Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997 (1995)

EXCELLENT BOX SET.....THE FILMS RANGE FROM VERY GOOD TO BAD!

Before I reviewed any of these earlier Batman films, I wanted to watch them again. It's hard to not compare them to the newer "Nolan" films, but in their time most of them were very good and entertaining! This box set features all four of the Batman films from 1989 through the 90's on individual two disc editions. The packaging is solid and I like the films being in individual cases. The DVD transfers and extras are excellent and if your a fan of the series, it's well worth picking up. I will review each film as I watch them and add ratings to this review, but will do full reviews on the individual releases.

I have not seen The Dark Knight yet,(I know I know!) and I wanted to watch these films again before seeing the "new and improved" version of Batman (The Dark Knight). I think when watching these movies we have to remember that Batman in the late 30's was just a 10 cent comic book for kids, it was many years later was the elaborate back story and psychological aspects were added to the character. I think Burton was trying to capture the feeling of the first comic....he did, but unfortunately some of the TV show found it's way in! Don't get me wrong, I love the TV show for what it is, campy, over the top and fun! It just doesn't work well with the original vision of The Dark Knight.

So please take off your jaded judgmental hats and enjoy these films for what they are and remember without the original Superman and Batman movies, films like Blade, Spider-man, Iron Man, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight may have never got off the ground!

1) Batman - 3 1/2 stars
2) Batman Returns -
3) Batman Forever -
4) Batman and Robin - October 6, 2008

Batman Legacy Review

I was disappointed to find out that these were VHS tapes. No where in the description does it say that these are VHS. I sent them back. September 9, 2008

Must Have for Fans

If you're a fan of Batman, this is a must-have. If you're not a fan, then not sure if this is for you. Cartoons are only good until you just totally grow out of them. Real-life action movies can be enjoyed for many years to come.

Batman
First ground-breaking, jaw-breaking movie of the original series. Keaton is passable as Batman even though he's just way too wimpy-looking with the curly hair. This is the movie that breaks Batman out of its camp. This is to Batman movies what The Dark Knight Returns is to comics. Nicholson steals the show and adds some humor to this dark, gothy Batman.

Batman Returns
Even better than the original. Burton has full creative freedom and is now allow to make a Burton film which really shines in this movie. Some of the best Batman action you will ever see without the use of fancy vehicles or machinery (Yes, action you would not even see in Nolan's series) This is the darkest Batman movie I ever saw (Even darker than Nolan's Dark Knight, and bloodier). Penguin is a disfigured hobo that comes out of the sewer. Michelle Peiffer plays catwoman. Need I say more? The blood and spookiness is probably what made parents complaining to WB and resulting in the dismissal of Burton and in turn would give us...

Batman Forever
Total camp as demanded by the studios. Contrary to what people think, the director wanted to do a dark Batman, but complaints from fuming parents brought the studio to its knees. It is not bad, as Batman battles a giggly Riddler (Not a great villain) and a joker-esque Two-Face (Horrible, just horrible). Nicole Kidman as Dr Chase is lackluster. It is hard to believe that this is the same woman that won an Oscar! Are there any good things about this movie? Hardly. Batmobile looks like a toy (Oh yeh, they are trying to sell toys). Gotham City never look so fake. The introduction of Robin and his origin is probably the only good thing about this movie.

Batman & Robin
This is the movie that killed the franchise for a while until Nolan rebooted it. Personally, I prefer this over Forever, but that's not really saying much. Batman and Robin battles Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Bane. Batgirl pitches in to help. Maybe it's the horrible Mr Freeze one-liners delivered by none other than the Governator himself, or the many costumed crotch shots shown, or the corny "I'll get drive-thru" joke lines (Were they supposed to be funny?), or the gazillion marketing promotions like Batcard that killed this movie, but the snow scenes do allow you to reminice the Batman Returns days and Poison Ivy is possibly the hottest villain vixen on-screen. September 8, 2008

I'll just exclude Schumacher's universe for the moment . . .

This review focuses on Burton's Batman (Batman89, Batman Returns), Nolan's Batman (Batman Begins, the Dark Knight), and 1992 original Batman: The Animated Series. I'm excluding Schumacher's Batman (Batman Forever, Batman and Robin), the 1960's Batman series, and "The Batman", simply because I believe they are the weakest representations.

To be perfectly honest, I love Burton, Nolan, and BTAS equally. All three interpretations are so different, that they cannot be compared. And it is really annoying that I find people on YouTube trying to see which one is better (most opinions are biased). So here it goes with MY opinions:

BATMAN: Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, and Christian Bale have given us excellent performances. Conroy (from BTAS) has the perfect voice for Batman, though the physical depiction seems a bit too much. Bale really acts well as Bruce Wayne, but his voice for Batman is too deep and goofy. To me, Keaton is the ultimate "Bruce". He has the awkwardness and the eccentricity of the character, and plus his hoarse voice for the Bat is far superior to Bale's. It's too bad that he doesn't get that much screen time in both of Burton's films.

