Search - Batman on DVD

DVD Production At Its Finest

Mark Schroeder | State College, PA | 10/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The original 'Batman' film holds, for all Bat-fans, a sacred title as the one true (and certainly best) film in the original saga. The mere fact that it grossed hundreds of millions of dollars and shattered box office records is a testament to its validity as a cinematic tour de force. Facts and figures aside, the original "Batman" film revolutionized the way that films were made in regards to scale, merchandising, and certainly publicity. The fueling monster of Warner Brothers garnered record deals with Prince for soundtrack options and locked away square merchandising deals for an infinite amount of Batman paraphernalia. Its near-$40 million budget (unheard of for 1989) was immediately returned in its opening weekend gross, all fueled by the massive media and publicity frenzy woven around this landmark blockbuster film. To that end, it is no surprise that Warner Brothers finally released a worthy DVD complement to the effort that went into the original production of their film. And thus begins the review of the newly-released 2-disc Special Edition of Tim Burton's "Batman"...



THE PACKAGE:

Coordinated beautifully with the DVD release of "Batman Begins", the original "Batman" and subsequent Batman DVDs look fantastic. Each DVD case features a brand new metallic type font of the title with the short list of the casts running just above it. The "Batman" cover features the glistening Batman logo in its full glory (not clipped at the wings like previous VHS and DVD formats.) A textured metallic frame also surrounds the front face. A comprehensive list of the special features on disc 2 of the collection appears on the back cover with several brief descriptions of each segment's content. The discs themselves are fantastically laid out, each featuring newly-formed collage art from the film. Disc 2 displays the classic image of Batman violently gripping the Joker's suit jacket in the film's climax in Gotham Cathedral. One drawback of this particular edition is that it does not feature an inlet, booklet, or leaflet of any kind in its inside cover. Where many viewers like the guide to the film's chapters, I feel that this mistake is easily forgivable once we are compensated by the discs' features.



THE LOOK AND SOUND:

The widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio captures practically everything Burton shot in '89. Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround ensure that every unique sound effect in the film is heard perfectly. Essentially, the transfer is just as affective as the previous bare-bones "Batman" DVD release with the only notable changes being a slightly thinner 16:9 ration instead of the previous 1.85:1 and the inclusion of the new DTS Surround Sound factor. The digital transfer crystallizes every single visual effect and brings Gotham City into its full glory during every sweeping master shot.



THE EXTRAS:

This is where the true magic lies in this edition. Five extra gallery features translate to over 20 featurettes ranging from 5 to 35 minutes in length. The gem of them all is a marvelous half-hour documentary on the evolution of the Batman lore from its inception in 1939 to its reinvention for film in 1989 and beyond. "Legends of the Dark Knight - The History of Batman" features many prominent comic book icons such as Stan Lee, Kevin Smith, and Bob Kane himself, all creating fantastic insight into the psyche and appeal of the Caped Crusader. Also featured are several extremely relevant Batman writers and artists who are responsible for thrusting the Dark Knight into a more contemporary context for several generations. Among them are Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, and THE Frank Miller. A strongpoint of the documentary is its choice to focus predominantly on the evolution of the CHARACTER of Batman as opposed to getting bogged down into discussing the 40's serials, the 60's television series catastrophe, and even the later films themselves. Narrated by Mr. Mark Hamill, the documentary delves deep into the psychology of the Batman and his affect on America and vice versa.

Shadows of the Bat - The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight", a three-part documentary showing the process to get Batman onto the big screen, is the second best feature of the second disc. The first 2 segments focus on pre-production for "Batman" with the last installment focusing on the principal photography and after effects of the film. The most remarkable thing about this documentary is that it features dozens of interviews with integral members of the cast and crew. Tim Burton is at the helm, giving the bulk of the information. Following closely behind are Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Billy Dee Williams, Pat Hingle, Michael Gough, Robert Wuhl, and even Mr. Jack Nicholson himself! Notorious for his privacy, Nicholson graciously supplies dozens of glorious minutes explaining his role in the process and even the psychosis of the Joker. The only one drawback to the documentary is the fact that Michael Keaton's interview is recycled footage from an old "Batman Return" behind-the-scenes program that ran on television in the early 90's. All other cast and crew interviews are brand new!

Also on the special features menu is a "Beyond Batman" documentary gallery, housing 6 separate featurettes with subjects ranging from the production design of the film; to the creation of the batsuit, batmobile, and bat-gadgets; as well as the transformation of Jack Nicholson into the Joker among others. Each of these video bits, averaging around 13 minutes, expounds on the finer aspects of the production of the film. Truly an aspiring filmmakers dream, these featurettes hone in on what happens behind the camera in the art, sound, and script departments. The structural and architectural analysis of the design of Gotham City is especially fascinating to witness!

Rounding out the second disc are three music videos by Prince, a lost Robin storyboard sequence, and a short clip of Bob Kane reflecting on his creation on the set of the original film. Short character bios contain more interviews that delve into specific characters in both the `heroes' and `villains' categories. When the ads stress "18 Hours of New Extras", the aren't joking around!



In summation, the 2-disc Special Edition of "Batman" is a landmark DVD release of a great film. Each featurette reveals great insight into the lore of the Batman as well as the production of the first film. Thankfully, very little of the interview clips are repeated throughout different documentaries, giving each special feature a refreshingly unique feel. This DVD is a must-have for any Batman fan. The information is so comprehensive that you're guaranteed to walk away having learned something new you didn't know before. This DVD is the benchmark to which all other Special Edition DVDs should be measured!"

Gotham City

Matt | NJ | 02/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This new DVD edition should definitely replace your old Batman DVD or, God forbid, VHS tape. There are hours of bonus features included, mostly done in documentary format. All angles are covered on the 2nd disc. Beginning with the original Batman creator, Bob Kane, through the lengthy history of Batman, to the ultimate cinematic adaptation by Tim Burton, who also speaks at great length about the production of the film. This is very interesting material that a fan will truly appreciate.



This movie spoke for itself at the box office. The combination of Tim Burton's vision and direction, impeccable casting and wonderful special effects took the movie world by storm and reached far beyond the silver screen. For a while there, you couldn't look anywhere without seeing the Batman logo. They did some job marketing this movie...



I still feel this is the best Batman movie. Points can be made in favor of the most recent Batman Begins, but having no precursor, Burton's Batman set the stage wonderfully to begin the modern Batman film-making era. After all, it seems people have granted such praise to Batman Begins, in part, for how it represents a return to the "darkness" of the original."