Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

Anyone who saw Sergio G. Sánchez’s well-regarded psychological ghost story The Orphanage will know what to expect from his latest offering as writer/director. Set in the rural gothic heartland of late 1960s America, The Secret of Marrowbone is a creepy, claustrophobic exercise that builds its mystery well and is frequently gorgeous to look at but ultimately feels like an aperitif for a main course that should have been much tastier.

A mother leaves Britain with her four children and moves to America, where they set up residence in her childhood home (the eponymous Marrowbone). She wants the family to rebuild their lives and leave the past behind, and before she dies she makes her eldest son Jack promise to keep his brothers and sister together inside the house, not revealing her death until he turns 21 and is legally able to care for them. The siblings manage to keep their mother’s passing a secret for several months but, when Jack falls in love with a local girl named Allie and attempts to arrange transfer of the house, Marrowbone’s haunted past is stirred up yet again. Between a ghost in the attic and some cursed money their mother took from their father, sinister events escalate. The siblings have always believed their abusive father is dead and bricked up behind the wall, so is he the spectre the youngest brother sees inside a mirror? Or is their father actually alive, and plotting his revenge? When the town lawyer becomes suspicious and blackmails Jack to get his hands on the family fortune, the Marrowbone secret fractures in the grimmest, most macabre way possible.

It’s hard to write a proper synopsis of The Secret of Marrowbone because, like many good ghost stories (or is it a ghost story?), if you pull on the wrong thread the whole thing starts to unravel. What doesn’t cause Marrowbone to unravel are some fine central performances, especially George MacKay as Jack and The Witch’s Anya Taylor-Joy as Allie (whose performance is so good that the film seemed to slow down every time she leaves the screen) but, although it’s certainly heavy on atmosphere, The Secret of Marrowbone telegraphs too many of its scares to be properly unsettling. It has all the trappings this kind of excursion needs, but Sánchez has forgotten one thing – the most effective ghost stories are also very, very simple. Unfortunately, there’s so much going on here that the whole melange becomes slightly confused, and when the big reveal arrives it’s not really much of a surprise. In fact, most seasoned horror fans will probably see the twist coming after the first act.

Still, it looks great, the cast is solid, and you might find yourself glancing nervously over your shoulder at least once or twice during the couple of hours it takes to unfold. With a few less ingredients, this could have been something special… a bit like The Orphanage, which also badly over-egged its pudding.

THE SECRET OF MARROWBONE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: SERGIO G. SÁNCHEZ / STARRING: GEORGE MACKAY, ANYA TAYLOR-JOY, CHARLIE HEATON, MIA GOTH / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 19TH

If you’re looking for something a little less computer generated for your kids this Christmas, this English language version of the 2017 French film Le Grand Méchant Renard et Autres Contes might be just the ticket. On the other hand, children raised on frenetic fare like Hotel Transylvania might find it a little slow and simple, despite the fact that you’re getting three (short) stories for the price of one.

Of course, it’s not as CG-phobic as it looks; the characters and background might be hand-drawn but the animation itself was done on computers. But this is definitely a production at the more traditional end of the market; if you enjoyed Renner’s previous big-screen outing Ernest et Célestine, you’ll know what to expect. Originally conceived as a series of half-hour episodes for television, Benjamin Renner and his team added a linking conceit and released the film theatrically, and now it’s out on DVD with the likes of Adrian Edmondson, Bill Bailey and Celia Imrie doing the UK dub.

The stories take place in and around a farmyard, the eponymous fox (New) presenting a wraparound ‘theatre production’ which, frankly, doesn’t add an awful lot. In ‘A Baby to Deliver’, a lazy stork crashes into the yard claiming to be too badly injured to carry on and deliver its package, thus leaving it to pig (Edwards) and his two rather hare-brained associates, rabbit (Edmondson) and duck (Bailey), to get baby Pauline to her new parents in Avignon. Next up is the title story, in which fox and his friend wolf (Goode) hatch a plan to steal some eggs and raise the chicks till they’re plump enough to eat, until the newborns imprint upon the fox as their ‘mummy’, that is. Finally we’re back with pig, rabbit and duck, who accidentally destroy a plastic Santa which they mistake for the real thing, and then believe it’s up to them to save Christmas.

