The Dark Knight / Batman Begins (Double Pack) [DVD]

As a pathetically devoted Batman fan, I am already predisposed to like these films (Heck, I even have time for Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin). However, I believe Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are more than just superb examples of the superhero sub genre, they are great films full stop!

By avoiding the narrative and stylistic trappings and cliches of superhero stories Christopher Nolan has created some beautifully shot, crafted acted films that are outstanding in their own right and will stand up in future amongst the greater works of early twenty first century Hollywood cinema.

Both these films look fabulous in HD. I owned both on DVD and saw them many, many times but was most pleasantly surprised when I felt that watching them on Blu Ray made me feel like I was practically watching a whole new film. (There aren't many double dips that I can say that for!).

Batman Begins' rich, sepia toned palette is beautifully rendered on blu ray and the world of Nolan's Gotham seems that much more vivid and atmpsheric. Sure, I miss the whimsy of Tim Burton's more gothic and expressionistic world but the more naturalistic look that Noaln was going for is really done justice. Every piece of litter, dirt and grime is evident under the dirty yellow streetlights of the Gotham night and we feally get a sense of being in a crime riddled slum on the border of economic collapse (especially in the narrows sequences).

The Dark Knight's colder, harsher world of washed blues and greys creates a look that perfectly suits the crime drama aesthetic of the film and the painstaking attention to detail is all the more evident on Blu Ray (particularly in the wonderful IMAX sequences which change the aspect ratio on screen but the film's pace is so compelling you'll hardly notice).

Extras are decent enough but their lack of real substance is the reason I have rated this package as four stars and not five.

Batman Begins comes with a handful of behind the scenes featurettes that detail the making of the film from concept through casting to production design and stunts. While these are satisfactory, at least initally, they lack the substance of the extras found in the original 1989-1997 Batman anthology and there is a sense that the extras are only scratching the surface of the film's laborious and intricate production. I would have hoped for some Blu Ray exclusive extras but the extras as they are serve well enough even if they don't hold up to more than one or two viewings.

The Dark Knight's DVD release really disappointed me with its lack of substantial bonus content so I was delighted to find not only some BD exclusive extras, but some REALLY GOOD BD exclusive extras. The passable making of docs are still there. However, there is disappointingly little on the production design of either the Joker or Two Face, particularly just how they managed to show Harvey's dreadful scarring, I guess it proves that Nolan has the clout not to let us peek behind the curtain on the stuff he'd rather remain a mystery and I have to admire him for that! There are some exclusive docs on the real life origins of Batman's hight tech arsenal and a compelling exploration of the psychology of Batman / Bruce Wayne and his nutball rogues gallery.

In conclusion, these discs are formidable separately, but together they present a bargain that no Bat-fan should ignore!

This is the complete audio and subtitles list:

- Batman Begins (Blu-Ray)

Audio: Dolby TrueHD: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: English 5.1; Castilian Spanish 5.1; French 5.1; German 5.1; Italian 5.1

Subtitles: English, Castilian Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish and Portuguese (Portugal)

- The Dark Knight (Blu-Ray)

Audio: Dolby TrueHD: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: English 5.1; Castilian Spanish 5.1; French 5.1; German 5.1; Italian 5.1; Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 / English 2.0 (Audio Descriptive)

Subtitles: English, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Complex Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish and Portuguese (Portugal)

Just to inform, those Blu Rays has too the audio track in CASTILIAN SPANISH, BRAZILIAN PORTUGUES, FRENCH, ITALIAN and GERMAN. And you can see too all the extras with subtitles in those languages.

Both films have extraodinary and fantastic extras, and specially the movie The Dark Knight is one of the best of the last decade.