BATMAN - DVD review

During the late-1990s, Warner Bros. ran the "Batman" feature-film franchise into the ground with the help of Joel Schumacher directing "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin". However, Batman was very much alive on TV in animated form. "Batman: The Animated Series", "Batman: Gotham Knights" (aka Season 4 of "TAS"), and "Batman Beyond" expanded the Batman universe with integrity, artistry, and depth.

I've always liked Batman more than any other comic-book superhero. I'm easily bored by tales of beings with supernatural powers. Besides, not only does it look ridiculous wearing red underwear on the outside, it's easy to be Number 1 when you can fly, can shoot lasers from your eyes, can look through ladies' clothes, and have superhuman strength. It takes brains and real guts to be Batman.

Given my happy times with "Batman: The Animated Series", "Batman: Gotham Knights", and "Batman Beyond", I was eager to find out what "The Batman", which started airing in 2004, could offer fans. I was shocked to discover that "The Batman" is Batman for the ADD crowd. The colors are garish and ghastly, totally abandoning the art-deco noir look of its immediate predecessors. The action is so fast that it's almost impossible to understand who's hitting whom. The art design is an odd combination of Asian-style animation, Western sensibilities, and elements from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 2000s. This mish-mash of clashes doesn't gel. Since the pacing is so frantic, there's no sense of danger or dread, unlike with the moody and atmospheric "The Animated Series". "The Animated Series" often had a palpable sense of sadness; "The Batman" is so glib that it seems as if Bruce Wayne fights crime simply because he's bored.

"The Batman" begins in Bruce Wayne's third year of vigilantism. Season 1 is basically a mad-dash recycling of Batman's "greatest hits" encounters with villains. We see Batman fighting The Joker, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, and Bane, but there's no attempt whatsoever to develop any character history. The villains show up, fight with Batman, and end up in Arkham Asylum. We have no sense of who Batman or his enemies are, so it's difficult to care about anything that's happening on the screen. Perhaps the writers felt that viewers would be familiar with the Batman universe already, but skimping on background information still makes this outing rather hollow.

On the plus side of things, "The Batman" introduces two likable characters on the police force. Ethan Bennett has been Bruce Wayne's best friend since at least their high-school days. Ellen Yin is a transfer from Metropolis. Ethan Bennett and Ellen Yin are the most-believable creations in this series. Subsequently, they're more interesting than the protagonist!

"The Batman" was able to attract the talents of Steve Harris to play Ethan Bennett, Ming-na to play Ellen Yin, and The Edge of the rock band U2 to compose the theme song. This speaks volumes about how much of a hold Batman has on the American cultural consciousness. Yet, I wonder what they think of "The Batman". Is this just another paycheck for everyone, or do they actually like this show?

"The Batman: The Complete First Season" arrives on DVD in a two-disc set. There are thirteen episodes.

Disc 1: "The Bat in the Belfry", "Traction", "Call of the Cobblepot", "The Man Who Would Be Bat", "The Big Chill", "The Cat and the Bat", "The Big Heat", "Q&A".

Disc 2: "Big Dummy", "Topsy Turvy", "Bird of Prey", "The Rubber Face of Comedy", "The Clay Face of Tragedy".

Video:
The best aspect of this production is its video presentation on DVD. While I don't like the colors or the general look of the show, the 1.33:1 picture image is exceptional. The garish colors are sharp and vivid. Everything is clear, clean, and smooth. The only negative is that, sometimes, objects move so quickly that you can see jagged edges.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo English tracks are par for the course. They get the job done in carrying the actors' voices and sending occasional booms to your subwoofer. The dynamic range of the music is fairly wide, though the sound designs are not particularly creative (there are few directionality effects).

Optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.

Extras:
All of the extras are on Disc 2.

"New Look, New Direction, New Knight" is a featurette that provides some details about the creation of this show.

"Building the Batman" is a tour of the Mattel facilities that designed the new tie-in toys.

"The Batman: Junior Detective Challenge" and "The Batman Junior Detective Exam – Level 2" are trivia games. These are very easy and are aimed at very young viewers.

"Gotham City PD Case Files" is a video overview of the costumed characters in this series.

"The Batman Big Chill" is a poorly-designed game that you're supposed to play with your remote control.

Finally, there are some previews for other Warner Bros. animated TV series.

--Miscellaneous--
A glossy insert provides chapter listings as well as a brief explanations of the extras.

Film Value:
At least in its first season, "The Batman" is a half-baked concept. The animators did everything that they could to make this new incarnation look like an obvious departure from previous Batmans, but the scripts are pitiful. I would've given the new art design a chance had the stories intrigued me, but this series stubbornly refuses to draw viewers into its world. It's content to be a superficial highlight reel.