There’s nothing too taxing or too involving here, just a very modest set of slightly farcical plots involving some not terribly bright farm animals, and it’s all good-natured fun, mostly dwelling on misunderstandings and fortuitously contrived happy endings. But that’s not to say Renner and his cohorts haven’t been inventive enough to keep things moving along, and the characters are such archetypes of children’s fiction they pretty much write themselves.

The English-language cast does a reasonable job with material that isn’t designed to stretch them, and while the character animations are somewhat basic (and at 12 fps), they’re also endearing in their awkwardness. The backgrounds, however, are mostly quite gorgeous watercolour-style paintings – and the extra feature, in which a handful of children interview the cartoon’s creators (albeit in French, with subtitles), is terrific.

Extras: making of

THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: BENJAMIN RENNER, PATRICK IMBERT / SCREENPLAY: BENJAMIN RENNER, JEAN REGNAUD / STARRING: BILL BAILEY, ADRIAN EDMONDSON, JUSTIN EDWARDS, MATTHEW GOODE, CELIA IMRIE, PHILL JUPITUS, GILES NEW / RELEASE DATE: 26TH NOVEMBER

Originally released in 1988, John Carpenter’s They Live joins the ever-expanding list of Carpenter classics to get the swanky 4K Ultra HD treatment. Is this new release of an old favourite worth picking up, though, or is this simply consumerism at its finest?

Plot-wise, They Live sees “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s Nada drift into a tale of capitalist aliens intent on keeping the world ticking over with subliminal media messages. Oh, and Nada discovers this conspiracy after donning a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see these otherworldly sorts and their instructions for what they really are. Kind of out there? Sure, but this Piper-headlined affair is brimming with social commentary about the power of the media and advertising in the 1980s; something which is still applicable to this very day. Alongside Piper, there’s a scene-stealing turn from Keith David as someone who befriends the wandering Nada, even if this burgeoning friendship is a temperamental one that leads to one of the greatest fight sequences in cinema history. Much like the audience upon a first viewing, David’s Frank struggles to get to grips with the surreal narrative that’s unravelling in front of him.

While They Live isn’t quite in the top echelon of John Carpenter’s movies, it is Carpenter at his satirical best, and arguably at his most terrifying where it pertains to real-life horrors. Let’s face it, politics and consumerism drive the world, and this is what the famed Horror Master gloriously pokes fun at here. But the message conveyed by Carpenter would only be funny if it wasn’t so scarily true. It’s a stark reminder to not just blindly stroll through life, accepting what is presented to you by those in power or with influence.

Of course, you’re likely well, well aware of They Live, its plot, its performances, and whether you’re a fan of it or not. So, that means you’re probably here to find out what marks yet another release of this beloved picture as something that you should contemplate buying. The new 4K restoration is fantastic, and the new crispness to the film only further adds to Roddy Piper’s everyman charm. It also makes the creepy alien types look even more eerily impressive, and you similarly get an added appreciation of some of Carpenter’s beautiful visuals.

In terms of the bonus features included in this new release, there’s a frankly ridiculous amount to sift through – including the CD soundtrack and a hefty booklet. The audio commentary with director Carpenter and star Piper has been heard before, but it’s one that is consistently engaging as these two genre faves get to wax lyrical about their time working together. It makes for a hugely enjoyable listen, and it’s a reminder of just how damn fascinating and fun the sadly deceased Piper was.

Ultimately, the biggest take-home from rewatching They Live in 2018 is how scarily relevant this 1988 effort still is to this day.

And while we’re got your attention, the 4K restoration of They Live is screening at cinemas around the country. For full details on when and where They Live, The Fog, Prince of Darkness, and Escape from New York are playing, be sure to head on over to https://www.johncarpenter4k.co.uk.

