It’s hard to remember in this era of a superhero movie every other week in cinemas, but when Time Burton’s Batman came out in 1989, it was seen as an enormous risk. A film of this ilk hadn’t been any kind of success since Richard Donner’s Superman. But as history has shown, Michael Keaton’s turn as the Dark Knight was a triumph and Hollywood hasn’t looked back since. That outstanding flick, as well as the three that followed—Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Barman & Robin are all getting the 4K Ultra HD upgrade and it’s a transfer of the most stunning order.
That’s right, all for pre-Christopher Nolan Batman tales have gotten the rerelease treatment by Warner Bros. and between the 4K visual upgrade and audio brilliance, it is something to truly marvel. For fans of The Bat, this is your moment. It’s also an opportunity to revisit a quartet of Batman films that sit on various planes for appreciators of The Dark Knight and to mark 80 years since the hero debuted on comic book pages.
What’s also great for those who plan on moving towards 4K, but haven’t done so yet, each of the 4K Ultra HD Combo Packs will also feature a remastered Blu-Ray disc. It makes perfect sense to dive in now to the 4K waters, even if you haven’t made the switch yet.
Burton’s 1989 Batman introduced the hero to us in the most original of ways. Between the filmmaker’s unique style, Jack Nicholson’s legendary performance as The Joker, Kim Basinger’s beautiful turn as Vicki Vale and Prince providing the soundtrack custom made for the film that landed on screens three decades ago this summer.
1992’s Batman Returns raised the stakes for Burton, Keaton and the gang by employing a few villainous souls for Keaton’s Batman to rumble with—Danny DeVito’s The Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. Both evil doers were impeccably captured by the esteemed actors and they made a terrific foil for Batman, especially coming off the seismic and explosive evil turns by Nicholson in Burton’s first effort a few years prior.
Director Joel Schumacher would help 1995’s Batman Forever which found Keaton leaving the Batsuit behind and Val Kilmer taking up the crusade as Bruce Wayne and his “super” alter-ego. Schumacher’s first foray into Gotham found him tapping Jim Carrey to portray The Riddler (which is impeccable casting), Tommy Lee Jones inhabiting Harvey Dent/Two Face and added Chris O’Donnell as Dick Grayson/Robin. Yes, Batman finally had his sidekick that was ever-present in the Bat’s history, but only made his big screen debut in Schumacher’s world.
The final installment in this particular incarnation of Batman was 1997’s Batman & Robin. It was also helmed by Schumacher and added even more souls to the repertoire that found George Clooney taking over for Kilmer who walked away after only one film. It also included Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy with O’Donnell returning as Robin.
One of the aspects of this upgrade that is a must-buy for fans of Batman and cinephiles as a whole is the audio upgrade to Dolby Atmos at home, which we could not recommend enough for your sound equipment aspect of the home theater. You think you’ve had mind-blowing audio before. Think again!
Eventually the entire series will be available as a full pack for $41.99 SRP, but now home video connoisseurs can bring each of the Batman movies home individually. It’s up to you, but as a fan of the entire four-film series, waiting might just be too much—so run, don’t walk, to your local retailer and grab this 4K four-film set and prepare to dive into the Batcave with colors, visuals, sounds and a cinematic experience unlike any you’ve had at home with a superhero.
What else is terrific is that the four-film set features over 17 hours of previously released extras that came with home video releases of the past. You don’t want to miss those full-length commentaries by director Burton on Batman and Batman Returns and Schumacher on Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. There’s insight, and then there’s the access to the making-of these classics from the two filmmakers who brought them to life.
Here’s the extras for each of the four films in the 4K upgrade:
Batman extras:
- Audio Commentary: Director Tim Burton.
- 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
Batman Returns extras:
- Audio Commentary: Director Tim Burton.
- The Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin
- Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight Pt. 4 – Dark Side of the Knight
- Batman Returns: The Heroes
- Batman Returns: The Villains
- Beyond Batman
- Music Video: Face to Face by Siouxsie and the Banshees.
- Theatrical Trailer
Batman Forever extras:
- Audio Commentary: Director Joel Schumacher
- Riddle Me This? Why is Batman Forever?
- Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight Pt. 5 – Reinventing a Hero
- Batman Forever: The Heroes
- Batman Forever: The Villains
- Beyond Batman
- Deleted Scenes
- Music Video: Kiss From a Rose by Seal
- Theatrical Trailer
Batman & Robin extras:
- Audio Commentary: Director Joel Schumacher.
- Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight pt. 6 – Batman Unbound
- Batman & Robin: The Heroes
- Batman & Robin: The Villains
- Beyond Batman
- Deleted Scene: Alfred’s Lost Love
- Music Videos: The End is the Beginning is the End by The Smashing Pumpkins, Look Into My Eyes by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Foolish Games by Jewel.
- Theatrical Trailer
Batman Film Grade: A
Batman Returns Film Grade: A-
Batman Forever Film Grade: B
Batman & Robin Film Grade: B-
4K Upgrade Grade for All Films: A