Batman Returns

 (1992)

Batman Returns Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
Set at Christmastime, Gotham City and its holiday celebrations are under siege by the Penguin and a group of circus freaks. Things can't get worse when the Catwoman appears.

For more about Batman Returns and the Batman Returns Blu-ray release, see the Batman Returns Blu-ray Review

Starring: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle
Director: Tim Burton

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Batman Returns Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, February 14, 2009

As dark and gloomy as its predecessor, "Batman Returns" (1992) is arguably director Tim Burton's sexiest film to date. While the film is yet to be released on Blu-ray in North America, in the United Kingdom Warner Brothers have put together a spectacular package that will please even the most demanding amongst us.

The sexy Catwoman

The critics were not overly impressed with Tim Burton's Batman when it was released in the summer of 1989. Though casual filmgoers liked what they saw, the press concluded that the film was too dark, too gloomy, and unsuitable for children. So, when Warner Brothers announced that Tim Burton will be back behind the camera for Batman Returns (1992), you could almost feel the electricity in the air; many were convinced that this would be the last Batman movie we would see in a very, very long time.

I went to see Batman Returns on its opening night. I was ready for a disaster of paramount proportions, but a few very intriguing photos that I had seen with Michelle Pfeiffer clad in a sexy leather suit as Catwoman instantly had me convinced that this would be a film worth struggling with.

Much to my surprise, Batman Returns proved to be as dark and atmospheric as Batman was. Its story revolved around an ugly looking half-man, half-penguin character, fittingly named Penguin a.k.a Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito), who had the guts to challenge the almighty Batman (Michael Keaton). The Penguin had also secured the support of a shady businessman, Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), who was on a mission to build a giant power plant that would effectively place Gotham City under his control. Of course, Batman quickly figured out what Max Shreck is up to and set out to foil his plan. Along the way, however, he was (un)pleasantly surprised by the mysterious and sexy-looking Catwoman, who emerged from the depths of Gotham City.

Until a few days ago, a lot of what I described to you above I did not remember. The only vivid image that I had in my mind during the years was that one specific scene where Catwoman licked Batman's face. For whatever reason – and I am sure that for a lot of guys the reason would be quite obvious - this is all that I had found worthy of remembering in Tim Burton's sequel to Batman.

Of course, now having seen Batman Returns on Blu-ray, I must confess that there are quite a few things to like about it. First, this is a notably mature film with seriously subversive comedic overtones. Danny Devito's Penguin isn't as wild as Jack Nicholson's Joker but his lines are just as sharp. Second, Tim Burton's vision of Gotham City is again infused with a strong Gothic flavor that is arguably the key reason why Batman Returns does not feel dated. Third, there is a sense of eroticism introduced through Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman that more than makes up for the departure of the nasty Joker. In fact, I would argue that Catwoman looks so disturbingly-beautiful that during plenty of key scenes she seriously detracts from Batman's superhero appeal.

As I have made it clear before, I have never been a fan of Bob Kane's famous character. I am, however, a fan of Tim Burton's work. I find his ability to create imaginary worlds where the ugly and bizarre become beautiful and ordinary absolutely fascinating. Batman Returns isn't an extreme example of how wild Tim Burton's imagination could run but, given the script's limitations the director had to consider, I find the film's ability to appeal to children as well as adults not necessarily interested in comic heroes impossible not to admire.

Batman Returns Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with VC-1, and granted a 1080p transfer Tim Burton's Batman Returns arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Brothers-UK.