Special Features: Audio commentary with John Carpenter and Roddy Piper / Subversion: Exposing John Carpenter brand-new documentary / Original EPK: The Making of They Live / John Carpenter, Roddy Piper, and Meg Foster profiles / Interviews with John Carpenter, Meg Foster, and Keith David / Fake commercials / TV spots / photo gallery / CD soundtrack / 48-page illustrated booklet / 5 artcards

THEY LIVE 4K ULTRA HD / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JOHN CARPENTER / STARRING: RODDY PIPER, KEITH DAVID, MEG FOSTER, GEORGE FLOWER, RAYMOND ST. JACQUES / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

In 2014, film journalist Rüdiger Suchsland released From Caligari to Hitler, a documentary about the cinema of Weimar Germany. This period, which preceded the Nazis’ rise to power, was an era of great creativity, and Suchsland’s documentary covered many films still revered today, such as Murnau’s Nosferatu and Lang’s Metropolis. Now, Suchsland takes on a thornier subject – the cinema of Nazi Germany.

Most overviews of German film history tend to gloss over 1933 to 1945, or to focus solely on the most notorious propaganda films, particularly Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph des Willens and Olympia. But, as Suchsland explores, the Third Reich had a highly productive cinema industry, albeit one tailored to promote the messages of the state, with around 1000 feature films produced.

While many of these films are clearly, to modern eyes, blatant propaganda – from Hitler Youth coming-of-age drama Hitlerjunge Quex to the shockingly antisemitic Der Ewige Jude (The Eternal Jew) – many others reflect another objective: Hitler wanted a film industry to rival Hollywood. There were exotic fantasies, romantic melodramas, and musical revues, all of which may not seem as in-your-face fascist but which aimed to distract the masses from thinking about the state of society outside the cinema and to subtly promote classical German culture.

There were no more auteurs to match Lang or Murnau during this period (Suchsland makes the point that Nazi cinema had one auteur – Joseph Goebbels), but a few Nazi-critical filmmakers did manage to sneak the occasional anti-authority message into their work, which makes for another fascinating strand here.

The history of the period is shown chronologically, which is probably the best approach to understanding the period, though it does mean there are occasionally odd thematic jumps between sections. Nevertheless, it’s energetically edited with mountains of archive clips, while the narration is informative and hits the delicate balance between objectively analysing the films and remaining critical of the abhorrent motives behind them. The Blu-ray gives the choice of the original German narration or an English dub by the relaxing tones of cult horror star Udo Kier.

It’s fascinating stuff, not least because this era of film history is rarely explored, especially in formats as accessible as this. That said, the historical context is more interesting than any individual film; whereas you might have come out of From Caligari to Hitler with a list of Weimar movies you want to track down and see, you’re unlikely to do so here.

Speaking of which, From Caligari to Hitler is also included on the disc, so you can enjoy both, which makes this very good value for money for anyone with half an interest in cinema history.

HITLER’S HOLLYWOOD / CERT: UNRATED / DIRECTOR: RUDIGER SUCHSLAND / STARRING: UDO KIER, ADOLF HITLER, JOSEPH GOEBBELS, ILSE WERNER, LENI RIEFENSTAHL, HANS ALBERS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

To many, 1982’s Rambo: First Blood is an iconic movie that stands out as one of the best of the ‘80s. To others, it’s merely biceps, bullets, and bloodshed. Regardless of where you stand on that topic, Ted Kotcheff’s Sylvester Stallone-headlined picture is joining the list of old favourites getting the swanky 4K Ultra HD treatment. So, let’s see if this is a release worth picking up.

For those unfamiliar with the launching point for Stallone’s other iconic franchise, Rambo: First Blood sees Sly playing John Rambo, a Green Beret who has spent time involved in the real struggles of the Vietnam War. Now back on US soil, Rambo finds himself drifting from town to town, struggling to hold down a job, and dealing with the fallout of his time in ‘Nam. When a small-town sheriff takes a dislike to Rambo being in his locale, that’s the trigger point for this war hero to slip further down the rabbit hole of his own personal battles.

