BATMAN (1989) 4K UHD Blu-ray REVIEW

/ oliverharper
www.olivers-ret...
/ ollieh82
/ oliversretroreviews
/ oliverharper1982
Join the discord! / discord

[@wrestlingalliance3713]

"You want to get Teal? Come on. Let's get Teal."

[@ixnine]

“Have you ever danced with the devil in the teal moon light?”

[@rgerber]

@@ixnine haaaaaaaaaaaaahahaha

[@gokinsmen]

I have given a name to my pain...and it is teal color grading.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

The same thing was done to the older Bond films on Blu-ray.

[@allthingsclassicrock]

@Audiobook, it's funny you should say that I prefer the Director's Cut of Blade Runner to the Final Cut as it's not slathered in teal. 😂

[@ScaredStraightProductions]

I have a coloring timing to kill and I have teal in my claws

[@purefoldnz3070]

Excuse me. Have you ever swam in teal in the pale moonlight?

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

*Confused Michael Keaton* “What?”

[@BIGJXXX]

HHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@patrickmike2524]

I ask that of all my 4K , I just, like the sound of it

[@Gerickmb]

This is brilliant lol!!

[@TheMetalheart10]

Purefoldnz Never touch another man’s rhubarb!

[@gowkie3940]

I'm conflicted over the sound design in the new version, i appreciate the actual sounds of heavy weapons and pistols etc. But there is so much charm in the older versions sound.

[@retrogameblog8446]

The thing is when you take away the (sound) charm the scenes are so flat, people just looking at each other firing guns. It looks so much stupider with the new sound mix but the oringinal I could watch all day...

[@peartalks3876]

Meadows ok boomer

[@JaxDagger]

@@peartalks3876 i don't think you are allowed to say boomer on a video based on a film from 1989 xD

[@alosim1541]

@@retrogameblog8446 Not only that but the actual mixing is just not good. The new SFX sound way too clean and added in. It's not seamless at all.

[@alucard624]

The original sound effects added to the comic book aspect this film was going for. Adding realistic gunshot sounds and stuff turns it into a Nolan Batman film and that's not what this is. Both have their respective place.

[@skyry101]

Well, they most certainly rubbed a man's rhubarb with this update...

[@CPMest81]

🤣🤣👍🏼👍🏼

[@Pete-eb3vo]

Same here.

[@Tsaunders1307]

lol. Perfect

[@mikeadams7904]

No diddy

[@Kyntteri]

I think that the spaghetti wild west style gun sounds with that over the top use of ricochet whines fits perfectly to the overall theme. In fact after seeing that movie a dozen times my brain expect to hear those sounds and now that they are not present it feels wrong, so I have heavy bias to favor the original. New audiences probably don't notice anything being particularly off with them.

[@CRISPYPOP]

Did you say………spaghetti 😉

[@tristanfoss7469]

Batman 4k, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow.

[@brucewayne_666]

LIIIARRRRR

[@jackbuchanan9085]

...Because of The Dark Knight?

[@picolete]

Do they know that the movie doesnt need to look blue to be a Blue-Ray?

[@OcpCommunications]

This blu-ray needs an enema! A phenomenal job with the video and it is a damn shame this 4K release is so messed up in terms of the overly teal filters and the horrendous new sound mix. I will be sticking with my diamond luxe edition for now. Have you also noticed how bad white balance is in the 4K release of Ghostbusters(1984)? To me, it is just as shocking as Batman's. I would love to see a comparison video if you haven't made one of those already regarding that particular release compared to the others.

[@Pete-eb3vo]

@OcpCommunications I heard there is a box set coming out in September, maybe they might include the 5.1 from the first Blu Ray. I would totally love it if they took the PCM Stereo from the Laserdisc and synced it up, I would totally be happy with that. And also, that blue and teal is just way too much.

[@SimonChristensen]

Suggesting to turn off HDR on all/most 4K UHD movies, seems like there's a problem with your monitor/projector.

[@MattKayser]

I'm guessing he's not calibrated it properly, which is a common thread I see in a lot of reviews. Hey, it may just be his preference, which is fine, but it strikes me as odd. HDR adds so much depth and realism to the picture. It's not just about the colors themselves, it's about making films look more lifelike and less film-like. Some people don't like that and I can see both sides. Personally, I love my 4k stuff WITH the HDR.

[@edbeasant9494]

Or it could be the movies not implementing it well? Just a thought lol.

[@--Fish]

Shouldn't repair something that doesn't need repairing

[@bradleyj.fortner2203]

It needed to be in higher resolution. But, adding the teal lighting effects was dumb.

[@jonnyshanon2103]

@@bradleyj.fortner2203 teal lighting effects? What kind of display are you viewing it on? I would ask the same thing to the guy on the video. The 2160p is spectacular. Black levels and shadow detail are greatly improved on the UHD compared to the VC-1 Blu-ray the improvements here, and elsewhere, are less dramatic when compared to the remastered Blu-ray. Blacks are significantly richer and deeper and more complimentary to the photography and lighting.

