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Batman

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The worldwide success of Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" has prompted Warner Bros. to finally release Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" with an extra disc of special features...and this is an event worth cheering about!

A groundbreaking cinematic achievement (and one of the most expensive films ever produced, to that time), "Batman" was a tremendous gamble, and the story behind the ten-year struggle to bring it to the screen is fascinating! It is a tale of visionaries, beginning with Michael Uslan, a young student/Batman fan, who not only convinced his university to include comics in their curriculum, but, fired up by Richard Donner's "Superman", knew a Batman film could be just as powerful, and took the idea, with Batman creator Bob Kane's blessing, to Hollywood; of Peter Gruber and Jon Peters, who listened to Uslan, after every studio had passed on it, saw the potential, and decided to gamble; of Sam Hamm, who had a "Batman" script in his head, praying to get the chance to write it; and, most importantly, of Tim Burton, whose dark, quirky sensibilities made him THE director to film it, despite only two feature films to his credit.

This remarkable story, with archival footage and new interviews, is the highlight of disc two, but there is much, much more! Did you know that Robin was scripted to make an appearance in the first film? That Sean Young, not Kim Basinger, had been cast as Vicki Vale? That the Batmobile, designed by Oscar-winner Anton Furst, could actually do 95 mph (and that Tim Burton drove it, once?) That the room where disfigured Jack Nicholson received his unsuccessful plastic surgery was actually a studio prop room? Each chapter is a revelation!

Not that there aren't a few disappointments in the presentation; there is no chapter with deleted scenes (although a few moments are shown that never made it into the finished film...a little girl, seeing Batman, asks, in all seriousness, "Is it Halloween?", which causes him to pause, and grin); the 'History' of Batman, despite a wealth of photos and clips from the comics, serials, and graphic novels, does not offer a single visual from the campy 60s TV series (whether this was a refusal by 20th Century Fox, who produced the series, to permit their use, or an attempt to distance the movie from the "ZAP! BAM! POW!" silliness is not explained). Also, the brief appearance of screen legend Jack Palance, as 'Boss Grissom', is largely ignored, other than in Tim Burton's audio commentary, which is surprising. Still, many of the cast share their memories (Billy Dee Williams still expresses disappointment that he didn't get to play 'Two-Face'; Robert Wuhl, regret that after they rewrote his death scene to allow his character to survive, he never appeared in another film in the franchise).

I guess what I'm saying, is...chuck your old copy of "Batman", and replace it with THIS one!

You'll be glad you did!

This film proved to the world that comic book films could be much more than action-packed carnage festivals. This film (and the first sequel "Batman Returns") have so much more to it than that. "Batman" is a gripping and very moving exploration of the psyche; it peers into the souls of not only the Dark Knight, but also those of the people whose lives he changes with his presence. The film is brilliantly acted by its perfectly-chosen cast, which includes Jack Nicholson (the Joker), Michael Keaton (the Batman), Kim Basinger (Vicki Vale), Micheal Gough (Alfred Pennyworth), and Robert Wuhl (Alexander Knox). Tim Burton makes perfect use of his wonderful directorial talents, Anton Furst designs a gothic, beautiful Gotham City, and Danny Elfman's classic musical score further help make this a unique, thought-provoking, and very powerful modern classic, a masterpiece of film noir and grand opera. "Batman Returns shares these wonderful qualities, but, sadly, Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin" lose all of that depth and meaning, and become little more than standard mindless action. But, we'll always have Burton's dark vision of a haunted and brooding Batman.

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!

If you want to look at a superhero adaptation done right look no further than this movie or the latest Spiderman movies. After watching the last two Batman flicks, I had kind of written the series off, but watching this on TV the other night I realized that I had forgotten how good this was. Michael Keaton was perfect as Batman, if you think about it Bruce Wayne is not the most tightly wrapped guy out there, he dresses up as a giant flying rodent and runs around at night in Gotham City beating up on criminals, and Keaton captured this essence perfectly. Kim Basinger was great as Vicki Vale and Jack Nicholson was awesome as the Joker. indeed I'd have to say that this is the last good performance that Nicholson did, after this movie he phoned everything in and cashed in on his Jack Nicholson act.
In addition to a well-written script (the only contrived part being the fact that the Joker had killed Bruce Wayne's parents years before) the sets for this movie were totally cool and like nothing else we had seen at the time. Tim Burton was still a young and fresh director and Danny Elfman scores hadn't become tiring. If this movie looks a bit stale now it's only because so many other movies have imitated it and because Burton and Elfman have become one-trick ponies. However when you look at it as the leader of a cinematic vanguard of action movies you realize how good it is.

