{"id":21280,"date":"2019-05-26T08:48:40","date_gmt":"2019-05-26T15:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/?p=21280"},"modified":"2022-05-24T13:11:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T20:11:09","slug":"review-batman-returns-4k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/2019\/05\/review-batman-returns-4k\/","title":{"rendered":"Batman Returns 4K Ultra HD Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Batman Returns<\/em><\/strong> is one of the least favorite of all the Batman<\/em> movies over the years, though it is far more competently made than Batman & Robin<\/em>, and I still enjoyed Michael Keaton in the lead.<\/p>\n

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Batman Returns<\/span>
\n(1992)<\/span>
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Genre(s): <\/strong>Action, Adventure<\/span>
\nWarner Bros. | PG13 \u2013 126 min. \u2013 $41.99 | June 4, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Date Published:<\/strong> 05\/26\/2019 | Author:<\/strong> The Movieman<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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MOVIE INFO:
\n<\/u><\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Tim Burton<\/span>
\nWriter(s): <\/strong>Daniel Waters and Sam Hamm (story), Daniel Waters (screenplay)<\/span>
\nCast: <\/strong>Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Michael Murphy<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DISC INFO:
\n<\/u><\/strong>Features: <\/strong>Commentary, Featurettes, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer<\/span>
\nSlip Cover: <\/strong>Yes<\/span>
\nDigital Copy: <\/strong>Yes<\/span>
\nFormats Included: <\/strong>4K, Blu-ray<\/span>
\nNumber of Discs: <\/strong>2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio: <\/strong>English (Dolby Atmos), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)<\/span>
\nVideo (4K): <\/strong>2160p\/Widescreen 1.85<\/span>
\nDynamic Range: <\/strong>HDR10<\/span>
\nSubtitles: <\/strong>English SDH, French, Spanish<\/span>
\nCodecs: <\/strong>HEVC \/ H.265<\/span>
\nRegion(s): <\/strong>A, B, C<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe opinions I share are my own.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0<\/span>Screen Captures were taken from included Blu-ray disc.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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THE MOVIE \u2014 2.5\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Amongst the “Batman” fans out there, this has to be one of most controversial ‘Batman’ movie. Based upon reading many message board posts, it seems that there’s nearly a 50-50 split with some fans having Batman Returns<\/em><\/strong> on par or better than the original (if not still the best over Begins<\/em>) and then there are others who were offended by it and believe it is the worst (or second worst ahead of Batman & Robin<\/em>) Batman movie ever. Sad to say, but I am in that latter group. After watching Returns<\/em><\/strong> for the first time in a few years, I found myself disgusted with what I had seen.<\/p>\n

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Even though the original Batman<\/em> went off the reservation when it came to the mythos by making the Joker the killer of Bruce’s parents, I could accept that. And although Nicholson’s Joker stole the show and made Batman a secondary character, I still enjoyed his performance enough that I felt like I had a good time watching. But, with this one, not only is Batman shoved back even more, playing third fiddle, but the lead and more colorful villain was absolutely loathsome… but for all the wrong reasons. I realize that one should root against the villain, but who the hell do I cheer on? Brooding millionaire Wayne? Or how about sex kitten, Catwoman, in her tight fitting costume (don’t get me wrong, that’s all good)? Where ever one turns, there’s nothing to like. Even Gotham City itself lost the little appeal it had. Director Tim Burton brought forth a dark and dank picture that nearly turned me completely off.<\/p>\n

On a non-fanbase level, Returns<\/em><\/strong> is not a terrible movie. Danny DeVito is good as The Penguin and if the goal was to disgust the audience, well he surely succeeded. Michelle Pfeiffer fits right in as Catwoman and is really the only one that made the movie remotely watchable, but when trying to establish a relationship with Keaton’s Wayne, it never quite worked.<\/p>\n

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To be fair, there were a couple moments in the film that was true Batman: In the beginning when confronting a goon holding Selina Kyle, he fires one of his gadgets, striking the wall next to the thug to which the guy says “You missed!” and with a tug, Batman rips a piece of the wall and knocks the guy out. Classic and cool. At another point, Batman roams the streets of Gotham in the Batmobile at night, checking on what The Penguin was up to. Classic and cool. But these parts are not enough to overcome some of the other elements.<\/p>\n

2019 Update: <\/strong>This is probably my fourth or fifth viewing of Batman Returns<\/em><\/strong> and my opinions has fluctuated over the years from confusion at age 11 to disgust to indifference and now this is not just a poor Batman movie but a fairly bad movie overall. The production design and overall feel of Gotham felt cheap, the costume for The Penguin was laughable, as is Danny DeVito\u2019s, albeit energetic, performance. The only thing positive I could say is the 10-minutes of interaction between Batman\/Catwoman and Bruce\/Selina, the latter at Christopher Walken\u2019s Max Schreck\u2019s party was particularly wonderful but brief.<\/p>\n

And yes, if you read my review from circa 2005, there are some differences, perhaps it changed with perspective of time or noticing things I hadn\u2019t noticed before…<\/p>\n

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SPECIAL FEATURES \u2013 5.0\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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This release comes with a semi-glossy and reflective slip cover<\/strong>. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD<\/strong> copy along with a remastered Blu-ray disc.<\/p>\n

The commentary<\/u><\/strong> track from Tim Burton seemed to me a little more upbeat or lively [vs. Batman<\/em>]. He spends most of the film explaining things like why he wanted to do the sequel, how the Catwoman was his second favorite villain (behind The Joker) and why he wanted to change the Penguin from a socialite to a monster (Burton never understood the TV show or comic book versions of the character). Beyond that, he also gives some tid bits\/trivia such as, during the chase scene, they filmed it on a larger stage at Universal (before it was on Warner Brothers’ stages).<\/p>\n

The weakest of the bunch is the original 1992 sneak peek called The Bat, the Cat and the Penguin (21:52)<\/u><\/strong>. This behind-the-scenes promotional stunt looks like it originally aired on some network channel (maybe NBC) and is the typical thing you saw back in the day.<\/p>\n

The Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight \u2013 Part 4: Dark Side of Night (30:15)<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 This one talks about how to make the sequel different but not too different from the original. It’s revealed that to get Burton to direct the sequel, the WB execs allowed him to make a “Tim Burton” movie, rather than being tied down the material. Also discussed is who the villain would be and then just going ahead and making it a two villain movie. A lot of the things Burton talks about here was also discussed in his commentary so some of it can be repetitive.<\/p>\n

Beyond Batman (65:37)<\/strong> features 6 documentaries:<\/p>\n