Explosions? Bloodshed? One-liners? Machismo? All ooze from the pores of Rambo: First Blood, but this is a film that is far, far more than the muscle-flexing ‘80s actioner it’s often clumsily labelled as. While casual audiences think of a shredded Stallone on a rampage to stick it to the man, First Blood is a thought-provoking marvel of a feature that was one of the first to really tackle post-traumatic stress disorder. Sly’s John Rambo is a victim of his own tortured circumstance, a man who fought in a war that he never asked to be a part of, a body and mind beaten down by the trauma of what he saw and did in Vietnam, and in turn by the reaction given to him by some of his own countrymen upon returning to US soil.

Having by this point established himself a big-name player off the back of the Rocky franchise – which by Rambo’s release had amassed three pictures based around the iconic Balboa – Stallone gives a monumental performance here. While the majority of the movie sees him in gruff, angsty, and silent mood, it’s the times that Sly does speak that resonate the most. These moments are kept to a minimum, but they hit home hard, not least his monologue in the final act where the experience and horrors of Vietnam explode and turn John Rambo into an emotional mess. It’s powerful stuff, and it reminds you of just how great Sylvester Stallone can be when he has good material to work with.

Away from the narrative of the feature, the 4K transfer of Rambo: First Blood is phenomenal, most noticeably in the movie’s chase sequences or in how the surroundings ‘pop’ during Rambo’s bloody woodland battle with the law. The visceral pain on display throughout the film – be it bubbling under the surface, or exploding in full force – looks utterly magnificent, with the bleak and battered colour palette only adding further to the tone of the movie. In terms of the special features included here, the majority have been seen on previous releases of First Blood, but the highlight is clearly the first part of the Rambo Takes the ‘80s look-back that’s spread out over the new 4K releases of the next two entries in the franchise.

Rambo: First Blood is first and foremost an oft-overlooked war classic, spinning the focus and looking at the very real and painful fallout for those involved in such traumatic events. Yes, Stallone’s gun-toting, knife-wielding, headband-adorned antics are often positioned front and centre, but First Blood is a classic of its time that hits plentiful emotional beats that are still just as relevant today as they were back in 1982.

Special Features: Two audio commentaries / Rambo Takes the ‘80s Part 1 / Drawing First Blood – Making Of / How to Become Rambo Part 1 / The Restoration / The Real Nam / Forging Heroes / Alternate Ending / Outtake / Deleted Scene / Original trailer

RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD – 4K / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: TED KOTCHEFF / SCREENPLAY: MICHAEL KOZOLL, WILLIAM SACKHEIM, SYLVESTER STALLONE / STARRING: SYLVESTER STALLONE, BRIAN DENNEHY, RICHARD CRENNA, BILL MCKINNEY, JACK STARRETT, DAVID CARUSO / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 12TH

Cinema has changed since Pixar’s The Incredibles burst onto the scene in 2004. Whereas that year’s only other major superhero movie was Spider-Man 2, the sequel arrives in a landscape dominated by the MCU, X-Men, Deadpool and whatever turgid nonsense DC are currently churning out.

In this crowded marketplace, there must have been the temptation to take Incredibles 2 in a different direction – to make it more of a conventional superhero movie or, as lesser studios (we’re looking at you DreamWorks) would do, make a gag-filled send up of the current cinematic landscape.

But Pixar have never been obvious, and it’s refreshing to see that Incredibles 2 has nary a Batman joke in sight. In fact, it’s got something serious to say about people’s need for superheroes, and it’s not entirely a positive message.

Picking up exactly where the first movie ends, with the family facing off against the nefarious Underminer (Pixar lucky charm John Ratzenberger) the movie hits the ground running, and never lets up. This time round our heroes are recruited by billionaire Winston Deavor (Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk) and his tech genius sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener). Deavor adores superheroes, and wants to see them restored to their rightful, legal status. Or as he puts it “Make Superheroes Legal Again” and if that doesn’t set off alarm bells, nothing will.