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.

Acclaimed filmmaker Tim Burton brings the legendary caped crime-fighter to the big screen in the spectacular 1989 blockbuster "Batman". In the dark streets of Gotham City, an urban myth known as "the Batman" (Michael Keaton) uses the night to strike fear in the hearts of criminals. When the city is threatened by the psychotic criminal known as the Joker (Jack Nicholson), the mysterious Batman becomes the city's only hope. "Batman" is an outstanding action-packed spectacle that honors Bob Kane's popular creation. Director Tim Burton's unique style gives the story much emotion and depth. Michael Keaton gives a fine performance as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Jack Nicholson is terrific as the Joker. The movie also contains some nice visuals, impressive action, great humor, cool gadgets and a rich music score. The cast also includes Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Michael Gough, Billy Dee Williams and Jack Palance. This comic book film became the runaway smash hit in 1989 and launched a multimillion dollar franchise.

For fans whom been waiting years for a special edition release, "Batman" Special Edition really delivers. The 1989 blockbuster is presented in its original 1.78:1 theatrical widescreen format. The DVD contains a truly vibrant picture quality and an intense 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Its supplemental extras include a detailed audio commentary by director Tim Burton, the comprehensive 40-minute "Legends of the Dark Knight" documentary, several behind-the-scenes featurettes, "Heroes & Villains" galleries, theatrical trailers and three music videos by Prince. With such new bonus features, "Batman: Special Edition" obtains an "A".

The film:

Disclosure - Batman was the first movie that really knocked my socks off as a kid. I saw it several times in the theater, and it ignited a decade long love of comic books for me (that ended when I moved out on my own and didn't have the money any more). So reviewing this film is an exercise in taming my nostalgia.

It is a very good movie. It's got some very good performances, especially Keaton and Nicholson. The story overall is strong, intertwining the origins of the two principals. It gets a bit flabby in pacing at the end, and about 10 minutes could have been cut. The ending is easily the worst bit, as Batman suddenly becomes rather homicidal, in contradiction to well-established characterization in 50 years of prior stories. Some of the effects work doesn't stand up very well today, with obvious model shots and some pretty bad animation which would now be done by CGI. Actually, what strikes me now is how "low budget" it seems at times, if you're looking for it anyway (and the vision is generally so powerful that you might not - but then I've seen this film a good 20 times).

Overall, the fractured vision of Tim Burton and designer Anton Furst, married to a tenuous grip on reality (which was completely gone by the sequel, unfortunately), makes this compelling viewing. It's not as good perhaps as the new Nolan movies. But it's a classic. It inaugurated the boom of comic book movies that we are still enjoying/suffering through today. Kids 8 to 80 should enjoy this film. It's well worth owning as a home video.

The Blu-Ray:

This video transfer is very faithful to the original film. Which is to say, it's drab, dark, monochromatic, and not at all the kind of thing you want to demo your shiny new HDTV with.

Don't get me wrong. This looks better than the previous two DVD editions. When a scene is lit reasonably well, you can see pretty good detail in hair, facial wrinkles, and wet pavement. But the overall dynamic range of the image, from dark to light, is pretty flat. This is a very dim-looking movie. The audio is a competent Dolby TrueHD 5.1 channels mix.

Extras are comprehensive, but they are all in SD, and they are all recycled from the previous 2 disc collector's edition. There are LOADS of cast interviews, production featurettes, and one large documentary which is a 70 minute cut from the one that spanned all four "original" movies. All told I would guess there are about 3 hours of featurettes, most of which are pretty worthwhile for Batman fans. Irritatingly, most of them do not have a "play all" option. So you're forced to navigate a large menu full of small type and try to remember what you've already seen. Argh.

