"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One" Blu-ray/DVD Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Want to discuss the Home Video Presentation and Bonus Features for the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One animated feature? Look no further!

Click here for the The World's Finest review of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One!http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/dcuam/darkknight/tdkrp1/reviews/http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/dcuam/darkknight/tdkrp1/reviews/​

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One Home Video Release
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: September 25th, 2012

Synopsis: Frank Miller’s landmark graphic novel about fear, hope and redemption is celebrated with proper measures of haunting visuals and intense action in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives September 25, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack will include UltraViolet. The DC Universe Animated Original Movies have been a fan favorite since debuting in 2007 with Superman Doomsday. Now averaging three releases each year, the DCU animated films are based on classic tales from DC Comics’ revered library or original stories featuring DC’s fabled characters. Stars of feature film and primetime television populate the stellar voice casts of the DCU animated films. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One represents the 15th film in the ongoing series.

Blu-ray Bonus Features
-Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
-UltraViolet™ Download
-Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
-Featurette – “Her Name is Carrie … Her Role is Robin” – Experience the role of Robin, through the eyes of a female warrior.
-Featurette – “Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story” – A documentary comprehensively chronicling the remarkable life of the creator of Batman.
-Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series handpicked by producer Alan Burnett: Two-Face, Parts 1 and 2
-Digital Comic – “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” (digital comic with cover art and three full comic pages)

Two-Disc Special Edition DVD Bonus Features
-Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
-Featurette – “Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story” – A documentary comprehensively chronicling the remarkable life of the creator of Batman.
-Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series handpicked by producer Alan Burnett: Two-Face, Parts 1 and 2

Single-Disc DVD Bonus Features
-Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie

Note: This thread is to discuss all aspects of the multiple releases of this title, including the home video release and legal download options. Check out The World's Finest for more details. Please discuss the feature film in the proper talkback, as linked below.

Discuss This Blu-ray and DVD release!

Related Threads:
-Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One Feature Review (Spoilers)
-Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Classic Comic Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again Classic Comic Talkback (Spoilers)
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-Batman: Gotham Knight DVD/Blu-ray Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman: The Animated Series "Legends of the Dark Knight" Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman: The Animated Series "Two-Face, Parts 1 & 2" Talkback (Spoilers)


Note: We appreciate and encourage discussion, but please keep your posts civil, relevant and insightful. Please do not post any improper or inflammatory material, as we will issue warnings if we believe it necessary. And remember to keep the discussion ON-TOPIC!

 

[Hero Supreme]

Best deal I have seen on this is 14.99 for Blu or 9.99 for DVD at Amazon. I was at Target this morning picking up Avengers (3D Blu Ray 4 pack for 19.99) and it took me a while to spot The Dark Knight Returns as it was tucked away in the "New For Kids" section.

 

[tenderheartbear]

It's been a long, long time since I've read the graphic novel so I can't say with absolute certainty how accurate the movie is. That said, watching it did seem like watching the novel come to (animated) life.

I was originally unsure about the animation, the first couple of minutes I thought were a bit weak. Once the motor race scenes ended it picked up and was probably on-par with Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and Batman: Year One. Certainly a step up on Justice League: Doom and Superman Vs. The Elite. Overall it was easy on the eye and conveyed the feel on the book as well as it could. Sure it wasn't quite a gritty as it could have been, and didn't have the almost watercolour look but then it was never going to. The character designs themselves though were excellent, slightly better than the Legends of the Dark Knight segment from The New Batman Adventures, which was already very good.


As for the voices, Peter Weller did take a bit of getting used to, but I thought he did okay. Michael Ironside would have been better perhaps, but as much as I love Kevin Conroy I'm glad he didn't do this one. Watch Batman Beyond for his version of an old Bruce Wayne. Ariel Winter was first rate and exactly how I imagined Robin would sound. The rest were passable, I wouldn't say any excelled but all sounded as I imagined the characters would more or less.

A few stand-out scenes for me included Two-Face's attack on the two towers (slightly uncomfortable to watch at this time of year), both of the fights between Batman and the mutant leader and the final scene leading into part 2. Also, for the keen eyed there's a few magazine covers on display during the Gordon/young mutant scene. A bit of an Alan Moore thing going on perhaps?

The music was great (I actually enjoyed just listening to the main menu) and didn't seem to recycle themes which both Justice League: Doom and Superman Vs. The Elite had done. I might pick up the soundtrack next year when I believe it's due for release.

The picture and sound quality was fine (I watched the DVD version - encoded for R1, R3 and R4 for those interested) and looked pretty sharp on my screen.

Overall, a cracking job and I look forward to The Dark Knight Returns Part Two with anticipation. As much as I'm not keen on movies being split (Harry Potter, Twilight) in this case it really was the only option and actually worked in its favour. For anyone in 2 minds I'd recommend buying it, even if you're not the greatest fan of the source material. It will sit proudly on your shelf and I suspect be revisited more often than the likes of Superman: Doomsday and Green Lantern: First Flight (both of which I did enjoy).

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

The film gets a 5 but the Blu Ray I'll give a 4 which is probably generous but thats mostly for the picture quality and sound. The extras are ok, the documentaries are good (although wasn't the Bob Kane one on Gotham Knight?), but I don't see the point of the bonus episodes. The sneek peak for part 2 was the best extra but why no commentary?

