Rating: 
Summary: Buy the Bat!
Review: Another fanatastic DVD collection. The first 2 Batman's are truly works of wonders. I thought Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Danny Devito as the Penguin were excellent choices for those particular villians. I wasn't very sure about Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman but she pulled it off quite well. I thought Val Kilmer did a good job in the 3rd film, but Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey were absolutley a riot and the addition of Robin (Chris O'Donnel) was a cool also.
The first clue for me that the 4th film had some problems was that Arnold Schwarzenegger got top billing. Clooney just couldn't pull it off The way Keaton and Kilmer did. But they surrounded him with a super cast that included Alicia Silverstone and Umma Thurman plus Chris O'donnell returning as Robin. When this movie started off with Batman and Robin on ice skates (or batskates, your choice), I thought I was watching the old TV show. I was just waiting for a "Kapow" or "Boom" to show up on the screen. Still, for the most part it was entertaining to watch and not a bad movie, just had alot to live up to.
The most amazing thing was probably the fact they always had great casting and every actor/acctress they chose to play the villain was right on the money.
This DVD collection is definitley worth the money, especially those who are Batman fans.
Rating: 
Summary: A mixed batch...
Review: BATMAN - The '89 blockbuster that started it all. While I'm well aware that this is not the "greatest" movie of all time, it's definitely my favorite. I grew up with it. Now... true, the story could have been a little better, but Burton's vision is immaculate. Michael Keaton has proved himself to be the best Batman yet; Jack Nicholson steals every scene he's in as the Joker (the series' best villain). If you're looking for the ultimate Batman movie, no need to look further. THIS is it. A modern classic.BATMAN RETURNS - In some ways, "Batman Returns" can qualify as a better movie than it's predecessor (just not for me). The Penguin's origin is actually pretty heartbreaking (though not a tear-jerker), and it's easy to understand his anger. The relationship between Bruce Wayne & Selina Kyle/Batman & Catwoman are both equally compelling, mostly due to Catwoman, considering her volatile personality. Christopher Walken also adds a nice flavor to the film as the Penguin's sinister partner, Max Shreck.
The last truly GREAT Batman movie. BATMAN FOREVER - An overblown, special effects-ridden, nipple-plated, neon-lit, over the top visual feast with a good story. The only returning characters from the original two films are Michael Gough (Alfred) and Pat Hingle (Commissioner Gordon). In this film, Batman is facing all sorts of problems: a vengeful district attorney turned master criminal (Two-Face), a brilliant lab rat who seeks revenge on Bruce Wayne for rejecting his life's work (the Riddler), an orphan (Robin) who discovers the location of the Batcave and wants to be part of Batman's quest for justice, and perhaps the biggest problem of all: Bruce Wayne considers hanging up the batsuit for good. As I said, the story is good, and it completely overshadows Joel Schumacher's supposed resurrection of the 60's camp version. Two-Face and the Riddler have great chemistry, the ending is intense and, much to the shock of those who've seen "Batman & Robin" before this one, the acting is actually very good. Now... BATMAN & ROBIN - This is the Batman movie which you can skip, and not miss a thing. True, it's great eye candy (as many reviewers have posted), but, plotwise, everything that could possibly go wrong in a movie goes wrong with "Batman & Robin." Mr. Freeze (Arnie) and Poison Ivy (Uma) are the dumbest villains yet, spurting out corny one-liners over and over and over again. And don't even get me started on friggin' Bane. Clooney is, so far, the worst Batman yet. How is he still able to do his little head-bobbing thing with all that rubber around his neck? The introduction of Batgirl to the series is a totally forgettable one, and Robin gets on my nerves in this one; during his moments, he's tolerable at best. Overall, the acting is terrible (with the exception of Michael Gough). And do I dare write a tirade against Akiva Goldsman, since everyone knows how bad the script to this movie is? The ending almost came close to saving the film, moving it from a sloppy mess and placing it into the mediocre category, until it just totally backfired (Mr. Freeze helping Batman save Alfred was a good idea, but why would authorities allow two insane criminals to share a cell together, especially since they've already escaped from the very same asylum they're being held in before? Christ...) Overall, the DVD set is nothing really amazing, with basically no features on any one of the discs with the exception of a few production notes. But at least the films are in anamorphic widescreen and 5.1 dolby digital. However, considering these are early Warner releases, I'm very happy with my purchase, and the first two films are a VAST improvement over my worn-out VHS copies, especially in widescreen. On a final note, for those of you looking forward to the upcoming "Batman - Year One," prepare for disappointment. Apparently, Darren Aronofsky is not directing, but writing the screenplay (so long, Akiva!) So, guess who'll be taking the helm? Yep... you guessed it. Good ole Joel. Someone should really put a petition out.