Burton's commentary is very entertaining. He only trails off one or two times in the 2 hours of the film. He starts to repeat himself a bit by the last half hour, but overall it is very engaging, loaded with information, and has plenty of honest opinion from the director.

***********

If you own the 2 disc collector's edition on DVD, I'm not going to say this is a strong recommendation. It's just not that much of an upgrade. All of the extras are the same, and the transfer isn't one of those revelatory HD experiences.

If you don't already own it, and you're looking to expand your comic book film collection, then definitely go ahead and pick this up. It laid the groundwork for all the films we've gotten since. It's easily the best of the original 4 Batman movies.

With all the current hype surrounding Batman Begins now, fans seem to forget all the excitment they had when Tim Burton's version of Batman was released in 1989. Of course, die-hard fans allways knew the true Batman was a dark and sophisticated character, but in the public eye, Batman was Adam West in that goofy outfit who shouted campy one-liners at villains like Burgess Merideth and Julie Newmar. This movie single-handedly turned that image around and had an even bigger impact than today's Batman Begins (much as I love Begins) on the perception the "average joe" person had of the Dark Knight.
Keaton's performance as Batman is under-rated because it is subtle. The character is there and it's a finely nuanced performance, but so many people seem to skip over it completely, then later complaining that Jack Nicholson stole the show. Nicholson as the Joker does, in fact, do a wonderful job balancing fear with humor.
Visually, the movie is a real treat. The movie looks timeless because Tim Burton wanted a movie that would last into the future that made usage of every version of Batman thus far. So, the movie is not set in 1989, and it is not set in 1939, but a timeless, gothic, art deco hell that is wonderfull to look at. The late Anton Furst won a production design Oscar for his work.
This DVD looks like it's packed with goodies, which is excellent because I've held off on buying the bare bones DVD a long time. It looks like my patience is finally paying off!

After a long last, another Batman film was created after the 1966 version. It was worth the wait! Michael Keaton is the best Batman, Kim Basigner isn't bad as reporter Vicki Vale, and Jack Nicholson is a definite showstopper as the psychotic, scene-stealing, hilarious villain as the Joker. Tim Burton does an excellent direction job, the script is very witty and good, and Anton Furst's production design is dark, vivid, and also won an Oscar. Danny Elfman's score is a classic. Possibly the best Batman film, Batman combines humor with seriousness and Burton's distinct visual style. Better than the eye candy, special effects driven, colorful comic book adventures Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, in which one is good and the other isn't that good. Also possibly better than the dark, dazzling, malevolent Batman Returns. Unlike the latest two Batman outings, Batman and Batman Returns rely on darkness, a great production design, Burton's direction, great makeup and perfomances, and cleverness. The other Batman films rely on eye candy, special effects, okay peformances, okay scripts with some funny lines, and comic book type adventures. They are different yet both good in different ways. Overall, a blockbuster and very much worth buying or renting. Enjoy!

Back in 1988 when it was announced that Michael Keaton was to portray The Dark Knight in a feature film, everyone scoffed. He proved them wrong. Tim Burton's film about the unique comic book crimefighter became an instant classic.

Michael Keaton was a atypical choice to portray Bruce Wayne and his nighttime alter ego, but he brilliantly captured the essence of the troubled man with a very big secret. Jack Nicholson as the Joker is perfect. His comic book exploits are in full force here. Exuding insanity and charm, Nicholson delivers a memorable performance. Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale is the woman caught in the middle. Michael Gough as Bruce Wayne loyal butler Alfred is also worth noting as well.

Tim Burton and the late Anton Furst delved into the lore of Batman and created a visual masterpiece. The nightmarish world of Gotham City, The Batmobile and especially Batman's costume are given new life. Danny Elfman's rousing film score is among the all time greats, and adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the film. For those who didn't have the opportunity to see this on the big screen, you missed a real treat. It would have been nice if they had included the tantilizing trailers here, but I have a feeling a Special Edition will be coming in the future.