Batman 4K Blu-ray Review
I have given a name to my pain, and it is Batman
The narrative of the film is essentially two origin stories, that of Batman and the main antagonist, the Joker. It did draw some flak at the time by changing Batman's own origin by having the killer of his parents tie into the villain's origin but, in the flow of the film, this actually works quite well. With Batman's traumatic birth out of the way, the film actually centres on The Joker, driven by Jack Nicholson’s outlandish performance which manages to be more than just Nicholson behind a painted grin, showing seething menace and deranged mentality while being genuinely funny. Indeed, it is his presence in the film that really gives the whole endeavour some gravitas. The casting of Michael Keaton in the titular role also drew criticism, but looking back he did manage to give some duality to the nature of the beast, this would be much better developed in the sequel, but here he maintains good composure in both sides of the character. Adding in the likes of Kim Basinger and Jack Palance added further weight to the acting calibre.
The set design was suitably gothic, indeed Gotham has never looked so good as it does here, the huge sets built at the Pinewood studios really give the film some scope, while the cinematography is wonderful. Danny Elfman’s score has become iconic and, for some, is definitive. It was a near perfect storm, and quite violent, don’t forget both Joker and Batman actually kill in this film. The non-specific time setting feels closer to the origins of the comics and gives the clothing and gadgets a realistic turn and it suits the film. There is very little to criticise and it looks and sounds great and still stands up today.
Batman 4K Blu-ray Picture Quality
Batman 4K Blu-ray Sound Quality
Batman 4K Blu-ray Extras
Conclusion
Batman 4K Blu-ray Review
Batman is on UK 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a standalone 4K release and as part of the Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary Studio Collection from 16th October 2023.
The Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary Studio Collection pulls together ten classic films from three eras in Hollywood - Classic Hollywood, New Hollywood and Modern Blockbusters - and serves them up in a lavish set with impressive packaging, booklets and memorabilia.
Our Review Ethos
Read about our review ethos and the meaning of our review badges.
To comment on what you've read here, click the Discussion tab and post a reply.