DVD Review: “Batman Begins” Rated PG-13, Grade: A
Holy special features! The definitive cinematic interpretation of the dark knight’s origin and the most evocative, intelligent summer blockbuster in years, “Batman Begins” makes a triumphant leap to the DVD format accompanied by enough intriguing extras to fill a batcave.
Director Christopher Nolan’s reverential resurrection of a franchise that was once abhorrently mishandled by Hollywood gave casual movie-goers a pensive illustration of the man behind the mask in addition to some crafty, cognitive action sequences. Nolan’s vision of Bruce Wayne and the creation of his iconic alter-ego also garnished positive attention from dedicated Bat fans as it remains the most faithful big-screen adaptation of the caped crusader’s comic book-based mythology to date. It seems appropriate that the two-disc deluxe edition includes a pamphlet-sized comic book containing three stories that inspired prominent elements of the film including the Gotham City’s noir-based sensibilities and Bruce’s international training.
In addition to the film itself, the first disc features the film’s theatrical trailer and an uproarious spoof of the batmobile sequence that first appeared during the 2005 MTV Movie Awards. The movie is presented in letterbox widescreen format to allow an appropriately seamless transition between the theatrical version and the DVD version of the film. The picture quality is crisp and remarkably vivid, especially considering the fact that the much of the film takes place at night. The languages available for the film includes 5.1 English and 5.1 French and subtitles for French, English and Spanish.
The bulk of the set’s palpable extras remain on the second disc, which features a distinctive menu system that operates like an interactive comic book with the special features hidden amongst various art panels and word bubbles. The first available extra is “The Journey Begins,” a documentary about the beginning stages of development for the film and the initial reasons why Christopher Nolan believed he should reinterpret the franchise with more significant realism than past Batman ventures. Nolan offers valuable insight into the genesis of the film and presents viewers with a look at what inspired many aspects of the finished product. The documentary also includes interviews with David S. Goyer, the film scribe whose experience with comic book mythology and the nature of Bruce Wayne granted the film a more substantial connection with Batman source material, and Christian Bale, the proficient actor whose excessive efforts to gain nearly 150 pounds immediately after filming “The Machinist” almost made him too bulky to fit into the batsuit!
In addition to “The Journey Begins,” the second disc offers a slew of documentaries that all focus on different aspects of the film’s production including “The Tumbler,” an analysis of the newest, tank-like incarnation of the batmobile and “Shaping Mind and Body,” a documentary of Christian Bale’s physical transformation throughout the course of pre-production. The second disc also features an art gallery, bios of the film’s characters and featured bat-gadgets and various well-hidden Easter eggs. And while this collection lacks considerable DVD conventions like commentary tracks and deleted scenes, the exhaustive amount of bonus material renders these staples unnecessary.
The DVD set is an extensive examination of the film. The deluxe edition of “Batman Begins” is a worthy addition to any DVD collection.
Mack Perry is a critic for the Statesman. Comments can be sent to him at mackp@cc.usu.edu.