Using Elastigirl (Hunter) as a figurehead, his plan is to show the world the good work they do, not just the devastation that the news focuses on. Due to a not-very-likely-coincidence, this coincides with the rise of a new supervillain, the Screenslaver, who is hypnotising people via – as the name implies – a variety of screens.

Whereas last time, Incredibles was ahead of the curve, with the film’s villain Syndrome embodying toxic fandom a decade before the term was even coined, this time round the villain seems timely. Using screens to hypnotise people and turning them into mindless automatons makes Screenslaver the perfect villain for a generation who rarely look up from their phones. A pity then that he’s not as memorable as Syndrome, and one of the few weak points in the movie.

If all of this sounds a bit serious, then no need to worry. While Elastigirl is off saving the world, Mr Incredible is left looking after the kids. Although the role reversal and fish out of water concept may be a tad conventional, the execution makes up for it, and while kids Violet (teenage girl, boy trouble), and Dash (possible ADHD, quite annoying) are fun, the Parr family’s baby, Jack Jack is the standout. As the end of the first film revealed (along with the hilarious accompanying short, Jack Jack Attack) revealed, the youngest family member also has the most powers, varying from laser beam eyes, levitation and randomly bursting into flames.

It’s Mr Incredible’s attempts (not to mention Samuel L Jackson’s underused Frozone) to look after his youngest offspring that provide the film with its most memorable moments. One scene, where Jack Jack gets into a fight with an unfortunate racoon is a strong contender for the year’s best scene.

If Jack Jack is the film’s MVP, a close runner-up is the returning Edna Mode (director Bird), who puts in another memorable appearance, kitting out the youngster and proving more adept at babysitting an exploding infant than you’d think. New short, Auntie Edna hilariously expands on their time together, and while it doesn’t quite hit the heights of Jack Jack Attack, it packs more laughs into five minutes than most films do into 90. Also included are the charming Bao, which accompanied the film in cinemas, and a lively commentary from Brad Bird.

While Incredibles 2 isn’t quite the instant classic the original was, it’s a worthy follow-up, and proudly stands alongside any of the current crop of superhero movies. After the temporary blip of Good Dinosaur and Cars 3, the double whammy of this and the astounding Coco show Pixar are still a force to be reckoned with. Their next movie, the long-awaited Toy Story 4, can’t come soon enough.

THE INCREDIBLES 2 / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: BRAD BIRD / SCREENPLAY: BRAD BIRD / STARRING: HOLLY HUNTER, CRAIG T. NELSON, SARAH VOWELL, HUCK MILNER, SAMUEL L JACKSON, BOB ODENKIRK, CATHERINE KEENER / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 12TH

Released on Netflix back in May, Yolande Ramke and Ben Howling’s extraordinary, cripplingly tragic and strangely dignified post-apocalypse thriller is finally being rolled out on Blu-ray in some territories (UK yet to be confirmed). Cargo, alongside fellow 2018 releases such as The Cured and The Night Eats the World, suggests that zombie/undead films are mutating into something altogether more interesting and less tediously visceral. There’s life in the undead dog yet.

We’re in the aftermath of some unimaginable apocalypse, and Andy and Kay are attempting to sit out the end of the world with their baby daughter Rosie on a houseboat in rural Australia. Their supplies are running low but going ashore clearly isn’t a good idea; they find another family on the shoreline, but the father threateningly waves a gun in their direction. Andy spots an abandoned sailboat and rows over to investigate, liberating supplies which will keep them going for a few more months. Despite noticing a secure inner door rattling, Andy assures Kay that the sailboat is safe. Kay returns on her own to collect even more supplies, and sets off a catastrophic chain of events.

Cargo is a devastating, powerful movie, a story of familial devotion and survival in the face of absolute despair and hopelessness. Andy and his family are forced to abandon their houseboat in search of a hospital. Elsewhere young Aboriginal girl Thoomi (Landers) is struggling to protect her father, already turned into a ghastly infected carnivorous creature by a virus which, we can only assume, has swept across the world. She’s keeping away from her tribespeople who are trying to cleanse the land with fire, but fate decrees that Thoomi and Andy’s family will connect in ways which change their lives forever.

