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Did everyone
remember to stop and pay homage to a cinematic milestone on
June 23, 1999? It was 10 years ago on that day that the first
Batman premiered in theaters. Actually, if you were one of
the fervent diehards, as I was, you were in the audience to
see it the night before at 10:00 PM at a special preview screening.
But ten years ago this was the exception, not the rule. In
fact, I can't remember another movie before Batman where fans
could actually see a movie a day early. Batman, however, changed
a number of ways the studios did business. The film, more
than any before it, was a prime example of where marketing
and hype mattered more than the actual movie itself. Ask any
number of random people and you'll generally find that about
half the people liked it and half didn't; yet it was a phenomenal
success.
This, of
course, is a fairly standard practice nowadays in Hollywood.
The hype vs. substance formula can be further validated by
the sad fact that the universally despised fourth installment,
Batman & Robin, actually outgrossed both the first Lethal
Weapon & Die Hard at the box office. Many people complained
that Batman wasn't about anything. However, looking back,
it was about a great many things: T-shirts, bumper stickers,
boxer shorts, etc. Do you remember anyone that didn't own
something with the Bat-Symbol on it during the summer of '89?
This again, was a turning point in Hollywood. Batman was also
the first movie I can remember that actually made available
two soundtracks for sale. And both the Prince soundtrack and
the Danny Elfman score were as big as the movie (or the hype).
Batdance anyone?
Now if you
think that the marketing blitz ended with the theatrical run,
think again. In another first, Batman stands as the first
time the summer's biggest blockbuster was all set for home
viewing by the time you were sitting down for Thanksgiving
dinner. A scant four months after it first premiered, you
could purchase Batman on VHS and Laserdisc for as many viewings
in your home as you wanted. A gamble to be sure, but one that
paid off huge and has been duplicated nearly every November
since. So, love it or hate it, Batman is a landmark film.
Now the
question is, how does it hold up 10 years later? Surprisingly,
Batman hasn't really aged over the past decade. The production
design seemed to be geared towards a gothic 1940's look and
it helps the film achieve a timeless sort of feel. The story
of Batman vs. The Joker is the perfect introduction into the
celluloid adventures of The Dark Knight. Michael Keaton pulled
off the nearly impossible task of going from Beetlejuice to
Bruce Wayne/Batman without pause. The decision to cast Keaton
was something that only Tim Burton seemed to understand at
the time and outraged many Batman fans around the world. Now,
is there anyone that doesn't think he was the perfect Batman?
Though the casting of Keaton was every fan's mystery, the
casting of Jack Nicholson as The Joker was pure genius. Even
before anyone saw the movie, we all knew this was perfect,
didn't we? Their confrontation provides the frame of the movie
but also gives some detailed background into each character.
What made Batman who he is? What made The Joker who he is?
Where do those destinies fuse?
What impresses
me all these years later about the story and screenplay is,
again, the timelessness of it all. This movie could have been
made in 1979 or 1999 and you wouldn't have to change anything.
That's extremely rare in movies and could be Batman's greatest
accomplishment. If there is one complaint against the film
it is Kim Basinger's continuous screams. I would swear they
must have paid her by the scream. Now to be totally fair,
I am someone who did enjoy this film when it was first released,
although I think Batman Returns is the best of the franchise,
so my affection for the original may be some what sentiment
driven. But, 10 years later, Batman remains as novel as the
day it premiered. And next year, as a whole new batch of films
celebrate their decade anniversary, let's hope we won't see
Joel Schumacher's Home Alone Forever. I really don't think
I could stomach Macaulay Culkin with rubber nipples.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Batman was
one of Warner's first releases in March of 1997 and the video
quality is exceptional. The dual-sided disc contains both
the open matte and anamorphic widescreen presentations. When
viewed in the anamorphic mode Batman takes on a very filmlike
quality. Colors are very natural and never oversaturated.
Blacks and shadow detail are extremely good and is a real
credit to Warner, given the film's dominating dark look. Presented
in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the framing is very comfortable
and compliments the production design. Detail is exemplary
although falls just a hair short of what I've seen from some
of the Columbia TriStar discs. However, given that this was
one of the first DVDs ever produced, the quality is sure to
please and the addition of anamorphic widescreen insures that
this is the state of the art presentation of Batman and promises
to be for quite some time.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The remastered
5.1 soundtrack isn't as flashy as more recent mixes. It does,
however, sound superb. Danny Elfman's score probably benefits
the most from this remix. I got chills several times hearing
the Batman Theme with such clarity and force. The bass isn't
overly used, but a few scenes should rock your room pretty
good. The front soundstage is well balanced, as is the front
to back dispersion. The surrounds aren't as active as often
as you might be used to and I could only hear one brief segment
where they were discrete. But, the soundtrack as a whole,
serves the film quite skillfully. A 2-channel French soundtrack
is also provided along with English, Spanish and French subtitles.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? Warner's
release of Batman is unfortunately extremely shallow in the
way of any extras. You get production notes, cast and crew
listings and biographies and scene access to 9 preselected
chapters, although the disc actually contains 31 chapters.
The major omission here is the original theatrical trailer,
which is a shame because Batman had several great ones. Oh
well, hopefully in a future Warner release. I do want to mention
the menus though. Although not full-motion or special in any
way, Batman's menus are really quite breathtaking and a wonderful
example of less-is-more. The artwork and layout is something
I never tire of looking at. I mean, come on, how many times
do you really want to sit through that fireball on The Devil's
Advocate every time you make a selection. Sometimes simplicity
just seems to make more sense.
Parting Thoughts
Batman is most definitely a worthy DVD to add to your collection.
The audio and video quality of this 2-year old disc is outstanding
and, not surprisingly, even surpasses the quality of some more recent
titles. As to the merits of the film itself, Tim Burton and company
created quite a nice little film 10 years ago. Warner created the
rest.
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