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Editorial Review:
Batman
Thanks to the ambitious vision of director Tim Burton, the blockbuster hit of 1989 delivers the goods despite an occasionally spotty script, giving the caped crusader a thorough overhaul in keeping with the crime fighter's evolution in DC Comics. Michael Keaton strikes just the right mood as the brooding "Dark Knight" of Gotham City; Kim Basinger plays Gotham's intrepid reporter Vicki Vale; and Jack Nicholson goes wild as the maniacal and scene-stealing Joker, who plots a takeover of the city with his lethal Smilex gas. Triumphant Oscar-winning production design by the late Anton Furst turns Batman into a visual feast, and Burton brilliantly establishes a darkly mythic approach to Batman's legacy. Danny Elfman's now-classic score propels the action with bold, muscular verve. --Jeff Shannon
Batman Returns
The first Batman sequel takes a wicked turn with the villainous exploits of the freakish and mean-spirited Penguin (Danny DeVito), whose criminal collaboration with evil tycoon Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) threatens to drain Gotham City of its energy supply. As if that weren't enough, Batman (Michael Keaton) has his hands full with the vengeful Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), who turns out to be a lot more dangerous than a kitten with a whip. As with the first Batman feature, director Tim Burton brings his distinct visual style to the frantic action, but this time there's a darker malevolence lurking beneath all that extraordinary production design. --Jeff Shannon
Batman Forever
When Tim Burton and Michael Keaton announced that they'd had enough of the Batman franchise, director Joel Schumacher stepped in (with Burton as coproducer) to make this action-packed extravaganza starring Val Kilmer as the caped crusader. Batman is up against two of Gotham City's most colorful criminals, the Riddler (a role tailor-made for funnyman Jim Carrey) and the diabolical Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), who join forces to conquer Gotham's population with a brain-draining device. Nicole Kidman plays the seductive psychologist who wants to know what makes Batman tick. Boasting a redesigned Batmobile and plenty of new Bat hardware, Batman Forever also introduces Robin the Boy Wonder (Chris O'Donnell) whose close alliance with Batman led more than a few critics to ponder the series' homoerotic subtext. No matter how you interpret it, Schumacher's take on the Batman legacy is simultaneously amusing, lavishly epic, and prone to chronic sensory overload. --Jeff Shannon
Batman and Robin
Following Val Kilmer's portrayal of the caped crusader in Batman Forever, the fourth Batman feature stars George Clooney under the pointy-eared cowl, with Chris O'Donnell returning as Robin the Boy Wonder. This time the dynamic duo is up against the nefarious Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who is bent on turning the world into an iceberg, and the slyly seductive but highly toxic Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), who wants to eliminate all animal life and turn the Earth into a gigantic greenhouse. Alicia Silverstone lends a hand as Batgirl, and Elle McPherson plays the thankless role of Batman/Bruce Wayne's fiancée. A sensory assault of dazzling colors, senseless action, and lavish sets run amok, this Batman and Robin offers an overdose of eye candy, but it is strictly for devoted Bat-o-philes. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Not the Dark Knight, but still good With the current Batman craze because of the Dark Knight, it was time for me to re-visit these movies. For me these are still good, especially the first 2, however not the Dark Knight I am afraid to say. These movies are more like the Comic Book Batman before the Dark Knight re-invention, and do have that more superhero comic book feel with some homage to the TV series. This is even more evident because of the new movies which have a much more sinister and 'real' feel to them. The new movies very much set... more info
Batman-1 Disc versions DVDs I am rather surprised by the negative ratings of this set. It is quite clear that it contains the one disc versions, and if, like me you just want the first four Batman films then this set is a brilliant, very cost effective way of getting them. All films are presented in Dolby 5.1 surround sound which, particularly on the last two discs, is extremely effective and really adds to the films. I enjoyed all four films but in different ways and for different reasons. "Batman Forever" and "Batman and... more info
Basic Box is O.K. I think this is a good deal if you only want to watch the films & not to bothered about those behind the scenes bits...
Good movies, but don't stand up to the test of time THe first two films by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton were very well made and surprisingly close to the theme of the Dark Knight. As for Batman Forever and Batman & Robin these are best forgotten as the trash they are. However with the recent Batman Begins which was truly exceptional and the new Dark Knight imminent it shows how Batman can be done, when done properly. Watch Batman and Batman Returns by all means as they are worth watching, if not for Jack Nicholson's Joker (although Heath... more info
