The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray Movie Review

Ultimate Batman? Yes. Ultimate Collector's Edition? Not quite...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 28, 2013

So we come to another Warner Bros. Ultimate Collector's Edition release. And once again everything hinges on the word "ultimate." Does The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set live up to its name? Or does it recycle too much, offer too little, and leave you wanting much more? Nolan's Dark Knight films remain 21st century classics; now-iconic adaptations that do astonishing things within the confines of the comicbook genre. They aren't great comicbook movies. They're great films. Sadly, the things fans have really been craving -- newly remastered transfers for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, audio commentaries, etc. -- are absent, with the repurposing of two problematic and divisive 2008 video presentations obviously emerging as the biggest disappointment. The rest of the UCE is a bit too hit or miss. The exclusive high definition special features -- an excellent feature-length trilogy production documentary, a lengthy conversation between Christopher Nolan and Richard Donner, and a complete collection of IMAX scenes from the trilogy's sequels -- are most appreciated, particularly the documentary, but the box set is built around a series of less-than-tempting collectibles that don't justify the set's cost. Then there's the matter of the UCE's size, which wouldn't be an as much of an issue if Warner didn't release so many ungainly Collector's Editions sans standard-style cases (housed inside the larger outer box) that could be neatly integrated into any Batman fan's BD collection. I'm running out of shelf room for these oversized, rectangular box sets, and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.

A message from Christopher Nolan, as it appears in an introductory letter included in The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set:

"It's been ten years since I walked out of Alan Horn's office holding the keys to one of Warner Bros.' most prized assets. I never stopped to wonder why they'd entrusted something so important to someone so inexperienced -- if I had, I'd have been paralyzed with self-doubt. In retrospect, it can only have been my absolute confidence that a return to the old school '70s blockbusters that I grew up with would be the key to bringing Batman back. I thought my references were original, but it now seems obvious that ten years ago every studio had been hoping that every tentpole they made would take the audience back to the great early days of Spielberg, Lucas and Bond (outsize Bond). Few movies had pushed that particular button, and I believed that changes to the craft of filmmaking were to blame. I put together a team of the best technicians in the world to test my theory, and we tested it more and more with each new installment, shameless pillaging the stunt and special effects techniques of movies we'd loved in the hope of combing them into something fresh for the audience.

In the early days, we never dared whisper the word "trilogy," but I think we all knew that if we worked as hard as we could, for something that we truly believed in, the opportunity to build a grand, three-act narrative would be there. The studio was patient in a way that studios rarely are -- three years between the first two installments, then a further four until our conclusion. The Batman thrives on continual reinterpretation, but I hope that the work of these three movies is ambitious and cohesive enough to stand the test of time as a distinct and notable interpretation of the great icon. The story you have here is a story close to the hearts of myself and my collaborators -- we tried hard to do justice to the shadowy figure at the dark heart of The Dark Knight Trilogy. Hopefully, we succeeded." Signed, Christopher Nolan

The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set features the same 1080p video presentations as the standalone releases of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. No remastering or re-encoding work is present. Click the following links to read more in-depth impressions of the three video transfers and to view screenshots from each transfer:

• Batman Begins: 1080p/VC-1, Score: 3.5/5, Review by Greg Maltz, 7/10/2008
• The Dark Knight: 1080p/VC-1, Score: 5/5, Review by Greg Maltz, 11/24/2008
• The Dark Knight Rises: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, Score 4.5/5, Review by Ken Brown, 11/20/2012

Reviewer's note: Bear in mind two of the reviews -- Batman Begins and The Dark Knight -- were completed in 2008. Times and expectations have certainly changed, and neither transfer fares as well as it once did. Batman Begins is riddled with (arguably minor) anomalies and other distractions, while The Dark Knight remains a controversial presentation marred by altered color timing, over-cranked contrast, non-optional shifting aspect ratios, and at-times significant ringing and crush. Both transfers are divisive, with some fans declaring the pair near-perfect and others crying for newly mastered presentations. I'm firmly planted in the second camp. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight should have been given overhauls for their Ultimate Collector's Edition release.

The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set features the same lossless audio tracks as the standalone releases of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Click the following links to read more in-depth impressions of the three audio presentations:

• Batman Begins: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, 48kHz/16-bit, Score: 4/5, Review by Greg Maltz, 7/10/2008
• The Dark Knight: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, 48kHz/16-bit, Score: 4.5/5, Review by Greg Maltz, 11/24/2008
• The Dark Knight Rises: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 48kHz/24-bit, Score 5/5, Review by Ken Brown, 11/20/2012

The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

New and Exclusive Bonus Content

• The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy (Disc 6, HD, 1:16:48): This feature-length documentary delves into the trilogy, opening with the inspiration and vision for the new Batman films and inching its way toward the Rises finale and the culmination of nearly a decade of creative blood, sweat and tears. Candid, thoughtful and extensive, and comprised of revealing behind-the- scenes footage, countless interviews, audition tapes (with Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy doning the cape and cowl), and a narrative grip and momentum all its own, it leaves no stone unturned. Moreover, it manages to strike a balance between an A-to-Z production overview, in-depth film analysis and fascinating making-of documentary.
• Christopher Nolan and Richard Donner: A Conversation (Disc 6, HD, 25:11): "I said, 'I want to do for Batman what Dick Donner did for Superman." So begins a great little conversation between filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Richard Donner. The two share stories and insights, discuss casting and production challenges, laugh and compare notes, and touch on the differences between comicbook adaptations then and now. Nolan tends to slip into interviewing Donner, suggesting the Dark Knight director is either starstruck or intensely inquisitive, not that it proves irritating in the least. Their conversation isn't as illuminating as "The Fire Rises," of course, but it's an excellent addition to the supplemental package. The Ultimate Collector's Edition exclusives are two for two.
• The Complete Dark Knight IMAX Sequences (Disc 6, HD, 36:56): The second film's six IMAX segments, newly remastered and presented in their entirety at their original IMAX 1.43 aspect ratio. Video is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround. Sequences include "The Prologue," "Hong Kong," "The Armored Car Chase," "The Lamborghini Crash," "The Prewitt Building" and "The Dark Knight."
• The Complete Dark Knight Rises IMAX Sequences (Disc 6, HD, 70:33): The third film's fifteen IMAX segments, presented in their entirety at their original IMAX 1.43 aspect ratio. Video is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround. Sequences include "The Prologue," "Dive Bar Fight," "Gotham Exchange Heist/Return of the Batman," "Escape in The Bat," "Batman vs. Bane," "Reactor Breach," "Let the Games Begin," "Bane's Revolution," "The First Attempt," "Rise," "Kangaroo Court," "Back in the Game," "The Battle for Gotham City," "Stopping the Bomb" and "Rising from the Abyss."

Packaging and Collectibles

• Numbered Limited Edition Packaging: Outer Box
  
  (measures 11.5" x 8" x 3")
• Letter from Director Christopher Nolan
  
  (measures 10" x 7" )
• 48-Page Softcover Book w/ Production Stills & Behind-the-Scenes Images
  
  (measures 11" x 7.5")
• 6-Disc Hardcover Book Blu-ray Case
  
  (measures 11" x 7.5" x 1")
• 5 Newly Commissioned Mondo Art Cards: Trilogy Villains
  
  (each card measures 10" x 7")
• Premium Mattel Hot Wheels Vehicles: Tumbler, Bat-Pod & Bat
  
  (each vehicle approximately 3" x 4")
• The Dark Knight Trilogy UltraViolet Digital Copy (via Flixster, expires 9/25/15)

Previously Released Bonus Content

Disc 1: Batman Begins


• IMAX Prologue: The Dark Knight (HD, 6:36)
• In-Movie Picture-in-Picture Experience (HD, 2:20:02)
• Behind the Story:
  
