Batman vs. Two-Face Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Batman vs. Two-Face Blu-ray Movie Review

Retro is rad! Nostalgia is neat! Pop! Pow! Boom! Donk!

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 22, 2018

The Caped Crusader has made the rounds around Gotham City and tussled with DC's notorious rogues' gallery more than few times on the page and on both the small and big screens, delighting and even inspiring legions of fans over the decades. But for all the praise rightly heaped on some of the more modern interpretations of the legendary DC Superhero, there might be none more iconic than his 1960s television portrayal by the late Adam West in a career-defining role. The show was as much a quasi-unintentional Comedy as it was a crime fighting Action delight, a far cry from the much darker takes on the character of recent years, beginning with the noir-inspired Tim Burton film (this reviewer's second-favorite Superhero film of all-time) and the tonally grim Christopher Nolan films. The animated Batman vs. Two-Face is a welcome escape from the gloomy, contemporary takes and a trip down memory lane, a retro and nostalgic film that doesn't just hearken back to the 1960s show but recreates it in every way beyond live action, including bringing back West and Burt Ward to voice the Dynamic Duo and retaining several other voice actors from the original show as well. The film follows on the heels the aptly-titled and similarly structured animated film Return of the Caped Crusaders and may sadly be the last of these retro animations with West's passing in 2017; Batman vs. Two-Face would be his final role and certainly a fitting send-off, allowing him to step back behind the mask for one last round as the character that made him a legend.

Batman (voiced by Adam West), smitten with the imprisoned Catwoman (voiced by Julie Newmar), is pulled away from the sweet nothings he's sharing with her to attend the unveiling of Professor Strange's (voiced by Jim Ward) newest creation: the "Evil Extractor," a device which the professor promises will put Batman out of a job. It's purpose: to extract the evil (duh!) from Gotham's most notorious criminals. A selection of sinister slime balls sit for the machine, but their collective evil is too much for it. The machine explodes, allowing the villains to flee and leaving District Attorney Harvey Dent (voiced by William Shatner) grotesquely disfigured on one side of his face. Worse, the evil essence has seeped into his pores and made him a ruthless criminal. Batman and Robin (voiced by Burt Ward) subdue the criminal, and Dent's best friend, Bruce Wayne, pays for a surgical procedure to rid him of the disfigurement. But the evil inside remains, and Two-Face, working with the likes of King Tut (voiced by Wally Wingert) and Bookworm (Jeff Bergman), sets a plan in motion to turn every citizen of Gotham City into crazed villains.

While the story is straightforward but entertainingly enjoyable, it unsurprisingly plays second fiddle to the film's near perfect recreation of the 1960s TV show. It's an endless treat of all the tricks that took Batman to the top of the campiest of camp television, where it remains even today. The film thrives on alliteration and word play (“Surrender, Bookworm! You larcenous literatus!” “Cease that cacophonous cackling, you malignant mutton-head!”), tosses in plenty of Robin “Holy!” declarations ("Holy plagiarism!" "Holy hairpin turn!"), and action scenes are of course accompanied by "zlops" and "klomps" that pop-up with most every punch and kick. Classic costumes and voices, vintage technology (computer punch cards!), and handy and random gadgets and gizmos are always in play, some with their perfectly prescribed purpose plainly printed on the side (like "Bat-Evil-Essence Antidote Bomb") in case anyone missed Batman uttering those same words a moment earlier. To call the movie anything less than a delight would be to undersell the retro charm and careful recreation of everything that made the original show a classic, all without the film ever feeling like it's pandering to an audience; it's a seamless continuation of a legendary time in the Caped Crusader's career.

Beyond the retro fun, the movie builds a linear, but enjoyable, romp through Batman’s battle with the brutal Two-Face, and beyond the pops and pows there are some interesting thematic parallels between Two-Face’s Jekyll & Hyde routine and Batman’s own double identity which the nefarious half-criminal promises to reveal to a panel of properly delighted, and wealthy, villains who will pay anything to see the face behind the mask, to see the true identity of the man who has foiled their schemes for all these years. The story is further complicated by Batman’s, or at least Bruce Wayne’s, personal, longstanding friendship with Harvey Dent, the man who is still half-there and sometimes a voice of reason to Two-Face’s antagonistic antics. The movie doesn’t do a whole lot with either one, mostly playing around the periphery of these ideas, but the parallels with the former make for an interesting sidebar and the latter certainly helps drive the narrative in the movie’s climax which, unsurprisingly, pits the Caped Crusader against Two-Face in a burning warehouse.