VILLAINS: Mr. Freeze, Riddler, Clayface, Mad Hatter, Scarface, Killer Croc, Bane, Baby Doll, Penguin, Clock King, Harley Quinn, Professor Milo, Poison Ivy, and Rupert Thorne appear only on BTAS, and they are marvelous in their own right.

The Scarecrow was better portrayed in BTAS (voice by Henry Polic II) than he was in Begins. Cillian Murphy looked too young as Doctor Crane, and the actual villain was much underused in the film. Two-Face had the scariest appearance in TDK; Aaron Eckhardt was flawless. However, Two-Face in BTAS (Richard Moll) had a much better origin. Years of suppressing anger can do that, you know. Ra's al Ghul is much more interesting in BTAS (David Warner); Liam Neeson's performance in BB was just above average as he wasn't very believable to me. The Penguin, one of my favorite Batman villains, has been blessed with both BReturns and BTAS. Danny Devito and Paul Williams have done superb jobs with this antagonist. Same goes with Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer had the better dialogue and better catsuit, while Adrienne Barbeau was a better Selina Kyle, and her chemistry with Batman is deeper.

Finally, for the Joker we have Jack Nicholson (B89), Mark Hamill (BTAS), and Heath Ledger (TDK). All three of them are perfect. Nicholson has the best dialogue, Hamill has the best laugh and look, and Ledger has the best sadism. Three different worlds, three different performances. People on YouTube should understand that.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: I couldn't see Michael Caine as Alfred, so it's thumbs down from me. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Michael Gough are the ideal Alfred's. Aaron Eckhardt is truly a one-of-a-kind Harvey Dent. I Believe in Harvey Dent! Billy Dee Williams was great in B89, also, and he had the tough and virtuous personality, as did Richard Moll in BTAS. Gary Oldman and Bob Hastings are the definitive Commissioner Gordon's; Pat Hingle is the weakest, but certainly not at all terrible. He's just a bit too short. Morgan Freeman is the one and only Lucius Fox; Brock Peters of BTAS had the better persona, but Freeman had the better chemistry with Batman.

GOTHAM CITY: Burton captured the dark and gothic feel of the hellish city perfectly. It looks as if "Hell came sprouting out of the concrete and kept right on growing. You gotta give credit to Anton Furst, the film's art director, for creating this atmospheric universe. Gotham in BTAS also has its advantages. The towering skyline, the dangerous alleys, and the red sky make it all more mesmerizing. Nolan's Gotham looks hellish, too, but it looks too much like Chicago (filming location for both BB and TDK). But other than that, it succeeds in creating a Faustian nightmare.

EVERYTHING ELSE: The gadgets in BTAS were the most realistic, while the Batmobile for B89 was better-looking. Keaton's Batsuit is classic, while Conroy's cape and cowl is ultimately frightening. The heroines (Basinger, Holmes, and Gyllenhaal) are lovely additions, although I wish Basinger would stop screaming throughout B89. And let's not forget the music: let's give it up for Danny Elfman, Shirley Walker, James Newton Howard, and Hans Zimmer. These are the composers who gave us those catchy Batman themes. We will never forget them or their work.

CONCLUSION: Burton's universe, Nolan's universe, and Timm's universe are near ideal. I love them equally, really. I can't wait for the next film. September 2, 2008

A Quick Look

A quick look at the movies in this series:

Batman (*****): A great transition to the big screen for the caped crusader. Michael Keaton plays a great "Bat", while Jack Nicholson sets the standard for all Joker portrayals (until Heath Ledger, of course). Tim Burton's vision of Batman is very dark and gothic, yet quite effective in portraying at least some of the tortured soul that gives rise to Batman.

Batman Returns (****): Very much like the first film in terms of its dark, Burton-like feel. More focus on Batman's relationship with his villains (Catwoman and Penguin).

Batman Forever (***): Joel Schumacher takes the reigns of the franchise and moves it more in an action-adventure direction. The whole premise of the Batman concept (as a vigilante) suffers mightily as a result, but the film is still quite watchable due to the great acting of Jim Carrey (Riddler) and Tommy Lee Jones (Two-Face).

Batman and Robin (*): A complete farce from the get-go. Batman and Robin might as well be Transformers for the amount of gadgets and suits they possess, and the entire film speeds along with no gripping plot. One would almost think that this film was made with "camp" in mind, but even fails at that! August 19, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...