Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The Dynamic Duo faces four of the most powerful villains of all time—the Joker (Cesar Romero), the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether). Armed with a dehydrator that turns humans to dust, the quartet has their sights on the members of the United World Security Council, intending to ransom their reconstitutable remains. Will Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) foil their diabolical plan?

I grew up watching reruns of the campy yet fun Batman series from the 1960s. Watching the bonus features on this disc has given me a greater appreciation of just how much impact the series had on a generation of Americans. We watched this movie as a family, and it generated a lot of laughs, especially when the rubber shark attacks Batman in the opening scene. The villains are the true stars of the show, and each of them delivers fantastic, intentionally over-the-top performances, especially Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith. Lee Meriwether was a last-minute addition to the cast since Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman in the series, had a scheduling conflict. Meriwether captured the essence of the role and is one beautiful-looking woman.

I'm surprisingly impressed with the look of this 42-year-old classic. The AVC encode offers striking visuals with superb color saturation, above-average resolution on both close-up and long shots, and admirable black levels. It doesn't approach the look of modern films, but it holds up quite well against other older movies released on Blu-ray.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack isn't quite as moving as the video. The soundtrack's mono roots are evident in the collapsed soundstage, particularly across the front. The surround speakers provide limited ambience, and the dialog is on the tinny side. Overall dynamic range is limited, but considering the age of the movie, this is to be expected.

The BD50 disc is loaded with bonus features that are very entertaining and informative. Two separate commentaries are included—one with actors Adam West and Burt Ward, the second with screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. There is also an isolated score track without effects or dialog. Standard-definition bonus content includes a featurette from the 2001 DVD release, another with Batmobile creator George Barris, a trivia pop-up option, and theatrical trailers. Two HD features are the highlights—one reveals the legacy of Batman and the other concentrates on the villains in the movie.

Batman: The Movie is not as slick or refined as the modern-day stories of the Dark Knight, but that's just fine in my book. It's corny as hell but a lot of fun, and it looks great on Blu!

Release Date: July 1, 2008

Film: 7 out of 10
Picture: 8 out of 10
Sound: 6 out of 10

Review System

Source
Panasonic DMP-BD50

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 Amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector