certainly not complaining.
Third is Batman Forever. Gone are Tim Burton (though he was a producer here) and Michael Keaton, in come Joel Schumacher and Val Kilmer. Two-Face, played here by Tommy Lee Jones, is a schizophrenic terror who was once Gotham's valiant district attorney, and has escaped from Arkham Asylum. He joins forces with The Riddler, a disgruntled former Wayne Enterprises employee played by Jim Carrey. With Two-Face's gangs and weapons, and technology the Riddler has invented to invade human minds and steal their knowledge, the Dark Knight has his work cut out for him. But help comes in two new sources - Robin, a young sidekick played by Chris O'Donnell, whose family was killed by Two-Face, and Dr. Chase Meridian, played by Nicole Kidman, whose psychological knowledge can aid Batman/Bruce Wayne when dealing with two of the strangest adversaries he has faced to date. After the dismal Batman Returns, which was too much Burton's movie, this was just the return to normalcy the series needed. The action is back, and the production values skyrocketed. It's a great-looking film with some of the best action scenes in the series. Only the 1989 film bests it (in terms of films from the Burton/Schumacher series.)
Closing out the set is Batman and Robin. Batman is now played by George Clooney, and still adjusting to life with a sidekick. Gotham can never catch a break, and this time is no exception. Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is out to put Gotham City in a never-ending winter to fulfill a more personal mission. Teaming up with him is Poison Ivy, a mysterious woman who thinks it's time for plants to rule the world. With these new threats in place, it's up to the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder to set things right. This film received a ton of negative reviews, and was rightfully lambasted for being too campy compared to the entries before. It's got a big budget and is a great-looking film, but there's nothing beyond the looks here. Shallow and campy, it's by far the weakest link in the set. Not as bad as people say it is, but definitely the worst thing the Burton/Schumacher series produced.
All in all, you get four films here, and depending on your personal opinion, that's at least 2-3 that are well worth your time. There's a lot of entertainment to be had here, and while these movies don't by any means top the recent Christopher Nolan series, they are an important part of the Batman franchise. Any fan of the Caped Crusader would be wise to add this set to their collection.
As a final note, these films are only being released in a set - NOT separately (an increasingly-frustrating trend for us Blu-Ray player owners.) However, an anniversary collectors book edition of the first film will be released in May. Additionally, all four films ARE available sold separately as European region imports - and they will play fine in your domestic player.
Image and Sound: Wow. The presentations of these films on Blu-Ray are, in a word, INCREDIBLE. Naturally, the more recent ones are the best-looking of the bunch. But all three exhibit greatly-increased detail over their DVD counterparts, with a smooth, beautiful visual transfer free of any annoying visual defects. Equally praiseworthy is the lossless audio. These versions of the movies will rock your speakers like no others have before. The Burton-Schumacher Batman franchise has never looked or sounded better - and likely never will in our lifetime.
Apart from a digital copy of the first film being included, all the same bonus material is included that was in the DVD set and the individually-sold versions of these movies that came out on DVD. This includes tons of interviews, animatics, deleted scenes, music videos, and commentaries. Any fan of the Caped Crusader will be thoroughly impressed with the wealth of featurettes that has been included in this set.
One note about the bonus features that is worth complaining about - they're all presented in standard definition, and haven't even gotten the necessary upgrades to be enhanced for widescreen TV viewing. The one flaw in an otherwise flawless set.
This set is the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise done right - all four movies in one place with a ton of bonus material. If not for the bonus features being presented in standard definition, it would have truly been perfect. But it goes without saying just the same - with these beautiful transfers (audio and visual alike) the set gets my highest recommendation.
