The movies were alsome! The Store was Alsome! Love it!

I realize the ‘89 Batman movie has gotten a lot of criticism in recent years after the release of modern movies like The Dark Knight and Captain America The Winter Soldier. But I still feel that this film was revolutionary and ushered in the era of superhero movies we now enjoy. Whether you like the story or not, I would find it impossible to deny that the design of this film is stunning. And seeing this movie, FINALLY, in crystal clear 4K is the way this movie needs to be seen as it’s never looked so good! Having been shot on film, this movie hugely benefits from the 4K Upgrade in picture, and also in sound! With a great sound system in place, the sound effects and bombastic score by Danny Elfman are just incredible!! I have no problem saying that this is easily the best way to see this movie and it’s worth every cent. The set comes with a 4K disc and a regular blu ray disc that sports all the same special features as previous releases. Unfortunately, this does NOT come with the Diamond Luxe feature “Making Of the Modern Blockbuster” which is a bummer and there are no new features to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie or the 80th anniversary of Batman.

Bar none, the finest this movie has ever looked. The 4K is amazing. The standard Blu-ray uses the same transfer from the 4K and is also stunning. Yes, some shots look soft, but that's due to the nature of how those specific shots were assembled 30 years ago. With the exception of one bonus feature, you'll find every previously released feature on the Blu-ray? What's missing? The bonus feature "Batman: Birth of the Modern Blockbuster" from the 25th anniversary Blu-ray. It was on its own separate disc on that release. To be fair, though, it is on the digital edition of the movie. So, assuming one likes digital releases and this 4K still comes packed with a digital copy, it should be easy to obtain a copy of that bonus feature.

Having grown up with this film and watching it on VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray, I was supremely excited yet nervous about how the 4K transfer would be handled. Having watched over 100 UHDs, I can honestly say this blew me away! The resolution, WCG, HDR and deep black levels combine to produce an image that was almost unfathomable for a film 30 years old. Also, despite an outpouring of audio purists cries regarding the upgraded Atmos soundtrack, I was absolutely floored by it- and in a positive way. The height channels are used effectively, and the bat plane crash is absolutely insane! All told, this is one of my Top 5 favorite UHDs and I would almost be willing to buy it twice just as a token of thanks for such a magnificent job handling one of my all-time favorite movies.

Warner brothers, though with some occasional missteps, is typically in the upper echelon of studios when it comes to taking care of their back catalogue with various remasters and such. The new 4K UHD of the '89 BATMAN is no exception, with an excellent new video transfer that takes away the warm tint of VHS and DVD era masters, and makes the film look like it does on 35mm. The new atmos mix brings new life as well, as they've finally been able to "finish" the sound mix. Originally they rushed and had to use already created fx from Aliens and other projects instead of creating their own sound for the film.