3.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.3 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
Batman the caped crusader and his sidekick Robin battle the villainous Mr. Freeze. When Poison Ivy joins the fun, can another crime fighter, Batgirl, help?
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia SilverstoneAction | 100% |
Adventure | 70% |
Comic book | 64% |
Fantasy | 62% |
Thriller | 48% |
Crime | 28% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0
Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Castilian Spanish 5.1 and Latin American Spanish 2.0
English, English SDH, French, German, German SDH, Italian, Italian SDH, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Joel Schumacher’s “Batman & Robin” (1997) – the fourth entry in the Batman series - is a notably underwhelming, bland and unoriginally scripted film. Hardcore fans of the comic hero will likely find a few redeeming qualities in it, but the majority of viewers will undoubtedly walk away from it disappointed. Courtesy of Warner Brothers-UK.
The duo
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Brothers-UK.
Warner Brothers have supplied a solid transfer for Batman & Robin. Similar to their treatments of Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, this VC-1 encoded presentation gets practically everything right; clarity, detail and contrast here are exceptionally strong. Furthermore, edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not an issue of concern either. Blown through a digital projector, Batman & Robin also reveals a very tight look that I am convinced many of you with will appreciate (of course, enjoying the actual film is an entirely different story). Furthermore, I did not detect any traces of DNR-alteration either. On the contrary, as far as I am concerned, the print looks natural and healthy. The only reservation I have with this VC-1 encoded transfer is related to the color-scheme. During a few selected scenes, I noticed that the blues were bleeding a little. Obviously, this is something that not everyone would notice, but I was certainly able to see it. Still, Batman & Robin is very much in the same league with Batman and Batman Returns. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
Batman & Robin arrives on Blu-ray as a Pan-European release. What this means is that on this disc you will find a multitude of audio options that make it easy to sell in a number of different countries. These are the audio tracks Warner have supplied: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, German Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Castellan Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 and Portuguese Dolby Digital 2.0.
I opted for the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track and did a few random comparisons with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is loud, powerful and quite active in the rear channels. For example, the first clash between Batman and Mr. Freeze (the hockey chase) offers plenty of opportunities for one to test the muscles of one's audio system. There are a lot of very effective enhancements here that add to the overall viewing experience. The bass is also deep and strong. Each time Mr. Freeze and his futuristic machine appear, the sound becomes very impressive (see and listen to the ball scene where Poison Ivy manipulates Batman and Robin). Furthermore, the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Finally I did not detect any disturbing cracks, drop-outs, or hissings.
As mentioned earlier, I did a few random comparisons between the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track and the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. As far as I am concerned, the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track adds substantially more depth (especially as far as the low frequencies are concerned) as well as improved surround activity. This being said, I would not argue that the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is weak, but, truth be told, it is most definitely not a match for the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track.
Finally, I would like to point out that Warner Brother have also supplied a number of optional subtitle tracks. They are: English, English HOH, French, German, German HOH, Italian, Italian HOH, Castellan, Dutch, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Chinese Traditional, and Korean.
Similar to the other three early Batman films, Batman & Robin offers an overwhelming amount of supplemental features. First is the old commentary by director Joel Schumacher where he talks about his contribution to the Batman legacy, what he wanted to achieve in his film, the production history of Batman & Robin, etc (the commentary comes with optional English, Simplified Chinese and Korean subtitles). "Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight, Part 6: Batman Unbound" focuses on the cast and crew as they discuss the casting, controversies, fan anticipation and reaction to the fourth installment of the Batman franchise. "Bigger, Bolder, Brighter: The Production Design of Batman & Robin" offers a behind-the-scenes look of the biggest character environments and the unique new inventions from the film. "Maximum Overdrive: The Vehicles of Batman & Robin" highlights the redesign of the Batmobile, Robin's motorcycle and the Mr. Freeze machine. "Dressed to Thrill: The Costumes of Batman & Robin" is where the cast and crew address the design and manufacturing of the hot and heavy outfits used by the main characters. "Frozen Freaks and Femme Fatales: The Makeup of Batman & Robin" allows you to check out the details that do into the makeup and hair as the the crew transforms the actors into their characters. Freeze Frame: The Visual Effects of Batman & Robin focuses on the new technology used by the filmmakers to achieve the stunning visual effects seen in the film. Next are the mandatory Batman: The Heroes and Batman: The Villains, two short featurettes where members of the cast and crew very quickly share their thoughts on the main characters in the film. This Blu-ray disc also offers one deleted scene titled "Alfred's Lost Love". Finally, in addition to the original theatrical trailer, you also get four music videos: "The End is the Beginning is the End" by Smashing Pumpkins, "Look Into My Eyes" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, "Gotham City" by R. Kelly and "Foolish Games" by Jewel.
Unless you are a hardcore fan of the cartoon hero, or a completist who must have all of the Batman films released on Blu-ray, it is probably best that you rent Batman & Robin first, see if you like it, and then consider a purchase. This being said, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Warner Brothers-UK, looks very strong. Rent it.
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1997
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