Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997

Holy mother lode, Batman! In conjunction with the DVD release of Batman Begins, Warner Home Video has issued a strikingly-packaged boxed set containing all of the Caped Crusader's (created by comic-book legend Bob Kane in 1939) feature-length adventures, except for the 1966 spin-off from the then-popular TV show. Batman (1989), directed by Tim Burton, startled fans with its extremely odd casting of comic actor Michael Keaton as the Dark Avenger, who played Batman as a super-serious crimefighter still haunted by the long-ago deaths of his parents at the hands of a petty criminal. Burton's vision of a tormented superhero—operating in a Gotham City designed to look simultaneously gothic and futuristic—seemed to be at odds with Jack Nicholson's over-the-top portrayal of the Joker, but the film scored high marks for its unique blend of action and atmosphere. Keaton reprised his characterization in the Burton-helmed sequel, Batman Returns (1992), with Danny DeVito memorably macabre as the Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer seductively slinky as Catwoman, in a twisted tale penned by Heathers scribe Daniel Waters. The series' tone lightened somewhat with Batman Forever (1995), for which Keaton relinquished his cape to Val Kilmer and Burton handed the directorial reins to Joel Schumacher. This second sequel introduced Chris O'Donnell as Robin the Boy Wonder and boasted terrific star power, with Tommy Lee Jones as an especially sadistic Two-Face, Jim Carrey as an appropriately manic Riddler, and Nicole Kidman as sexy shrink Chase Meridian. Schumacher retained control of the series' destiny, and great anticipation built in fan circles when George Clooney was announced as the new superhero to wear the mask. But Batman & Robin (1997) fell somewhat short of expectations, despite the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl. Even if the first pair are far superior to the last two films, it's nice to have them all collected in one set, presented in double-disc special editions, with commentaries by Burton and Schumacher, and a whopping 50-plus supplementary documentaries and featurettes, as well as nine music videos. Recommended. (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—Mar. 31, 2009—Warner, 4 discs, 498 min., PG-13, $129.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1989's Batman, 1992's Batman Returns, 1995's Batman Forever, and 1997's Batman & Robin all sport great transfers and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtracks. Blu-ray extras on Batman include audio commentary by director Tim Burton, the first three parts of the six-part “making-of” documentary “Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight” [“Part 1—The Road to Gotham City” (18 min.), “Part 2—The Gathering Storm” (23 min.), and “Part 3—The Legend Reborn” (31 min.)], a “Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman” documentary (41 min.), “The Heroes and Villains Profile Galleries” (21 minutes of brief character profiles), production design featurettes on “Visualizing Gotham” (12 min.), “Those Wonderful Toys: The Props and Gadgets” (9 min.), “Building the Batmobile” (8 min.), “From Jack to the Joker” (8 min.), “Nocturnal Overtures: The Music” (8 min.), “Designing the Batsuit” (7 min.), “The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence” (5 min.), and “On Set with Bob Kane” with the Batman comic creator (3 min.), as well as the music videos “Batdance,” “Partyman,” and “Scandalous” (all performed by Prince), and trailers. Batman Returns includes audio commentary by Burton, “Part 4—Dark Side of the Knight” (27 min.), “The Bat, the Cat and the Penguin” making-of featurette (22 min.), “The Heroes and Villains Profile Galleries” (19 minutes of brief character profiles), the production featurettes “Bats, Mattes and Dark Nights: The Visual Effects” (12 min.), “Inside the Elfman Studio: The Music” featuring composer Danny Elfman (12 min.), “Sleek, Sexy and Sinister: The Costumes” (9 min.), “Gotham City Revisited” (8 min.), “Making Up the Penguin” (8 min.), and “Assembling the Arctic Army” (7 min.), as well as the music video “Face to Face” (performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees), and trailers. Batman Forever includes audio commentary by Joel Schumacher, “Part 5—Reinventing a Hero” (28 min.), a “Riddle Me This: Why is Batman Forever?” featurette (24 min.), 22 minutes of deleted scenes, “The Heroes and Villains Profile Galleries” (17 minutes of brief character profiles), the production featurettes “Out of the Shadows,” (11 min.), “The Many Faces of Gotham City” (9 min.), “Imaging Forever: The Visual Effects” (9 min.), “Scoring Forever: The Music” (8 min.), and “Knight Moves: The Stunts” (7 min.), as well as the music video for “Kiss from a Rose” (performed by Seal), and trailers. Batman & Robin includes audio commentary by Schumacher, “Part 6—Batman Unbound” (27 min.), “The Heroes and Villains Profile Galleries” (18 minutes of brief character profiles), the production featurettes “Dressed to Thrill: The Costumes” (12 min.), “Bigger, Bolder, Brighter” (10 min.), “Maximum Overdrive: The Vehicles” (10 min.), “Frozen Freaks and Femme Fatales: The Makeup” (9 min.), and “Freeze Frame: The Visual Effects” (9 min.), as well as a brief additional scene “Alfred's Lost Love,” music videos for “The End is the Beginning” (The Smashing Pumpkins), “Foolish Games” (Jewel), “Gotham City” (R. Kelly), and “Look Into My Eyes” (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony), and trailers. Also included is a bonus digital copy of Batman. Bottom line: making a fine debut in Blu, Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology is definitely recommended.]