Batman vs. Two-Face Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Batman vs. Two-Face's 1080p Blu-ray presentation is unfortunately plagued by regular and oftentimes even excessive banding, which is regrettably the norm for many of these DC animated titles. Macroblocking is an occasional problem, too, perhaps nowhere more prominent than in green gas released on Gotham late in the film. The banding is the most egregious culprit, though. The good news is that the transfer's other qualities are generally very strong. Lines are sharp with very minimal jaggies. Clarity is a highlight and textural foundations are strong, whether considering static backgrounds in any given scene or more fluid character shapes and the various details that go into costumes and clothes and how they evolve in different lighting conditions. Colors are handled well, and the Blu-ray recreates the colorful 60s palette and wide range of heroic and villainous attire with full, nicely saturated ease. The colors aren't particularly nuanced, revealing little in the way of subtle gradations, but the net effect and vitality are very commendable. Black levels are fairly deep as well. This is an A-list transfer outside of the banding.

Batman vs. Two-Face Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack enjoys proper volume and stage immersion; it never yields any unbalanced sound elements or leaves listeners wanting to fiddle with the volume. The "Evil Extractor" chugs to work early in the film with a Frankenstein-esque barrage of electricity shooting around the stage, big machinery sounds pushing far and wide, accompanied by cackling criminals and capped by a big, meaty explosion. Most every high impact sound effect in the film delivers a very pleasing and appropriately hefty sonic moment. There is some nice depth as a large coin rolls around and crashes through a game show stage late in the film, and a bi-plane zooms through with impressive movement and weight around the stage during the film's climax. Gunshots, exploding bombs, and other action-oriented sounds during that same sequence never struggle with low end output, clarity, or stage positioning, from pinpoint to fully saturated. A fight between the dynamic duo (and a surprise ally) and Gotham's worst enjoys some good heft to various punches (and thwacks and pows and pops) as well. Music is a nice complimentary component, usually playing a little beneath the action and dialogue but never wanting for greater clarity or ease of entrance into the stage, largely through the front but with some gentle surround detail in support. Ambient effects are fairly limited in scope and delivery. Dialogue is clear and commands the stage with firm front-center placement and dialed-in prioritization.

Batman vs. Two-Face Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Batman vs. Two-Face contains several supplemental features. A DVD copy of the film and a digital copy code are included with purchase.

• The Wonderful World of Burt Ward (1080p, 14:34): The actor who played, and in this film voices, the Boy Wonder reminisces about his time working on the TV show, and beyond. He covers landing the role, playing alongside Adam West, ratings, life after the show (including his work with dogs and developing his own brand of dog food), fan interaction, Adam West's death, and more.
• Adam West Tribute Panel, Comic-Con International 2017 (1080i, 39:27): Moderator Gary Miereanu hosts a panel consisting of Ralph Garman, Kevin Smith, James Tucker, and Lee Meriwether. This is both a funny and heartfelt discussion on the late actor.
• Burt Ward on Being Starstruck (1080p, 2:03): Ward discusses all of the amazing actors he has worked with over the years.
• Burt Ward on Ambition (1080p, 0:59): Ward shares his lifelong dream of wanting to be "Superboy."
• Julie Newmar on Inspiration (1080p, 1:53): The Catwoman actress discusses her costume, the dialogue, working with Frank Gorshin, and admiring Rita Hayworth.
• A Sneak Peek at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (1080p, 12:36): An extended preview for and behind-the-scenes look at the DC animated film.
• A Sneak Peek at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (1080p, 6:52): An extended preview for and behind-the-scenes look at the DC animated film.
• Trailers (1080p): Previews for the films Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (1:56) and Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (1:30) and promos for Experience 4K UHD (1:05) and Experience the Next Generation of Digital Movies (0:35).
• Untitled Special Feature (1080p, 0:32): An Easter egg added scene to the movie.

Batman vs. Two-Face Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Batman vs. Two-Face dabbles around the periphery of a few interesting dramatic asides, but the movie is mostly concerned with lovingly recreating that 1960s TV show flavor. It does so with ease and command of the material, helped tremendously by returning voice actors and talented artists who don't simply recreate sights and sounds but pull the audience back in time. The movie is a delight and, along with Return of the Caped Crusaders, is a must-watch companion piece to the original 1960s classic TV show. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray features video that is very good beyond the problematic banding. Audio is of a high quality and the supplements are worth watching. Highly recommended, and collectors should be sure to look into picking up the film in SteelBook format.