Rating:
Summary: Burton's Batman Masterpiece
Review: How can one judge a set like this . First there is Tim burtons masterpiece Batman. A movie that word can not do justice to. It is every bit effective today as when released in 1989 (can it be that long ago?). His follow-up Batman Return though different is a much under appreciated masterpiece. DeVito and Walken had real chemistry and seemed to have a great time. Keaton again pulled off the ultimate Batman performance. All in all a great follow up. I give both Batman and Batman Returns 5 stars each. Unfortuneately for the next two movies we fall into the Joel Schumacher years. Apparently determine to bring Batman back into the the 1960's camp mold, we see the change coming in Batman Forever, but a good performce by O'Donnell as Robin and Jim Carey's stint as Riddler saved that movie. Forget Kilmer as Batman, he just did not have it. Things then fell apart with Batman and Robin. Despite a decent show by Arnold this movie was a mess and never gave Clooney a chance to see what he could do in the role. Batman was a joke again and this movie was an insult and disaster to all Batman fans. Batman Forever gets 3 stars while Batman and Robin barely scrapes 1 star. My advice, skip this set and simply buy the first two Batman movies by Tim Burton.
Rating:
Summary: My review will appeal to most.
Review: I won't mince words. Batman a.k.a. the Caped Crusader, Dark Knight, etc. is the greatest superhero ever fathomed up. I, being a huge Batman fan, was extremely satisfied by the first two Batman movies for the following reasons: Michael Keaton was an excellent choice for Batman, the villains Joker and Penguin were well casted and acted well, the movies were action packed and were exciting to watch, and they were well written. However, Batman Forever was not half as good as the first two because they made Batman too flashy, and the villians were not scary or feared in the least. Riddler is such a great villain, and they screwed him up by casting Jim Carrey. Now don't get me wrong, Jim Carrey is really funny, but he couldn't pull of the slick, smooth roll of Riddler. And let's not forget Two-Face, who acted like a moron throughout the movie. Still, Val Kilmer did a good job as Batman. But I would have to say that Batman and Robin was the dumbest movie ever made by Hollywood. George Clooney, being as cool as he is, was a terrible choice for Batman. The villains, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, were ridiculous. That movie was terrible....that's the bottom line. So the people who are considering to buy this Batman pack, do yourself a favor and just buy the first two on DVD. You will be very satisfied and will save money.
Rating:
Summary: Batman Movie Series is Superbly better than Superman's
Review: I saw the first of the BATMAN Movie series back in '89 and it was awesome!I've never watched a movie before made in such manner as Batman at that time, the fx were great, it set the tone for all the Batman Movies.The storylines were simple but really great, the dark settings was perfect for the caped crusader.Batman series is superbly batter than the Superman Movie series (my apology to supey's fan).And the Actors who played Batman's foes were all very,very brilliant most especially J.Nicholson (astonishing) on the JOKER and J.Carrey(oh man he's really,really great for the role) on The Riddler. Tim Burton & Joel Shumacher really did a good job in reliving the Comic Book Hero into the Big Screen...and oh ofcourse M.Keaton,V.Kilmer & G.Clooney they did a credible acting on Bruce/Batman...although if I may suggest make Batman a little bit human in the next outing because he's too solidly cool during his fights with the villains & during precarious moments which is the reason I'm looking forward to seing the next Batman,oh by the way maybe we could see Kurt Russel or Mel Gibson or even Pierce Brosnan in Batman's tight! I'm sure they'll all be great & lastly may we request James Caneroon or Bryan Singer to come on board, this will be interesting!!!And my verdict...you must be a fool if you'll not gonna pick-upthe BATMAN Legaycy..that is if you're a fan of the Darknight Detective!!!!...
Rating: 
Summary: Where are the extras?
Review: One of the main reasons to buy a boxset is for the extra features that may not be available if you were to purchase a dvd seperately.I don't see any listed here.Where is the running commentary,an making of featurette,behind the scenes,storyboards,theatrical trailers?This is dvd,there is plenty of storage space for all of that.Come on Warner Bros.,get a move on.You expect me to buy a boxset after i already purchased the first 3 seperately,but you're not willing to add extras?I'm a huge Batman fan of the first three.Keaton played the Dark Knight with a certain mystery and underlying pathos,Kilmer played him as a man who is confused when it comes to women,and someone who begins to question his priorities.Was fighting crime an selfish endeavor,or an selflless responsibility.All of them look and sound great,but the 4th was a total misfire,and not just because Clooney,among others,was miscast.I said it before about Jurassic Park,give me an boxset version with DTS audio,loaded with extra features,and for me this would be another definite purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Just enjoy it!
