Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Batman & Robin 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Warner Brothers has released Director Joel Schumacher's 1997 Superhero film 'Batman & Robin' to the UHD format (also being released are 1989's 'Batman,' 1992's 'Batman Returns,' and 1995's 'Batman Forever'). The new release features a gorgeous 2160p/HDR video presentation and an equally engaging Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The included Blu-ray, which has been remastered and also includes the Atmos soundtrack, carries over the supplements previously found in the 2009 Anthology Collection. There is no individual retail release for the remastered Blu-ray; at time of writing, purchasing this UHD set is the only means of obtaining it.

Pat, a Bat, and a Bird step into a bad movie...

Batman & Robin 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It's Batman & Robin, so this review is not going to hammer out too many fine points, especially since Warner Brothers' 2160p/HDR UHD presentation can be summarized with a resounding wow. This is a total transformation from the old 2009 Blu-ray, this one like the others offering substantially improved texturing and image crispness thanks to the 2160p resolution and a dazzling color display under the HDR parameters which greatly enhance color depth, punch, and intensity. The red opening titles and cloudy red background are of a resplendently bold color which gives way to brilliant white titles contrasted against excellent shadow depth and detail in the Batcave. While the Schumacher films lack Burton's noir-inspired construction, particularly with the first film, they do rely heavily on low light with intense colors in contrast, and for this film it's reds and blues standing against the grim backgrounds. Freeze's bold silver and bright blue accents are a treat on the UHD, finding an exceptional feel for tonal balance and pop within the fairly dark black and blue accents around the museum where he's trying to nab a priceless diamond, and throughout the film, for that matter. Ivy's red hair finds a significant add to color intensity over the Blu-ray. Look at the scene when Barbara arrives at Wayne Manor, and take specific note of the wooden door. The change in color depth, contrast, and color intensity are nothing less than striking, and the shot is maybe the best overall example to be found in any of the four films for raw color tuning and the massive increases in sharpness at the same time.

Indeed, the old Blu-ray appears fuzzy and flat by comparison, not only in that rare example of an extremely well-lit shot but throughout. Close-ups of Mr. Freeze in chapter 13 offer exquisite points of comparison for bold color reworks and detail increases, the latter in particular a revelation that showcases the extremely fine makeup points that shape the character. Human skin reveals exceedingly clear pores and lines and hairs. Costumes showcase their dense rubbery details with startling perfection. Wayne Manor and other locales with complex textures and carefully constructed set design are all transformed from curiosities to eye candies. The image maintains a fine grain structure that puts the finishing touches on the fourth and final of Warner Brothers' brilliant Burton/Schumacher Batman UHDs.

The remastered 1080p Blu-ray, which is not available separately, is of course much closer to the UHD than is the VC-1 disc of yore. It lacks the color and textural finesse, of course, but is very representative of the UHD's core qualities and improvements over the old disc. Even for those who cannot play back the UHD, the package is well worth buying for the Blu-ray alone.

Batman & Robin 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like with Batman Forever, there's some serious movement and volume in the amplified opening title sequence. Freeze's ice cannon sends heavy ripples of icy energy through the stage while his ice skating goons zip and zoom through every speaker with impressive feel for movement and positioning. The rocket blast-off offers stage-filling rumble, completing a sonically invigorating sequence that compliments the silly structure with over-the-top sounds. Music maintains a feel for large stage engagement throughout. It spills from every speaker with aplomb and folds in weighty, yet well-maintained, bass. Action scenes beyond the open offer prodigious activity and bass, with the added overhead channels folding in few discrete effects but certainly complimenting the feel for the movie's spacial details. There are a few examples of more discrete overhead usage, such as when Bane is born and tosses a man above the listener in chapter six. For the most part, however, this soundtrack simply uses the adds to create a more filling presentation for an already wide and deep track. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and firmly positioned in the center channel speaker.

Batman & Robin 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Batman & Robin's UHD disc contains only a legacy commentary track with Director Joel Schumacher. The included remastered Blu-ray has that track in addition to all of the supplements that Warner Brothers included with the Anthology set. For convenience, find below a breakdown of what's included. For full supplemental content reviews, please click here. This release includes a Movies Anywhere digital copy code and ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Director Joel Schumacher.
• Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight pt. 6 - Batman Unbound
• Batman & Robin: The Heroes
• Batman & Robin: The Villains
• Beyond Batman
• Deleted Scene: Alfred's Lost Love
• Music Videos: "The End is the Beginning is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins, "Look Into My Eyes" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and "Foolish Games" by Jewel.
• Theatrical Trailer

Batman & Robin 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are so many Dutch angles in Batman & Robin it's a wonder the movie was not directed by Paul Verhoeven. The movie is notable for much more than its camera positioning, but much of that notoriety falls into the negative column, and the movie is well known in bad movie circles as one of the worst big-budget event films of all time. The film's actual director, Joel Schumacher, spends much of the commentary track defending the film by addressing its heavy-handed production: Warner Brothers and the sponsors were concerned with making money, marketing the movie to families and kids, and selling toys. There was no room for a deeper and darker story, though of course Schumacher had to lay in the bed he made in Batman Forever and fine-tune the tone he established therein. He (and the studio) just cranks it up to unfathomably ridiculous levels here, and the end product suffers as a result. The movie works as hammy, mindless fun, but it's quite amazing at just what a far cry this is from Tim Burton's masterful 1989 film. Speaking of "masterful," Warner Brothers' UHD is just that. No more need be said. Recommended.