Released in conjunction with Batman Begins’s DVD debut, this strikingly packaged box set contains all of the Caped Crusader’s feature-length adventures, save the 1966 spin-off from the then-popular TV show. Batman (1989), directed by Tim Burton, startled fans with its extremely odd casting of comic actor Michael Keaton as the Dark Avenger created by comic-book legend Bob Kane in 1939. Keaton played Batman as a super-serious crime fighter still haunted by the long-ago deaths of his parents at the hands of a petty criminal. Burton’s vision of a tormented superhero — operating in a Gotham City designed to look simultaneously gothic and futuristic — seemed to be at odds with Jack Nicholson‘s over-the-top portrayal of the Joker, but the film scored high marks for its unique blend of action and atmosphere. Keaton reprised his characterization in the Burton-helmed sequel, Batman Returns (1992) — which, if anything, was even more grotesque than its predecessor. Danny DeVito was memorably macabre as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer was seductively slinky as Catwoman, but some aficionados consider this series entry too nihilistic to be good fun. The series’ tone lightened somewhat with Batman Forever (1995), for which Keaton relinquished cowl and cape to Val Kilmer and Burton handed the directorial reins to Joel Schumacher. This second sequel introduced Chris O’Donnell as Robin the Boy Wonder and boasted terrific star power: Tommy Lee Jones as an especially sadistic Two Face, Jim Carrey as an appropriately manic Riddler, and Nicole Kidman as sexy shrink Chase Masterson. Schumacher retained control of the series’ destiny, and there was great anticipation in fan circles when George Clooney was announced as the new Caped Crusader. But Batman & Robin (1997) fell somewhat short of expectations, despite the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl.  A sizable number of critics and fans alike have called Batman Begins the greatest comic-book movie ever made, a claim that would be difficult to dispute even if we wanted to. The film has been made without any trace of condescension or campiness by Christopher Nolan, a talented director whose previous thrillers, Insomnia and Memento, both bear the noirish hallmarks he brings to Batman’s origin. The story begins with multi-millionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) drifting around the Orient and winding up in the mountain fortress of Ra’s Al Ghul, the enigmatic head of a vigilante fighting force devoted to exterminating evil without regard for the niceties of due process. Wayne trains with these warriors but spurns their offer of membership, instead returning to his hometown, Gotham City, to wage his own secret war against the criminals that have overrun it. And to do that he decides to become…well, you know. It’s great to see such a film brought to the screen with a serious tone and respect for the underlying property; a respect Nolan underscores by casting A-list actors in the supporting roles. Oscar winner Michael Caine does fine work as Wayne’s butler, Alfred, whose wry sense of humor isn’t overlooked by the screenwriters. Liam Neeson plays Henri Ducard, the front man for Ra’s Al Ghul and Wayne’s primary instructor. Morgan Freeman appears as Lucius Fox, a Wayne family confidant who helps the grimly determined scion adopt his new identity by secretly furnishing state-of-the-art gadgetry. The earnest performances of these superlative actors — along with those of supporting players Katie Holmes, Tom Wilkinson, Gary Oldman, and Rutger Hauer — lends Batman Begins credibility usually absent from comic-book adaptations. This Batman is truly a frightening figure, an eerie apparition of the night that swoops from the sky and takes human form to pummel his prey. Destructive but non-lethal, he cuts a wide swath through Gotham’s underworld while maintaining the pose of irresponsible playboy Bruce Wayne. Here, finally, is a Batman movie that gets it right. Those who grew up with the character as depicted in the ’60s TV show might find Bale’s incarnation a trifle too revisionist, but it’s actually a whole lot closer to the Dark Knight created for the comics by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939. And we approve heartily. In our view, all four films have much to recommend them, and even if no one of them is perfect, Batmaniacs will be gratified to have them together in one box.

A genuinely epic achievement, the 10-part World War II drama Band of Brothers is a television series that makes big-screen Hollywood war movies look small in comparison. Based on the book by historian Stephen Ambrose, the series follows the US 101st Airborne Division’s “Easy” E-Company from initial training through D-Day and across Holland, Belgium, Germany and Austria until the end of the war. Coproduced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the series take its initial inspiration from Saving Private Ryan and borrows that film’s visceral visual approach to combat scenes using hand-held camerawork and de-saturated photography. But where Band of Brothers excels is in its scrupulous attention to the realities of military life (retired US Marine Captain Dale Dye, who also co-stars, is the man to credit).

After the high drama of the parachute drop on D-Day, Easy’s greatest trial comes during the Battle of the Bulge, when they are besieged at Bastogne in the depths of winter. In one of the most harrowing and credible depictions of war ever committed to film we see the men enduring the repeated artillery attacks of the German forces and experience, if only vicariously, some of the sheer terror of the assault, while being humbled by the soldiers’ courage and determination. Such feelings are enhanced by the series’ masterstroke–bookend interviews with the surviving members of Easy Company, who talk with barely suppressed emotion of the experiences we see recreated. The endorsement of these veterans elevates Band of Brothers beyond any mere “war film”–its extraordinary achievement is that it shows the horror and savagery of war without gloss or jingoism, and yet celebrates the fraternal bonds and dogged heroism of the men who fought.

On the DVD: Band of Brothers arrives handsomely packaged in a six-disc box set with two episodes on each of the first five discs. Sound (Dolby 5.1) and picture (1.78:1 widescreen) only enhance the series’ epic credentials. Disc 6 contains all the extras, the meatiest of which is the marvellous 80-minute documentary “We Stand Alone Together” about the real men of Easy Company. There’s also a first-rate, genuinely interesting 30-minute “making of” feature about actor boot camp, visual effects and blowing up fake trees among many other things. This is complemented by actor Ron Livingston’s revealing Video Diaries of boot camp. Additionally there’s a “Who’s Who” section and footage of the HBO premiere at Utah Beach, plus a TV spot for car company Jeep. –Mark Walker

DVD Description
“We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company” (80-minute documentary)
“Behind the Scenes: The Making of Band of Brothers” (Ron Livingston’s Video Diaries)
Who’s Who: The Men of Easy Company
Premiere at Normandy
Jeep Spot
Experiencing the War (DVD-ROM feature)

In the coming days you will see some of my custom dvd covers.