[@bradleyj.fortner2203]

@@jonnyshanon2103 Whatever. Shit's still teal.

[@pferreira1983]

@@jonnyshanon2103 You are obviously colour blinded to teal.

[@pennygadget7328]

@@jonnyshanon2103 I'm watching on an HDR screen, and the image is royally FUCKED. Everything has a teal tinge, the contrast is cranked up to 11 which blows out everything (a ton of detail is absolutely obliterated), and there are cyan halos around all the hotspots. It's amateur hour stuff that makes me seriously wonder if it was graded on an (uncalibrated) SDR monitor. It's nice that the blacks are no longer crushed, but getting to see what you couldn't before comes at the expense of distorting or outright removing everything you already could.

[@Luzarioth]

8:35 "Give people options" is the solution for sooooooooooooo many problems when it comes to changing old stuff.

[@jaakkotalvitie4700]

Cthary Amen for that.

[@rh_BOSS]

This way they can sell you both the remaster and a couple of years later the remaster with optional sound tracks.

[@joshuacalkins]

With old movies that have multiple versions, like the original Star Wars trilogy, I’d like options that allow you to mix and match elements before pressing play. I’d pick a few enhancements from over the years, but ignore and effectively delete so many changes.

[@Clay3613]

Many niche releasing companies do this, why can't the big studios?

[@joshuacalkins]

I’d pay extra for a flexible, best of all worlds copy. Hell, I’d pay 5$ just to remove the cgi trash in A New Hope.

[@Nate-ll4do]

I think the "dance with the devil in the pale moonlight" might be the one positive change. That's it.

[@BigJackFilms]

I can see how fans are upset by this new transfer and while the teal gives an interesting and sharper look to the film, it feels like WB tried to color time it to make look more like Nolans Dark Knight Trilogy. My biggest problem? STOP REMOVING CLASSIC GUN SOUND EFFECTS IN MOVIES! Terminator, Scarface, Jaws, The Dollars Trilogy and now Batman? Why stop there and take it away from the most iconic for the sounds with Dirty Harry? What I love about the gun and explosions sounds of this movie is while the film has its own style and tone as a dark and serious take on Batman, many of the sound effects give the film its still needed comic book feel. Imagine getting rid of the POW! ZAP! WHAM! in the original 60s Batman show and replacing it with BLOODY NOSE! BROKEN ARM! SMASHED APPENDAGES! Bottom line Im so thankful I got the original blu ray box set when I did at the hockshop.

[@Pete-eb3vo]

@BigJackFilms I agree with you there, It is so frustrating when they change the sound effects for movies, and everytime they change the color timing, it never looks as nice or natural. At least with Jaws and Scarface, the original tracks are included, the only problem is that they don't sound as good as a Laserdisc, LOL! I heard that the Kino Blu Rays for the Dollars Trilogy were bringing back the original tracks in DTS HD, but I also heard that the colors for FOF & GBU are highly revisionist, and that GBU still has a couple video edit mistakes, and that the only way to get For a Few Dollars More uncut is still the German Blu Ray, and that the German Blu Ray for Fistful of Dollars is the best for color timing. So many classic movies are getting messed with. And also, while the Jaws Blu Ray looks really great, am I the only one that feels that its a bit too smooth? And the Quint monologue has inaccurate colors in a attempt to make the color timing more consistent.

[@jswatch9270]

Hey jack are u gonna review the 4k version of those 4 Batman films

[@PictureProductStudio]

Yes! The Terminator transfers got to a point where fans would rather listen to original mono then 5.1 because of how they messed up with gunshots!

[@jceliott7063]

The shoot outs reminding of old westerns and just works with the movie

[@andrewmillar1980]

100% agree the older sound sound effects are part of the charm

[@gaozhi2007]

Ha ha, exactly what I was thinking. Apparently, every other bullet richocheted in the old west.

[@kamdan2011]

It not just in westerns. ALL movies from the time period used those sound effects.

[@PictureProductStudio]

Old film noirs used pretty much the same style and that's probably what they were going for.

[@outsideredge]

Exactly. The Batman world is a mix of styles. 50's style buildings, clothes, and cars mixed with Batman's cutting-edge technology. BTAS especially highlighted this.

[@trevorrandom]

Oh dear why mess with a classic

[@Miller_Lite]

It’s not messed up if you don’t buy it.

[@trevorrandom]

@@Miller_Lite good point ☺

[@alexan2930]

Gotham here actually felt and looked like a gothic, dystopian city as opposed to the modern films where Gotham is basically Detroit or Chicago without any artistic vision or character behind it.

[@MrHEC381991]

All these 4K Blu-ray releases are bluer than the Eiffel 65 song, and their box covers are terrible. P.s Stop changing the sound effects!

[@aidanlynn]

the presentation and colour timing looks more like that unfinished footage from the original teaser trailer.

[@DangerKennyB]

Has anyone ever answered the question why in the trailer, Joker clearly says "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" but in the movie, the sound cuts to "Get those wonderful toys?" Always bugged the shit out of me.

[@bujilou]

Never noticed it :O

[@DangerKennyB]

@@bujilou Yeah, check it out, unless they've fixed it in a more recent release. It looks like bad editing as it gets a tiny part of "he" but not anything before.

[@JaxDagger]

in the bluray? because every version i've seen he always says where does he get those wondeful toys, but i havent watched the 4k bluray yet

[@DangerKennyB]

@@JaxDagger Original movie release and subsequent VHS version, it was cut, sounded like a mistake in the cut of the dialogue. I have seen the blu-ray and it does restore the line.

[@mosesjones5376]

I've always noticed that since it first came out on vhs. It always seemed like he said "Get those wonderful toys". But turns out the audio has been mastered in a way that makes the "Where does he..." part virtually in audible (you'd have to turn it up real loud to hear that part). The special edition DVD adjust the audio so that the full line is more audible.

[@makara80]

Thanks for this Ollie, I was going to buy Batman on UHD.....and now I'm not! Think I'll stick with my Blu Ray of the film. Shame. :(

[@gun1987gunn]

I personally think this is a fabulous 4K. I much prefer the new audio too.

[@JosephASobora]

I'm sticking to my Blu-ray Steelbook, this is a disgrace! What it up with studios remastering a print, with the overuse of color grading, noice and sound mixes? Are they trying this hard making the presentation look new again, like it came out this year? I really don't like the blue tint, the abundance of white balance and the sound effects changed! It just doesn't work!

[@kaeltaylor9505]

The building explosion was the only better sound to me.

[@georgejones8481]

Got the Blu Ray....not sweating this

[@dnasty312]

Those *classic gunshot SFX* make the movie!! 😦 Great work again, Mr. Oliver 👍👍

[@pho3nix-]

Never rub another mans rhubarb!

[@PhoenixWright101]

The dialogue in the Burton movies is so much more quotable than the later iterations of the character.

[@Slashingthrough]

I hate what they did with the colours it's horrible. Such a mess I am keeping my blurays for sure!

[@DJSkandalous]

Thanks for this. I been collecting 4K Remasters for my digital and physical libraries. I guess I'll have to pass on this one 😩

[@LILGHETTI]

I wish they kept the original sound effects and the original color grading teal fest. Nice review!

[@dbreiden83080]

When you re-release in higher quality, all you are supposed to be doing is cleaning it up more. Not altering the colors or the sound. This is ridiculous..

[@mythicalgnome2527]

caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=496&y=329&d1=13177&d2=13179&s1=131587&s2=131619&l=1&i=0&go=1 They went back to the negative. Maybe actually consider researching the issue and stop trusting every youtube vid you see.

[@Saverio34]

Excellent side by side sound comparison, Oliver. The 4K version just sounds more updated. I’m not sure if it is better or anything but just sounds more updated.

[@beatlecost]

Well, it's a remake hahah. Am thinking of upgrading to a 4K player, but seeing these, the Terminator 1 sound effects and a couple more I think I'll wait. At least they did an excellent job on the Predator 4K transfer, as opposed to the ultimate hunter edition blu-ray, also known as the "plastic Carl Weathers one".

[@walter_the_wobot2349]

My HD iTunes version was upgraded by apple for free to 4K. The film looks amazing, but interestedly the sound mix is the original.

[@darthwarren4599]

Same with vudu version

[@lewjones3]

Meh.. I prefer the old "outdated " sound effects.. fits the movie more

[@DLPHomeCinema]

You do realize you aren't shutting off HDR you are just having Oppo do the tone mapping, this has nothing to do with the content on the disc...

[@carlesmr1835]

2:10, Batman’s utility belt repositioning after the twist!

[@calelsun]

That's bat puberty....

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

I still have my Batman Anthology DVD set, it sounds and looks brilliant on DVD which is really rare for films or tv. And Oliver talked briefly about Thunderbirds, when the U.K. Blu-Ray came out they cropped the picture and had mixed the sound very badly, the best versions are the US or JP Blu-Ray. Which is why Network Distributing handled both Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, they remastered both the picture and sound extremely well. I believe this is also why they’re handling the new remastering of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

[@JBalderas1990]

Wtf...the sound effect comparisons blow my mind. The sound effects is what furthers the nostalgia even more. I think a true fan of this movie can instinctively cue the sound effects in their head while thinking of this movie. It is part of the whole art of making this film.

[@MCCrleone354]

Check out the replaced gun sound effects for The Terminator and Scarface. They sound worse than the ones for Batman ‘89 on 4K.

[@alucard624]

At first l liked the updated gun sounds for Scarface but now I prefer the original mix. I believe on the Blu-Ray you can switch back and forth between the mixes if I'm not mistaken so I'm glad that option was included. I haven't heard the sounds for the 4K version of The Terminator but I can imagine they all sound like modern action movie gun sounds versus what was used back then.

[@alucard624]

@bigevilworldwide1 The shootout at the end is the best part IMO, and not just because the movie is nearly over either.

[@atariboy9084]

I got see the movie in NYC theater in 89 and for me its a comic book movie and I love the classic sound effect more it fit the mood better but trying to add a real sounds in a comic movie just don't fit right.

[@Nitrobotti]

That sounds so wrong! Oh well, I'll wait for a fan edit with right colors and the original audio.

[@kamdan2011]

Nitrobotti, for a while, iTunes’ version of the movie was that. They updated it with the new sound mix, but others still say it’s the original mix is still there, so your mileage may vary.

[@gamestation2690]

They ARE the right colors. The teal was present (and even moreso) in the original 35mm copies

[@Nitrobotti]

@@gamestation2690 I find that hard to believe but I've never seen the movie in a theater (even though I've had several chances to see it on 35mm) so I can't say you're lying or anything. The audio is still the biggest problem to me though. I hate when they do new radical sound mixes and leave out the original track. Absolute bullshit!

[@Pete-eb3vo]

@GameStation3 Ummm no disrespect but I think you're not telling the truth, Oliver Harper flat out said that he saw a 70MM print of Batman and it had none of the teal of the 4K master and the first Blu Ray was much more accurate with the exception of being a bit bright in certain areas. Movies in the 80s do not have teal.

[@NLScavenger]

@@Nitrobotti There is teal present in the 35mm prints at the Library of Congress and Academy Film Archive: zauberklang.ch/filmcolors/galleries/batman-1989/

[@Skinadious]

Great review! The sound comparison was world's different!

[@SunFlower-xo7zw]

Skins8thecake sounds much better though!

[@CheekyCatholic]

I thought I was going nuts with the color stuff. I ended up rewatching the whole thing on the previous Bluray version and prefer that color scheme as it's more true to the original movie. I think the blue hue does give Batman Returns some enhancements and think that the Batman Returns remaster was pretty good

[@darthkurland]

What works for one film doesn’t necessarily work for another.

[@blueplanet9917]

Still the best Joker (Sorry Heath).

[@darthlogan6679]

Blue Planet finally someone who agrees with me Heath is overrated(I still like Heath but Jack is better)

[@blueplanet9917]

Right? I could quote 1989 Joker all day long unlike 2008 Joker. Jack Nicholson played both cracked and hilarious in perfect balance. Also that Smylex commercial cracks me up every time I think of it. xD "That luscious tan, those ruby lips, and hair color so natural only your undertaker knows for sure Hahahahaha."

[@darthlogan6679]

Blue Planet my favorite scenes with him is..........hell all of them I loved the museum scene and the parade scene so much

[@MrJjburgess11]

Both are great. But over time I have come to like Heath's version a little better. And I loved Jack's version for years. I seen 1989 Batman at the theater when I was 10. Was my favorite movie for years.

[@TheJoker-jv3ou]

We all are allowed to have our own opinions and that's all that matters.

[@MrGlasspider]

Dammit, how I love that shot with Joker sitting in Grissom's chair. Best looking Joker ever.

[@thefonzkiss]

MrGlasspider He’s your number one guy

[@MrGlasspider]

@@thefonzkiss Yes! Numer one... a guuuuuy! =D

[@XrisD147]

The new sound fx to my ears give it a more realistic sound quality rather than a 1950s western wiz wiz bang bang quality that it had, this film is in my mind still a modern film, but I think I'm happy with me blu ray version of it still. uhd discs are still v expensive, on ebay you can get bluies near mint, sometimes completely mint for about three quid! eg Wall Street. I wish they wouldn't bother doing new art for old films and give me original art work/graphics on the case cover.

[@Obscure_man31]

Well lets hope some one gives this some color correction

[@Obscure_man31]

@@gamestation2690 that could be age because movies back would age example star wars

[@AAWinnerMichaelCaine]

Internet Fanedit Database (IFDB) is your friend. Their JL edit (Justice League: Reborn) did a comprehensive color job that fixed the garish palette. I'm sure someone can do it for this one.

[@pennygadget7328]

@@gamestation2690 no, it wasn't, stop saying that. Cyan halos around the hotspots are evidence of the tint being applied, and poorly, as a separate filter during the digital grading process.

[@mattfernandes9580]

I LOVE the old sound effects. Having said that, the new sound effects for the batwing machine gun fire is amazing

[@CPMest81]

I have to agree there, the batwing sounded great.

The sparks are blue and the fire is purple. Yuck! The new sounds are better, but not what I grew up with. Definitely sticking with my standard blu-ray.

[@NedRush]

Orange and teal is everywhere now. I’m not fussed with people cleaning up stuff for modern home technology, but replacing stuff is a bit rubbish. I’d like to watch this with the new sound design, as I always thought the old ones sounded very stock like a Road Runner cartoon, but I’d still prefer it over replaced sound.

[@flamesphere3144]

They really messed the Batwing assault and Joker’s gun

[@phantomcorps3373]

I actually don't mind the updated gun sounds. They always sounded cheesy to me, even when I was eleven. They sounded like an old western. It really jarred me. The new gun effects and cleaned up audio might make me revisit the film now. :D

[@heavyspoilers]

Great video, must’ve seen the original print 100 times but I actually really enjoyed the new 4k transfer, feel like it’s my new favourite way to watch the film

[@kamdan2011]

Hate how you can hear remnants of the original mix in the Atmos remix. Makes it more half-assed that they just layered new sound effects over the old ones. They also remixed the sequels. Not as drastic, but still noticeable and no option to hear the original.

[@caidema]

I like the new sound effects a little better actually. But the teal coloring is awful

[@Verdadeiro]

This 4K of Batman is a disgrace. And from what I have seen the color issue happens with Returns (1992) and perhaps less with Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997). I was able to include the original unadultered audio from the 1080p Blu-ray in it (for 4K I mean the lossless Matroska file), and apparently no resync was needed, even though a few sources say I need to introduce a negative delay of 167ms. Still that doesn't solve the problem with the wrong color grading. If you need to make a series of adjustments in each movie in your TV or player, to make it less wrong than it really is, then that defeats the idea of having these 4Ks, and also is a workaround that doesn't solve anything, because you are trying to ammeliorate what is already messed up. A better "workaround" are projects like Dracula (1979), for example, in the internet we will find a version created by a fan in which the film was restored by researching the original technicolor process and replicating that process in a digital environment. Suffice it to say, a three strip RGB approach was used to re-apply the removed tints while pushing what information was available in the image as much as possible. It is by no means 100% but it’s pretty close and already superior to any VHS and/or LaserDisc copy in the opinion of the person who created it. As you all know Dracula (1979) when it was re-issued for a Widescreen Laserdisc release in 1991 the director chose to alter the color timing, desaturating the look of the film (and that's why it looks like garbage). And you may ask why Crapner does what it does with these classics, by butchering them and insisting in drawing a moustache in the Mona Lisa? The answer is quite simple: just look what they tried to do with colorization decades ago. It's the same modus operandi now. Those of you who watch a lot of Hollywood MODERN movies may have noticed a certain trend that has consumed the industry in the last decades: ORANGE AND TEAL color grading. They want Batman to look like as if it was made yesterday. Crapner did the same with the Superman movies in 1080p Blu-rays. For the first Superman (1978) they corrected the colors for the 4K release, even though a few scenes are wrong (one specific, when Supe tries to save Lois, is too dark in the 4K, while the 1080p is fine). Well, the Superman movies suffered with this and now Batman has an obnoxious blue tone permeating all the movie! I'll say this again: all these movies with wrong color grading are a complete disgrace and we should boycott them as much as possible and suspect shady companies like this one are tempering with them in the worst way possible. As for the audio I want to remember that Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006) suffers from the exact same issue: this director in all his arrogance (to get rid of everything Lester did) changed everything in terms of sound effects, even added voices that weren't there (at the same time also removed a few lines), changed the soundtrack (from Ken Thorne to John Williams - and as much as I love JW, the addition of his material didn't made sense in much of this version)... and the result is a big pile of shit, that would be better if were posted on KZbin, or in an online board with video editors trying to show off! In fact a video editor would have done a much better job in my opinion. Even the new special effects look awful, like the fire diverted from Zod (from the flamethrower). You can easily tell when a sound effect comes from a modern movie because it's too loud and badly done, sometimes it's even muffled, too much conspicuous and annoying. That's not the same as saying the old sound effects were a masterpiece created by angels, only that they have their charm and distinction, that is totally ruined when some fool tries to replicate them in a modern computer! The same argument can be used for special effects created decades ago and those of now, CGI that in modern films look more fake than a cartoon, and in which there's no proper use of other tools that made movies like Jurassic Park (1993) so great (JP combines both CGI and other techniques, and does that brillhantly), for example if we pick an old Superman movie with Chris Reeve, many scenes where the actor is being lifted to fly appear to be realistic, contrary to what we see now that it's 90% fine-tuned by a computer. As for the Blu-ray forum you mention in the end, I tried to warn these clowns these companies are spoiling all these movies by doing all sorts of changes that a purist and true fan of cinema should never accept (because like I said before, it's like drawing a moustache in the Mona Lisa painting and trying to tell it has the same value) and was met with scorn, criticism and they even deleted messages I and others posted about this. They mocked me because I used an iPAD and a PC to explain how the image really looks like, they only blamed the devices, not accepting these 4Ks are that way. With the exception of a few users that are really critical, love these classics and also hate these unnecessary and filled with contempt changes, the rest only cares about money and trying to show off. These Blu-ray reviewers, I am sorry to say (and this isn't a shock to anyone) are all bought off. Of course they will argue the picture quality is amazing and the new Atmos track is perfect, and will never compare them with previous home video releases (it should be an obligation to do the latter) because these sites profit from the ignorance and misery of their users. I wouldn’t be surprised if they praised these discs with fake accounts, too. Not to be rude, just telling the truth even if hurts: if any of you reading me trust them or any similar site that reviews Blu-rays, then my friend you are an imbecile. I stopped supporting physical media many years ago and when I see this sort of thing I don't regret one bit. Oliver, thank you for fighting the good fight and for all your great work. You sir, are an inspiration and contrary to these companies (or most of them) really care about what you review. I'll continue to be a voice crying in the wilderness, because in this world everything that is fake is praised and the final objective is to replace what is good with what they feel it's better. That's why Crapner don't care about offering the original audio mix and thinks it's acceptable to change the colors. The aftermath when we start accepting these versions is that in the future they will do any sort of change (no matter what) and we will still not complain.

[@Pondimus_Maximus]

The best Batman film ever made, featuring the meanest, sexiest Batmobile ever. 🖖😀

[@MattHawes]

It's interesting how there are often changes in sound from an original theatrical screening to VHS release, and onto later formats. While my memory on specifics has gotten rusty over the years, I saw "Batman" (1989) in the theater as a young adult, and bought it when it was first released on VHS in the U.S. that fall, and I noticed changes in the soundtrack even then. I could swear the background music at the party at Wayne manor was different in the theatrical release from the home video release. Anyway, thanks for the review!

[@neohg13blaze89]

BEST BATMAN OF ALL!!! DARK GLOOMY, AWSOME!!! [not the 4k version]

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

You’re pretty spot on in your assessment Oliver. The 4ks for all four are a disappointment and mere catalog updates for WB. The 4k UHD for 89 has less teal and is at least a better presentation than the 1080p remastered disc as that suffers from some of the same issues as the Matrix remastered Blu-ray. You’re right that there is no official indication of any original crew members being consulted for any of the four transfers. They likely would have balked. Even with the teal being more minimal in the 4k of 89 on the UHD it is still off. I agree the overall look is not what an original print looks like. However Returns is absolutely ruined with teal throughout and NONE of that is in an original print. The audio is a disaster and ruins the effect of the mix of time periods in the film. The old SEDVD DTS you mentioned is good but like many dts dvd tracks is merely a few decibels louder than the Dolby track. The best sounding audio for 89 is still the old original mix releases on the Laserdisc and original flipper dvd. They have much more low end and still sound so good that it makes the Atmos totally unnecessary. For years I’ve waited for properly dark transfers of the Burton films and new transfers for the sequels and this dumping out is apparently all we’re going to get. It’s extremely disheartening. The audio for all three sequels are also remixes but less obviously so. It will still drive us fans nuts. I had hoped that 4k revisits night finally mean the director’s cut of Forever would be released but I doubt that will ever happen unfortunately.

[@darthkurland]

Especially now that Joel Schumacher died over the weekend at the age of 80.

[@George_M_]

Oh god it's so blue! It's so blue! I'm sticking to DVD lol It's like pink special edition Star Wars all over again.

[@the3dbros]

George M The blue tint is in the original film negative

[@BatMan-ke4ov]

@@the3dbros How many skekels do you receive for lying?

[@Clay3613]

At least buy the older Blu-ray, it dosen't cost more than $6!

[@Clay3613]

@bigevilworldwide1 Superman Returns looked like poo on home media from the get-go.

[@the3dbros]

Bat Man Go back to 4chan with that shekel talk. Secondly, a user on bluray.com had 35mm cells of the film and posted pics of it on their forum...there was a blue tint that matches the 4K copy.

[@thefonzkiss]

Did they fix the flub after the chemical plant explosion where Batman turns around and his belt slips down? It’s really noticeable. Easy to CGI fix that. That and the goofy first birds eye shot of a clearly animated Batman were the only things that could have been fixed.

[@darthkurland]

The Fonz actually, only his shadow was animated in that shot. They were trying to make it look more dramatic.

[@frederickreed6393]

A big disappointment on the 4k version of Batman (1989), I rather watch the 1st version, Blu Ray

[@dnasty312]

I have that with the book cover

[@WhistleMeThis]

The campy gun sound effects add to the movie’s unusual aura. I don’t think it’s all that detrimental to update them to more modern gunshot sounds, but I do understand why it irritates fans who experimented that great weirdness of the movie back in the day.

[@Harri927]

I stuck with the original Blu ray .

[@tastymustard6234]

You're missing out.

[@Harri927]

Tasty Mustard I don’t have a 4K player.

[@lowlifelenny]

I avoid 4k rereleases pretty much because of things like this. Taking a classic movie and altering the palette and contrast to look more modern only hurts the art. 1080p for life, at least until they get the message.

[@lucasoldwine1130]

It's not all about pleasing old fan nostalgia. Some may be displeased with this release but it's evident that the film has been improved for a modern audience. It looks and sounds less dated. And as an old school 80's Batman fan, I felt like I was watching a new film, noticing so many new details, couldn't ask for more!

[@MattKayser]

Same. I still have my old Blu-Rays, so it's not like I can't watch the old version if I want. I really enjoyed watching the 4K version.

[@nublafiednubbie]

I already have it on VHS / Laserdisc / DVD / Blu Ray.....i ain't wasting money on a 4K setup...Blu-ray is Ridiculously great already

[@BatMan-ke4ov]

👍

[@AJbassist]

the blue I am okay with but the sound in the other hand make it sounds boring, the original sounded dangerous

[@Pete-eb3vo]

@AJ Exactly! They took all the grittiness out of it. Like they did with Jaws, Terminator, Scarface, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, A Better Tomorrow, etc etc.

[@lhart99]

Thanks for the review. I really wanted to purchase this 4k version of Batman. However, seeing that the new editing is nothing short of shit, I'll stick to my Blu-Ray version for now.

[@teriyakipigeon1838]

hot take: i prefer the new version

[@sehnzeleid]

The new sound effects aren't acceptable but done with some care. Terminator '84's 5.1 mix replaced pistol sounds with shotgun blasts and silenced pistol sounds with Dirty Harry hand cannon sounds. Absolute hackjob compared to this.

[@ARIGHETTI]

They shouldn't change the color and sounds it takes away the nostalgia!! 🤷‍♂️🤨

[@thatsfxguy]

I agree with you about the colour and sound... it sounds like it's just all been metal with for the sake of it. if they intend to remastered the soundtrack they should have left the option to have the original soundtrack available on the Blu-ray that way everybody is satisfied. As a sound effects fan I think the old cinesound sound sound effects used sounded way better and gave the film an iconic feel to it you don't see anymore anura productions and remasters of old classics. Maybe Warner brothers should learn from this. New isn't always better.

[@kristofferabild]

Turn HDR off? That seems wrong. What are you watching this on?

[@KennethKralyJr]

Great review Oliver as always. I did not pick up this Batman 89 4K for the reasons you explained in the video so I will be keeping my old Blu-Ray Disc copy of the film. The teal , magenta and orange color grade just ruins it for me because it's not the way the film was shot. The old Star Wars Original Trilogy Blu-Ray Disc of the SE's suffered from this thank goodness the colors are somewhat fixed on the recent 4K UHD remasters on Disney + Plus and on 4K Disc but it's a problem that a lot of studios go through with remasters dial everything up to 11 with HDR and make the picture too dark and add in the awful teal , magenta and orange color grade films like Terminator 1 and 2 , this Batman 4K and as I pointed out the old Star Wars Original Trilogy Blu-Ray Disc of the SE's suffered from this. Just make a good transfer without all that teal , magenta and orange get it to the way the director and cinematographer shot the movie. Ugh just get it right. Which is sad because Warner Bros. recent 4K transfers of The Wizard of Oz , 2001: A Space Odyssey , and The Shining are all great transfers and The HDR is not as blown out on those transfers as this one is. Audio changes why make the changes to the original mix in the 1st place.

[@volatile86]

Batman Begins is trash compared to the 89 Batman. How do you know it's not like the comics? I'm guessing you've read every Batman comic? I've read many Batman comics and Burton's version is much closer than Nolan's version.

[@darthkurland]

Just remove the teal filter and you have the best-looking presentation of this film ever.

[@33carpntr]

Lol Commodore 64. I had a Commodore plus 4 and could do nothing but play QBert.

[@Valenni]

I had a plus 4 that came with Fire Ant and Icicle Works. Great days.

[@jefflampert6336]

Based on your clips, I don't like it. The only thing of some merit was raising Batman's voice "Have You Ever danced..." but that is really minor. The teal look is terrible iMO. The over-the-top gun blasts totally throw off the artistic balance (for lack of a better word). It just doesn't fit. Hey, let's re-master the sound effects of The Wild Bunch and make every gunshot at the end sound like a cannon. Yeah, that's the ticket....

[@jimcameron1234]

I prefere the new mix as in case of MATRIX trilogys + SUPERMAN, i wish ALIEN 4K would also have also a new DOLBY ATMOS remix audio track too

[@Pete-eb3vo]

@Jim Cameron Just because its Atmos, doesn't make it better, they ruined the sound effects on the Atmos of Batman. Be grateful that Alien has no sound effects changes on the 4K/

[@Pete-eb3vo]

@Pan Wrebski Define "Batman Theatricals". Also, they should have at the very least have the original soundmix from the old Blu Ray. Or even better, have the original PCM Stereo from the Laserdisc and the 5.1 from the old snapper case DVD from 1997.