 

[Otaku-sempai]

The disc gets brownie points for the Carrie Kelly featurette, but loses them for repeating the Bob Kane puff piece. I get why the Two-Face two-parter was Bruce Timm's pick for this. However, the lack of a commentary track is a serious ommission. I have no problems with the audio/visual reproduciton though.

 

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

There was time when you could pre-order any movie from Amazon and get it within a day -- sometimes on the day -- of release, even with standard shipping.

Not anymore.

My order for this blu-ray is still listed as "Not Yet Shipped" -- It doesn't even say "Shipping Soon!"

 

[Yojimbo]

The disc gets brownie points for the Carrie Kelly featurette, but loses them for repeating the Bob Kane puff piece. I get why the Two-Face two-parter was Bruce Timm's pick for this. However, the lack of a commentary track is a serious ommission. I have no problems with the audio/visual reproduciton though.

You're being too nice, I think. For me when I thoroughly enjoy the movie, the features suck and vice versa. Don't know why but that always happens with me. Now I really hope they double dip us and put out a Collector's Edition with better features on them. Can't even get a 4 minute of Bruce Timm and Frank Miller chatting about TDKR in general? </rant>

 

[JiminyCrick91]

It may have swears considering who is involved but Kevin Smith may be with you guys on the lack of commentary trouble. That's how it seems anyway as his newest show of his podcast 'Fat Man on Batman' is a commentary for the film with Hollywood Reporter/EW/GQ/TV/Comic Book writer Marc Bernardin.

-Skyler

 

[limel]

Is every Blu-Ray version also a combo pack? For the last two movies, I could only find Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs (not even regular DVDs) at Best Buy, so I decided to switch over to those completely. I'm going to order this one on Amazon, and only see Blu-Ray, DVD, and 2-Disc DVD. So is the Blu-Ray they sell actually the combo-pack?

 

[Ed Liu]

Is every Blu-Ray version also a combo pack? For the last two movies, I could only find Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs (not even regular DVDs) at Best Buy, so I decided to switch over to those completely. I'm going to order this one on Amazon, and only see Blu-Ray, DVD, and 2-Disc DVD. So is the Blu-Ray they sell actually the combo-pack?

Yes, it's been that way for some time now. Multi-disc releases will tend to be Blu-ray only or DVD only, but most major mew releases put the DVD in wih the Blu-ray. The DC DTVs have been doing this since Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

 

[limel]

Yes, it's been that way for some time now. Multi-disc releases will tend to be Blu-ray only or DVD only, but most major mew releases put the DVD in wih the Blu-ray. The DC DTVs have been doing this since Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

Ah, got it. Thanks!

 

[defunctzombie]

If it were me, I'd put the Kelly bit on both releases and the repeat on the blu-ray. But no, can't have DVD people getting what they want anymore.

 

[SaBaWoJuLe]

I didn't get the BD or DVD yet, but I wanted to ask; what is the overall feelings of the Carrie Kelly? Is it worth buying the BD, or should I stick to the DVD?

 

[Yojimbo]

I didn't get the BD or DVD yet, but I wanted to ask; what is the overall feelings of the Carrie Kelly? Is it worth buying the BD, or should I stick to the DVD?

I found that featurette too superficial and generic - talking heads from the comic industry saying "Yup. Yep. Yeah, Carrie. She was good for female superheroes." If it was a documentary, yeah I would recommend the BD. The special features were bad this time around. I didn't agree with the selection of Bonus episodes "Two-Face" Part One and Part Two. "Second Chance" and "Legends of the Dark Knight" would have made more sense, imo. The sneak peek, well, you can get that on any DVD version. That was the only good feature in this release, imo.

 

[Ed Liu]

I strongly suspect that the LotDK episode of BTAS is going to be one of the selections on part 2. Everyone's already comparing the two as it is. I also found the Carrie Kelly documentary ironic in a bad way because of all the talking heads saying how groundbreaking she was and how important for female superheroes when DC Comics has not only spectacularly failed to capitalize on her lead in any decent way, but then seemed to go out of its way to stomp all over Stephanie Brown when she inherited the Robin role.

Side note: the original graphic novel spells her name "Kelley" in one place and "Kelly" in another. Confuses me this does, but it seems like the movie is going with the latter spelling. I wonder which one is official.

 

[defunctzombie]

Kelly is because that's how my name is spelled.

Is it basically a "she brought women out of refrigerators" kind of praise? Pass.

 

[VladDraculi]

I have to disagree with the review saying it is the best Batman DTV. Under the Red Hood was still better.

 

[Ed Liu]

Is it basically a "she brought women out of refrigerators" kind of praise? Pass.

No, but only because that would require acknowledging the refrigerator, which seems to be a blind spot in the higher echelons of DC management. Even if one of the participants said something like that, I don't know that it would have passed muster with the higher-ups. I don't remember much of it and I only just watched it maybe two weeks ago, which probably should tell you plenty by itself. The bit I remember is b.t. saying something about how she livened up the movie whenever she showed up (which I'd agree with), but the rest was people saying she was groundbreaking and changed everything without citing specifics about how things changed afterwards because of Carrie Kelly. I don't remember a surge of female superheroes or sidekicks after she appeared, and the mainline Batman didn't get a female Robin for nearly 20 years. In the interim, I'm pretty sure we got the actual "women in refrigerators" moment in Green Lantern, Identity Crisis, and Stephanie Brown Robin (along with what happened to her and the aftermath).

All this just means that the documentary isn't a good enough reason to get the Blu-ray over the DVD, though, if sticker price is a bigger factor than high-definition.