Batman & Robin (DVD)

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Video:
In some ways the "Batman & Robin" video quality is near perfect; and in other ways, probably inherent to the original print, it is far from ideal. Since I doubt that anyone who is actually amused by this film will care too much about the video, it may not matter.

Like the other "Batman" films, the screen size measures a ratio of 1.85:1, enough to fill a widescreen TV. The transfer is anamorphic, enhanced for 16x9 televisions, and reproduced at a high bit rate. When it's good, the picture is brilliant; when it's not, who cares. Considering the movie's overall darkness of tone and extravagance of colors, things turn out pretty well most of the time, with definition fairly sharp. Still, there's a washed-out look to many of the action scenes, which seem purposely shrouded in a thin layer of fog or smoke, and detailing in the darkest areas of the screen is murky at best. Fortunately, there are few or no instances of excessive grain, haloing, pixilation, color saturation, or any other artifact that shouldn't be there.

Audio:
You'll find the audio in English available via Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. In DD 5.1 it's big and loud, very loud, ear-splittingly loud, even when you turn it down. There are good directional effects, with the sounds of thunder, motorcycles, running water, and freezing ice coming from all sides of the listening area; and bass and dynamics are powerful when needed. Still, the soundtrack is unrelenting in its ceaseless attack on our eardrums, and much of what we receive in the way of aural information appears unnecessary. Furthermore, on the audio commentary, director Schumacher praises the film's music, but I found most of it merely noisy and redundant without being in the least bit memorable or uplifting.

Extras:
Disc one contains the usual items: the feature presentation; English and French spoken languages; English, French, and Spanish subtitles; an ample forty-two scene selections, but no chapter insert; and a widescreen theatrical trailer. In addition, there's the compulsory director's commentary, with Mr. Schumacher sounding about as enthusiastic toward the affair as I would be. I found most of his remarks confined to the "I remember this scene being very difficult to shoot" variety, but at least he has the good sense to concede that "Batman & Robin" was meant as pure comic-book escapism. Interestingly, Schumacher's voice belies his mid-sixties' age, and thankfully he keeps still when he has nothing worth saying.

Although most of the bonus materials you'll find on disc two are of the typically promotional kind, I did rather like "Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight, Part 6: Batman Unbound." It's a twenty-seven-minute, behind-the-scenes documentary in which the actors and filmmakers are more candid than one usually finds in these things. For instance, Chris O'Donnell tells us that working on "Batman & Robin" was like "making a toy commercial." Apparently, studio brass wanted a movie that would sell toy action figures more than they wanted anything else. You'll also find out as much here as you ever wanted to know about nipples and codpieces.

Following the main documentary are brief segments on "Batman: The Heroes," including two or three minutes each on Batman, Robin, and Batgirl; and "Batman: The Villains," two or three minutes each on Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Bane (Ivy's goon). Then, there is a gallery of featurettes called "Beyond Batman," whose titles are self-explanatory: "Bigger, Bolder, Brighter: The Production Design of Batman & Robin," ten minutes; "Maximum Overdrive: The Vehicles of Batman & Robin," ten minutes; "Dressed to Thrill: The Costumes of Batman & Robin," twelve minutes; "Frozen Freaks and Femme Fatales: The Makeup of Batman & Robin," nine minutes; and "Freeze Frame: The Visual Effects of Batman & Robin," nine minutes. These sections are not quite so frank as the main documentary, though; for example, director Schumacher says, "Overall, I thought every set was perfect for the film." OK, maybe he was being sarcastic, I don't know.

Lastly, we have an additional scene, "Alfred's Lost Love," that lasts less than a minute, and four music videos: "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by the Smashing Pumpkins, five minutes; "Foolish Games" by Jewel, four minutes; "Gotham City" by R. Kelly, five minutes; and "Look into My Eyes" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, five minutes.

Parting Shots:
I can't imagine how much worse the "Batman" motion-picture series could have gotten if Christopher Nolan hadn't stepped in and decided to out-noir Burton. I found almost all of "Batman & Robin," with the minor exception of Alfred, a waste of time and talent.

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