Batman (UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Warner Brothers

Release Date: June 4, 2019
Rating: PG-13
Film: 4.5/5

Plot
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his was on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker.

My Thoughts
I remember when I saw this back in 1989 that I wasn’t thrilled that Mr. Mom was going to be playing the lead role and felt he was horribly miscast for the role. As an adult, I can see why he’s virtually PERFECT for the role. He has charm and grace and portrays his uneasiness with his wealth. As the Caped Crusader, he has enough of an edge to him to make the role believable. Throw in the Jack Nicholson as the Joker and you have a pair that have stood the test of time. Even 30 years later this film is very enjoyable despite its dated CGI—which was thankfully kept to a minimum—and it is fun to see all of the live sets and matte paintings.

For a film 30 years old, this presentation is outstanding. Warner went back and performed a new 4K scan using the original 35mm elements along with HDR grading. Wow—it’s a sight to behind. Colors pop off the screen, especially the primaries, which means virtually every scene with the Joker is to die for. The audio track is at most times excellent, but there are a few scenes with crushed dynamics. Notably, the first time Batman comes in contact with the martial arts villain—the audio is extremely compressed in this scene. The other scene that comes to mind is the conclusion of the film, which doesn’t pack the same punch as other scenes.

Video 10/10

Audio 8.5/10 (Dolby Atmos)

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary
• 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
• Batman: The Heroes
• Batman: The Villains
• Beyond Batman
• Batman: The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence
• Music Videos
• Theatrical Trailer
• Blu-ray+ Digital Copy

 

Conclusion
It has been years since I’d watched this film and needless to say, I’d forgotten how great and entertaining it had always been. I have a new appreciation of Keaton in the leading role and Nicholson is excellent as well. Throw in an astounding video presentation and this one is easy to recommend the upgrade.

[DavidHir]

Watched this last night - looked and sounded great!  Huge improvement over the original BD.   I also picked up Returns and Forever (had to skip the last one).