I have to admit that I am very impressed with what Warner have accomplished with the Blu-ray transfer for Batman Returns. I really liked their treatment of Tim Burton's Batman, but Batman Returns looks even better. Clarity, detail, and contrast here are absolutely perfect. For example, some of the panoramic vistas from Gotham City look so strong that I truly believe that they would put a lot of recently produced and transferred to Blu-ray films to shame. On the other hand, the close-ups reveal plenty of fine detail (yes, indeed, this 1080p transfer is exactly what I needed to see more from Catwoman's sexy suit). Furthermore, edge-enhancement and macroblocking shouldn't be an issue of concern for you. The print for Batman Returns looks very natural and, as far as I could tell, DNR-alterations have not been applied. Unlike Batman, here I wasn't bothered by the presence of digital noise. Finally, the actual print looks incredibly stable and free of dirt, scratches and debris. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Batman Returns Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

Batman Returns arrives on Blu-ray as a Pan-European release. What this means is that on this disc you will find a multitude of audio options that make it easy to sell in a number of different countries. These are the audio tracks Warner have supplied: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, German Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Castellan Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 and Portuguese Dolby Digital 1.0.

I opted for the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track and did a few random comparisons with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Well, there are some notable differences between Batman Begins and Batman. First, as you could see above, some of the foreign language dubs have been slightly upgraded (1.0 to 5.1). Second, Batman Returns is far more aggressive than Batman. There is quite a bit more activity in the rear channels while the bass sounds notably fuller. On the other hand, the dialog is crisper and just as easy to follow as it was in Batman. I listened carefully to hear if there were any problematic drop-outs, hissings, or pops, but, as expected, I did not detect any.

As I mentioned above, I did some random comparisons between the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track and the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. As expected, the Dolby TureHD 5.1 track is superior. There is far more depth in it as well as stronger dynamic amplitude. As far as the actual dialog is concerned, I could only relate to you that both tracks allow one to follow the actors' speech as well as those who dub them without any issues that I could spot. For the record, Warner Brothers have also supplied the following optional subtitle-options: English, English HOH, French, German, German HOH, Italian, Italian HOH, Castellan, Dutch, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Traditional Chinese, and Korean

Batman Returns Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

Batman Returns also offers an overwhelming amount of supplemental features. The first extra is the old commentary by director Tim Burton that was available on the SDVD release of Batman Returns. Once again, he goes in great detail explaining how and why he chose Penguin to be the villain Batman faces in the sequel, the appeal of Catwoman, as well as the darker and weirder sides of Christopher Walken's persona. There is also an overwhelming amount of info in this documentary pertaining to the production history of the film (the commentary arrives with optional Korean and Chinese subtitles). Next is The Bat, The Cat And The Penguin, an interesting featurette where the cast and crew recall the making of this equally spectacular sequel. Batman: The Heroes and Batman: The Villains are two short featurettes where members of the cast and crew very quickly share their thoughts on the main characters in the film. In Beyond Batman there are six different chapters: Gotham City Revisited: The Production Design of Batman Returns which focuses on the second recreation of Gotham as well as some key differences between the original sets from Batman and the new concept designs for the city introduced by Tim Burton; Sleek, Sexy and Sinister: The Costumes of Batman Returns explains what were the difficulties that the creators of the film had to overcome in their search of perfection (as mentioned in the featurette, the designers had substantially more time and money to work with on the second Batman film); Make-Up The Penguin focuses entirely on Danny DeVitto's character and what he was meant to symbolize. Assembling The Arctic Army is about the special effects that were used to gather Penguin's army of soldiers (surprisingly, the creators of the film used more than 30 real penguins to accomplish what they needed); Bats, Mattes And Dark Knights focuses primarily on the special effects that were incorporated into the film; finally, Inside The Elfman Studio: The Music of Batman Returns takes a look at composer Danny Elfman and his brilliant soundtrack to the film. In addition, on this Blu-ray disc you will also find the music video for Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Face to Face" as well as the original theatrical trailer for Batman Returns. (Note: All of the extras will play flawlessly on your Region-A PS3 or SA).

Batman Returns Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

Warner have delivered a fantastic package for Tim Burton's Batman Returns. I really cannot see much with this release that could have been bettered. The video is very strong and so is the audio. Simply put, if Batman Returns is a film you wish to own, there is no need to wait for the eventual US release. Very Highly Recommended.

Warner Home Video UK has revealed their Blu-ray line-up for the remainder of the year in the UK. Besides receiving many titles already available in the US, they are also planning on releasing some films which have yet to see Blu-ray release. This includes the first ...

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