Batman [2-Disc Special Edition]

The new design is unfortunate. Although the common font and silver border ties the set together... should they be? They are very different, separate films. If anything, there should've been a Tim Burton Batman set and a Joel Schumacher set. Though I suppose it'd be harder to sell the 3rd & 4th films on their own. The silver border and the new font REALLY take away from the strength of the original design.

I agree. I wish the studios would just stick with the original poster art as DVD cover art. Also WBHV can't seem to make up it's mind on keep cases or digi-packs. It looks as if this is a Bat-Digi-pack. I'd rather have a keep case. Perhaps WB will change thier minds before 10/18.

This movie deserves the fold-out 2 disc case and the original artwork restored. The uniform title text looks cheap. WB could have done much better.

so uh... when we gonna get the *real* cover art?

(wishful thinking)

Any word on an audio/visual upgrade on these re-releases?

I heard it was incredible...they actually replaced every actor with a digital Jack Nicholson, as according to his contract. Now Micheal Keaton will be played by "The Shining" Nicholson, and Kim Basinger will be played by... well they just completely took her out of the movie. And of course, 90% of profits from every DVD sold goes directly to Jack.

Sorry I'm lying, but I wouldn't be surprised, after all, Jack did make $60 million worth of royalties from his contract (good agent) and for some reason his name comes first on the credits, even though the movie is called Batman, played by Micheal Keaton. I think Nicholson is one of the greatest actors of his time, but I don't like it when actors egos get in the way of merely making a film (Chris Tucker wanting final approval of Rush Hour 3. It's Chris Tucker for goshdarn sakes, not Al Pacino!)

At first I liked the cover art, but the more I look at it the more I dislike it, espcially on Batman Forever where O'Donnell and Kidman's names are placed over the cover art. They've had far too much time to put this set together for that to be what they came up with.

The only difference is the text featuring the movie title and the three main cast members and the border outlining makes it more eyecatching. Now when this came out in theatres in 1989, I was a teenager and absolutely loved the movie but you gotta remember that other Batman fans who have not seen the full DVD and probably don't even know what a VHS cassette is (LOL). They were having their diapers changed at the time while were sitting in the theater enjoying the movie so when it comes to personal reviews of something so simple as just a cover, you have to take those things into fact. :@

Amazon lists it as a keepcase and the picture even shows it in a keepcase.

I received all four "Batman" two-disc special editions in slim-line keep cases, without the slipcovers I had expected they would have over them.

John

So this means that you will review all the 4 movies?;)
--Ranjan

"So this means that you will review all the 4 movies?"
--Ranjan

Wait a minute! I thought you wanted me to do "Kingdom of Heaven"? (Which I'm assured is coming, by the way, after it got accidentally delayed or mis-delivered or something.)

I'm doing "Batman & Robin" as we speak. Don't know about the others, though, because several more discs just arrived today, too, including "House of Wax" and the alternate "Exorcist" prequel.

John

Kingdom of Heaven review will really be appreciated. However, I was teasing you for the last 2 batman movies. What a pain to sit through those! I am assuming u will not review Batman returns?

--Ranjan

"I am assuming u will not review Batman returns?" --Ranjan

Yeah, I know you're teasing. But I think the first and the last of the old sequence of "Batman" movies is enough to get the point.

John

"I'm doing "Batman & Robin" as we speak." - John J. Puccio

I take it you've already reviewed the two-disc special editions of "Batman Returns" and "Batman Forever"? And are there any forced trailers on the Batman SE's?

No, I haven't reviewed "Batman Returns" or "Batman Forever" because after three "Batman" films in a row, I'm suffering from "Batman" fatigue. However, my colleague Josh Lambert has agreed to review "Batman Returns."

And, no, there aren't any forced trailers on the "Batman" special editions, if by "forced trailers" you mean trailers that appear at start-up that one cannot skip through or bypass. In fact, I can't recall any forced trailers on a Warner Bros. disc. These discs simply start with the FBI warning and the WB logo (which cannot be skipped), and then go straight to the main menu.

John

John,

I think there's a forced trailer for "The Aviator" on the "Ocean's Twelve" DVD.

Eddie

Mr. Puccio, your review estimates that "eryone will have his or her favorite 'Batman' movies, to be sure, and for me they are the original 'Batman' and the newer 'Batman Begins'..."

Umm... I think that 99% of the population feels exactly the same (The rest went to Elektra).

I enjoy Batman Returns as much, if not more than the first Batman movie. But yes, Batman Begins is in a class of its own, but there is still lots of charm in Burton's gothic approach that Nolan just can't beat.

I am curious if the changed shot on the original DVD release has been fixed on the new DVD release. Here's a summary of the change on the original DVD release that I copied and pasted from another Web site:

The Region-1 DVD actually contains two different versions of the film. The fullscreen version is the theatrical version, the widescreen version has one brief shot replaced. It is a small scene near the end at 1:14:06 just before Batman fights the Joker in the Clocktower. In the fullscreen version Vicki Vale gets a disgusted look when she kisses the Jokers jacket and pulls a lint out of her mouth, however in the widescreen version she really seems to like it.

Again, this was on the original 1997 DVD release of Batman. Does anybody know if this change remains in the new DVD release?

Thanks!

Another reason to keep the first DVD--you can do a comparison of the different edits!

And where is Eddie Feng? He's at home...WASHING HIS TIGHTS!

In case Josh is wondering whatever happened to Robert Urich--he died a few years ago.

Amazing movie!

Even more amazing is the fact that it holds up until today in every way. Aside from some of the Kim Basinger's clothes you couln't tell the movie was made in the 80's.

Definitley timeless. 8)