More than a year of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), Oz, aka The Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka The Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
For in-depth thoughts on The Batman, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Batman offers a pleasing uptick in quality over the already stunning accompanying Blu-Ray, making it the clear choice between the two home video releases. While some films may be able to skate by with standard Blu-Ray, The Batman is one that deserves to be seen on 4K. The most obvious reason for this is the fact that a good 85% of the film takes place either at night or in darkened rooms. If you are going to be watching at home, you cannot have any faults with your black levels with this film. Elements in the film taking place in the cover of darkness are more vivid, offer more depth and are finely delineated on the 4K disc. The black levels stay deep and inky which allows you to become fully immersed in this world. The few instances of compression artifacts and banding present on the Blu-Ray are eliminated with this 4K UHD disc. The highlights in the film are likewise more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found.
This 4K UHD presentation really delivers on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color. There is some really awe-inspiring production design featured in the film which you can really appreciate with this transfer. There are a variety of settings presented here with each interior providing incredible detail that is exciting to explore. Every location is handled with the precision you would want from a modern 4K disc. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as stubble, makeup and pores. While the aesthetic of the film does not allow for bright primaries, the HDR enriches the colors that do pop up such as fiery explosions in a way you will not soon forget. This film features many interesting locales and characters that really show off the capabilities of the format with color contrast and striking lighting schemes providing a dazzling spectacle. The Blu-Ray is solid, but Warner Bros. has delivered another miraculous transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a stellar Dolby Atmos audio mix that is completely enveloping and ready to knock your walls down. Dialogue is crisp and clear and is never overwhelmed by any competing sounds. There is nearly always something going on in the surrounds, but there is never difficulty hearing what everyone is saying. The height channels are used to interesting effect in the way the world is presented with rain and other environmental effects coming down from overhead. All of the sounds are coming from the appropriate directions, and there are absolutely no technical issues with the track. This is an incredibly active track that provides all manner of hard-hitting sound effects and an unforgettable score from Michael Giacchino to keep you in the right headspace. There is a ton of activity in the low end that flows through you in the most effective of ways. This one recreates the theater experience in the most accurate manner possible.
Special Features
- Looking For Vengeance: A five-minute piece in which fight choreographer Rob Alonzo, Matt Reeves, and Robert Pattinson delve into the thematic reasons behind Bruce’s rage and fighting style, along with the training that went into preparing to execute these altercations on screen.
- The Batman – Genesis: A six-minute featurette in which the creatives discuss the casting of Robert Pattinson in the lead role and the vision in mind for this iteration of the character. There are some amusing anecdotes about the process, inspirations from the source material, and even looks at chemistry reads that are a fun treat.
- Vengeance Meets Justice: An eight-minute examination of the psychology of Batman and how it relates to The Riddler, the parallels between the two characters, the sympathy you feel for these damaged characters, how their relationship evolves and more. This one is especially fascinating because you can feel how passionate Dano is about the material.
- Becoming Catwoman: A nearly nine-minute look at Zoë Kravitz inhabiting the role of Catwoman, what elements made her perfect for the role, the training that went into getting her ready for the fight scenes, where Selina is on her journey as Catwoman, the production design of her apartment and more.
- The Batmobile: An 11-minute look at this newest version of The Batmobile, the DIY nature of the design, the actual assembly of the car, testing the car and more.
- Anatomy Of The Car Chase: A six-minute deep-dive into the thrilling car chase at the center of the film in terms of choreography, practical effects, stunt driving, constructing the scene in torrential rain, on-location and soundstage filming, and more.
- Anatomy Of The Wing Suit Jump: A nearly seven-minute look into the epic dive off the roof where Batman gets to use a special gadget that allows him to fly through the air. There are discussions about how they went about making the stunt seem realistic, pre-visualizing the scene, what they want to accomplish with Robert Pattinson as opposed to a stunt double, the challenges that the pandemic presented and more.
- Vengeance In The Making: A 54-minute documentary which offers a robust overview of the production of the film including the preparations that went into the weeks before filming, the grand ideas they had for this version, the casting of the feature, the visual aesthetic, the effects of the pandemic and more. There are so many great interviews and behind-the-scenes footage that fans will want to devour.
- Unpacking The Icons: A six-minute look at the dark, film-noir tone of the film and how it affects the costumes and gadgets created for these characters. There are details mentioned by the subjects which might be overlooked on a single viewing.
- A Transformation – The Penguin: An eight-minute piece which focuses on the transformation of Colin Farrell into the Penguin and the attributes that are accentuated on both a physical and emotional level for this performance.
- Deleted Scenes: Two unused scenes totaling eight minutes are provided here with optional audio commentary from Matt Reeves. This includes a scene with Batman visiting The Joker and one with Selena telling Oz she wants to work downstairs at 44 Below.
Final Thoughts
The Batman is a tremendous take on a oft-adapted character which breaks him down to the roots and allows you to rediscover what makes him such a compelling figure in the first place. Robert Pattinson is an incredible Batman, easily conveying so much with his subtle physicality behind the cowl. The detective story with The Riddler is extremely compelling and treated with the gravity it needs to be emotionally effective. Matt Reeves was the perfect person to bring this character to the screen if we had to reboot things once again. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a demo-worthy A/V presentation and a wonderful selection of special features. There is no doubt this one will be in heavy rotation for years to come. Highly Recommended
The Batman is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.