Review: First and foremost, I am a huge Batfan. My favorite of the series is Batman Returns because it is the darkest. Alot of you are troubled by it because it's soooo "dark". Guess what? Batman is a very dark, troubled, guy. He has issues. The first Batman is great too, Jack is the perfect actor to play the Joker. My only problem with the first one is Tim Burton didn't make the Joker darker. Batman Forever is over-the-top, yes, but Jim Carrey is a great Riddler. But, I think when Tommy Lee Jones got the script for Forever he accidently studied up on the Joker as upposed to Two Face. Tommy does a great Joker impression throughout the movie. True Batfans know that Two Face is much more reserved and cold. Finally, Batman & Robin. I will admit that Bane was used and abused in this movie! What were they thinking when they cast Bane as a goofy limmo driver? They could've made a whole Movie out of the Knightfall series, but they blew it! Knightfall would have been perfect, we could've had ALL the former villians back in one giant movie! Nice going guys! But, I accept Batman & Robin because you all don't. I'm waiting for the day when Tim Burton and Michael Keaton return and fulfill every Batfans dream.....a new movie! Come back to us Tim! I'll even write the script, do you want dark? You got it, how about The Scarecrow (played by Gary Oldman) and Manbat (CGI Manbat and The Dr. played by Johnny Depp.) Sound good Tim? Music by Danny Elfman, huh? You all can argue over who will play the roles, but I just want a NEW MOVIE NOW!!!
Rating:
Summary: 2 out of 4 aint bad
Review: Batman and Batman Returns are incredible. Batman sets the perfect environment for the comic book to come to life. Batman Returns is pure eye candy with it's increidlbe visuals. The snow is a great contrast that expands on the look and feel of the original in a way that I would have though impossible. Tim Burton is one of the best directors ever. He makes every film his own and always adds something that lasts forever in your mind. Joel Schumaker is horrible! It should be illegal for him to get behind any camera, even one of those cheap disposable Kodak ones. He does to these films what airlines do to food! What was he thinking? I can understand him wanting to add to these films and make them more his own, but why just make them stupid and silly? Now I also think people blame the wrong person for the last film. I happen to think George Clooney was a good Batman. I think he does a better job being Bruce Wayne than Batman, but still pretty good. No one will match the comic wit and likability of Keaton, but Cloney was ten times better than Kilmer. Kilmer made it unbearable to watch. The villians are great in the first two, but they lose something in the last two, I think it's called direction. What a waste of Thurman's and Carrey's talent! Under Burton they would have been incredible. I would like to wrap this up with a plea to both Burton and Schumaker. Mr. Burton, make one more of these and fix this mess. Kill Batman off in the end if you like, just do us all a favor and talk to Keaton and Pfifer and make at least one more. Mr. Schumaker, please retire. Do not touch any more superhero movies and try to leave good stars alone. I mean what you did to Cage and Phoenix in 35mm is horrible. Why the red light district in LA? LA is a red light district, you idiot! Your talent has always been over rated and now you just make people not like you. Please stop!
Rating:
Summary: Which of the four is the best !?
Review: Which of the four is the best Batman movie as of today !? Personally, I think it would still have to be Batman the frist movie with Michael Keaton as the best damn Batman there ever was. I loved Jack Nicholson as the Joker which was very good in the roll of Batman. Batman Returns ain't too bad cause Batman was still Keaton but then he comes Batman Forever which is yet another of my favorites but this time Michael Keaton wasn't playing Batman anymore. Though the movie did contain one of my favorite villians in Two-Face but the movie was to goofy and made Batman not as serious as he was back in the first two movies. Batman & Robin the movie was the hell dropper of wrost Batman movie yet. I hated the fourth Batman movie. So overall, I say Batman the very first one was the best and I wouldn't mind owning the movie on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: 2 steps forward 4 steps back
Review: The first film was an eye-opener as far as the transition from comics to big screen was concerned. Being a true take on the then new Dark Knight series of comics that treated its readers to a more mature and brooding Batman, giving them strong, well thought out stories with a more adult theme. This was (in my opinion) due to the influence of the up and coming Manga trend surfacing in the west with the hugely popular Akira film. Burton and Keaton created, on the screen, a Dark hero for the 90's that the fans of the comics could relate to and it worked BIG time marrying stark visuals with a music score as rich as you could fit on any film. For a home cinema owner there is little better out there to show off your systems capability than with than this film. As with most sequels the second, Batman Returns, was less than the original, in this case suffering from too many characters/stars all demanding a piece of the screen time, why on earth the studios think that more is better is beyond me. Quality is ALWAYS better than quantity in a film as born out in many sequels vs. originals. That is not to say that this was a poor film, far from it, just not as good as the first. There were too many character origins to make the main plot anything other than passable. Now, onto the third in the series. A new director will always bring with them a new vision of a character and story and Schumacher is no different, I believe another reviewer had the same thoughts as me on this one 'The Dark Knight in Technicolor'. For fans of the first two films this had to be a bit of a shock, new Batman and a real glossy comic book feel to the film. This was good escapism but lacked the mature approach of the first two films. Oh dear, with the final outing, Batman Forever, we see where Schumacher got his inspiration, not from the comics, not from the first films, oh no, anyone remember the campy, hammy Batman TV series with Burt Ward I believe?? Yup the only thing missing from this film were tights and the visual sound affects. POW BASH KA-BLAMMY. I strongly feel that the stars were wasted on this film, which is a great pity as there is far more potential to this series than has been shown thus far. In summery, the first two films are ideal teen upward viewing, the second two are in my opinion squarely aimed at kids. A good all round family package I guess.
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