  • The Journey Begins (SD, 14:16)
  • Shaping Mind and Body (SD, 12:49)
  • Gotham City Rises (SD, 12:48)
  • Cape and Cowl (SD, 8:18)
  • Batman: The Tumbler (SD, 13:40)
  • Path to Discovery (SD, 14:13)
  • Saving Gotham City (SD, 13:01)
  • Genesis of the Bat (SD, 14:03)
  • MTV Spoof: Tankman Begins (SD, 5:12)
  • Stills Gallery (HD)
  • Confidential Files (HD)
• Additional Footage:
  
  • Reflections of Writing (SD, 1:57)
  • Digital Batman (SD, 1:06)
  • Batman Begins Stunts (SD, 2:30)
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:13)

Discs 2-3: The Dark Knight


• Focus Points (In-Movie Track and/or Separate Featurettes):
  
  • The Prologue (HD, 8:48)
  • The New Bat-Suit (HD, 4:47)
  • Joker Theme (HD, 6:18)
  • Hong Kong Jump (HD, 3:05)
  • Judge's Car Blows Up (HD, 1:09)
  • Challenges of the Chase, in IMAX (HD, 4:04)
  • SWAT Van into River (HD, 1:44)
  • Miniature Unit (HD, 1:35)
  • Destruction of Batmobile (HD, 2:08)
  • Bat-Pod (HD, 6:06)
  • Helicopter Crash (HD, 1:12)
  • Truck Flip (HD, 4:02)
  • MCU Explosion (HD, 1:12)
  • Lamborghini Crash (HD, 1:54)
  • Hospital Explosion (HD, 6:43)
  • Mob Car Flip (HD, 0:39)
  • String of Sausages Stunt (HD, 2:08)
  • Upping the Ante (HD, 6:40)
• Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight (HD, 46:02)
• Batman Tech (HD, 45:59)
• Gotham Tonight:
  
  • Election Night (HD, 8:00)
  • Billionaire Without a Cause (HD, 9:42)
  • Escalation (HD, 7:53)
  • Top Cop (HD, 6:15)
  • Cops and Mobsters (HD, 7:07)
  • Gotham's White Knight (HD, 7:42)
• The Galleries:
  
  • Joker Cards (HD)
  • Concept Art (HD)
  • Poster Art (HD)
  • Production Stills (HD)
• Trailers & TV Spots (HD, 8:48)

Discs 4-5: The Dark Knight Rises


• Second Screen Experience (HD)
• The Batmobile (HD, 58:17)
• Ending the Knight - Production Featurettes:
  
  • The Prologue: High-Altitude Hijacking (HD, 7:52)
  • Return to the Batcave (HD, 3:37)
  • Beneath Gotham (HD, 2:34)
  • The Bat (HD, 11:08)
  • Batman vs. Bane (HD, 6:07)
  • Armory Accepted (HD, 3:19)
  • Gameday Destruction (HD, 6:44)
  • Demolishing a City Street (HD, 4:15)
  • The Pit (HD, 3:04)
  • The Chant (HD, 5:19)
  • The War on Wall Street (HD, 6:40)
  • Race to the Reactor (HD, 7:52)
• Ending the Knight - Character Featurettes:
  
  • Batman: The Journey of Bruce Wayne (HD, 8:53)
  • Bane: Gotham's Reckoning (HD, 10:05)
  • Selina Kyle: A Girl's Gotta Eat (HD, 9:26)
• Shadows & Light in Large Format (HD, 5:37)
• The End of a Legend (HD, 9:04)
• Trailer Archive (HD, 8:35)

The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

if you don't already own Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, the Ultimate Collector's Edition will make for a solid addition to your collection. The films themselves are outstanding, the video presentations range from decent to terrific, the lossless audio tracks are involving and enveloping, and there are hours upon hours of special features (most old, some new) to dig through. If you do already own Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, though, there's really only two questions you need ask yourself: first, do two hours of exclusive content, a series of isolated IMAX scenes (presented in their original IMAX 1.43 aspect ratio), and a few rather unremarkable collectibles worth the price of admission? And second, how much are you willing to spend on a double-dip Ultimate Collector's Edition release? I suspect most fans, given the current pricepoint, will be more than happy to stick with what they already have sitting on their shelves, even if it means missing out on a bonus disc full of admittedly enticing exclusive extras.