[@jimcameron1234]

@@Pete-eb3vo sold all my Laserdiscs many years ago i am Sammy 1969

[@jimcameron1234]

@@Pete-eb3vo but Ridley Scott's other classic BLADE RUNNER DOLBY ATMOS remix is A1 or SUPERMAN or MATRIX 1-3 nobody miss . the original theatrical mix of all 5 classics

[@jimcameron1234]

@@Pete-eb3vo don't forget the new remix was done under Tim Burtons supervision greenlighted so it is his Film we have to except and must respect his will

[@koklusz89]

Oliver, could you share more info about home theater setup? I'm asking because from what I've seen in this video there might be something very wrong with how you're watching your HDR content. Assuming you have HDR compatible display you should newer allow your disc player to do any kind of tone and gamut mapping, instead you should let display handle it. Even the high end UHD players are frankly garbage at converting HDR to SDR. At one point you mention that setting your player to BT2020 colorspace helped the movie to look less teal, but that's because all HDR content is encoded in BT2020, so you actually making the movie look more correct by doing so.

[@jwnj9716]

Still a great film although my favorite is Batman Returns.

[@bobshortforkate2364]

Danny Devito..the Best Penguin Ever

[@jwnj9716]

@@bobshortforkate2364 Plus I love the soundtrack by Danny Elfman.

[@cappuccino9102]

I am the only one that likes the new sound effects? They both work, but the new mix sounds more realistic to me.

[@thunter992]

I guess I'm the only one that the sounds doesn't bother me at all but the just tint color over everything is a downer for me

[@TheJedwardo]

don’t forget the sound effects are also the ones that get to be used in the lego batman 1 game and it adds a bit of continuity as well with the actual danny elfman score not to mention whenever something batman is done they use this movies things

[@toddlongbottom9455]

I myself am used to the older style sound. But on the other side of the coin I do appreciate the more realistic approach they have taken. Another version to appreciate.

[@vykuntapufangtxpreet9546]

8:36 Yeah Who Cares About Filmmarkers' Right To Do Whatever They Want To Do With Their Film.

[@jaeeph2882]

I disagree on two points. When Vicky Vale and Batman jump into the Batmobile and slide the top closed It felt like I was watching it in a theater in the 90s. I think we got used to VHS, DVD and Blu-ray transfers over the years. They're not spot on. That Batmobile shot, although teal, felt authentic. Second point - I like the new sound effects better. The old stock sounds are too distracting. Keep up the good work, amigo!

[@micpere1991]

I dont see any problem with the sound effects. And yes ive grown up with this film and Batman Returns, so I'm quite familiar with how the original 89 sounds. I will say the color grading looks weird at first glance, but after watching the comparisons a few times I kinda like it. Just my opinion of course.

[@JaxDagger]

I watched your turtles videos and came to realise we lived very similar lives when it comes to movies, very similar views but you always have little small memories of things from release that i forget about, I was 4 when batman came out and i remember seeing a trailer for it on another VHS rental, rented it as soon as it came out and its been one of my favourite movies ever since, i also remember when returns came out i was getting hyped to go see it with 2 older friends until they found out i wasn't old enough as it wasn't a PG release either, disappointing time, and every christmas the first one used to be on TV it literally became my christmas movie, sitting around playing with my batman figures, re-enacting the end scene with joker and batman on the top of the ghostbusters house that christmas in 91 on BBC1 I never fail to come away from your videos without having a memory brought back, keep up the good work my man hope to see you hitting that 1million subs in a few years times, you deserve it.

[@donaldduck7461]

Reworking the sounds, drives me crazy. The worst offender is The Terminator, the shotguns sounds like pop guns & the handgun sounds like a silencer!

[@845835]

With regard to the gunfire I prefer the 4K because they removed the childish ricochet sounds that for some God awful reason are still used today. I've even watched films and TV shows that have included bullet ricochet sounds in jungle gun battles. Seriously, how does someone earn a decent paycheck for adding ricochet sounds to bullets hitting dirt!

[@RedRanger2001]

In the words of Anger: Congratulations, Warner Bros.! You've ruined the sound effects on Batman! First the 5.1 sound mix on The Terminator back in 2001 and now YOU! (However, there's an option for a mono track for The Terminator on DVD...)

[@KaeganThornhillTheCyberRaven]

A lot of these new sound effects sounds much softer/more muted; Like you have cotton stuck in your ear.

[@monsterofgod3315]

This movie has terrible compression artifacts on the blu ray disk included. And the color is terrible. I thought there was something wrong with my tvs color settings. So I went and bought the steelbook blu ray version and its a much better watch.

[@jamessiddle7389]

Just watched the 4K release for the first time, I hated the new sound effects, it just isn't Batman, sound plays a huge part and messing with it just takes away what makes this movie so darn good.

[@riftshredder5438]

I actually kinda like those new sound effects, don't get me wrong I love Batman, I grew up with that movie, but I always had an issue with those gun shot sound effects, it made the movie sound like a cheesy old western

[@wrek1ent]

The old effects are cheesey but like you said it does fit. The new effects are barely audible. 😅😂😆