Not for nothing has Cargo been compared to John Hillcoat’s The Road (2009) with its driving narrative of a desperate father determined to find a better life for his child. Cargo makes full cinematic use of the beautiful, stark Australian landscape and benefits from a terrific and typically-everyman performance from Martin Freeman as Andy who will stop at nothing to locate a safe haven for Rosie. It’s probably Freeman’s best, least-mannered performance and at times it’s genuinely heartbreaking to watch him struggle across a hostile landscape whilst navigating his way around threats such as the self-serving, violent Vic (Hayes).This is an uncompromisingly fresh take on an exhausted genre and Ramke and Howling have given their ‘undead’ – never the main threat throughout the film – a new spin by virtue of the effects of the virus. The infected turn into flesh-eating monsters but its visual hallmarks are hideous and stomach-churning. Once bitten, the infected start to leak a sticky, glue-like substance and, when fully transformed, their mouths and eyes gauze over with a web of sickly caramel-like gunk. Gore hounds might be frustrated by the film’s measured pace and relative lack of violent zombie-dispatchings but there are a few scenes where the creatures – their predilection to literally bury their heads in sand until they become ’activated’ is truly unnerving – are sliced and diced which might satisfy those looking for something more akin to a routine episode of The Walking Dead.

But Cargo really isn’t that sort of film. It’s a movie about humanity, humility and determination when all is truly lost. It’s a tragic road movie with a wonderfully optimistic finale which will uplift you even as it tears you apart. Wonderful.

Special features: Featurettes, cast and crew interviews, Melbourne Q&A, short film, trailer.

CARGO / DIRECTOR: YOLANDE RAMKE, BEN HOWLING / SCREENPLAY: YOLANDE RAMKE / STARRING MARTIN FREEMAN, ANTHONY HAYES, SUSIE PORTER, CAREN PISTORIUS, SIMONE LANDERS, DAVID GULPILIL / OUT NOW (AUS)

Bruce Timm and Eric Randomski’s Batman: The Animated Series has long being considered the magnum opus of incarnations of Bob Kane’s (and Bill Finger’s) cowled creation. Proving hugely influential on a generation of fans (this writer included) and artists, as well as remaining the gold standard for children’s TV in the ‘90s, this take on Batman has only grown in the hearts of viewers over the last 25+ years. Now, for the first time, we get this series presented in a Blu-Ray box set with a whole host of extra treats on top.

Batman: The Complete Animated Series has stood the test of time as a sophisticated, exciting, dynamic and fun take on the dark knight. The storytelling is well structured and across the 109 episodes, you have an array of writers and directors unleashing their full passion for the lore and the results are timelessly excellent. Characters like Mr. Freeze (voiced by Michael Ansara), The Penguin (Paul Williams), Jonah Hex (Bill McKinney) and Clayface (a terrific Ron Perlman) (among many others) have yet to receive better screen adaptations than they do in this show, with the narratives finding a perfect balance of tone. Some episodes are hilarious (the beloved “Almost Got ‘Im” or “The Trial”), others are dramatic and filled with depth (“Feat of Clay Parts 1 and 2”, “Two-Face Parts 1 & 2”) and some are can be downright mad (“The Laughing Fish”).

Characters are gifted with splendid arcs and backstories that bring them to life, with minor characters like Baby Doll (Alison LaPlaca), Firefly (Mark Rolston), Maximillian Zeus (Steve Susskind) and The Ventriloquist/Scar Face (George Dzundza) being treated with as much respect and care as more notable names like The Riddler (John Glover), The Mad Hatter (Roddy McDowell) and The Scarecrow (Henry Polic II). Not to mention how the show remains fresh in how it tackles weighty subjects (all as relevant as ever) and constantly embraces the badassery of its female characters, with the show’s loopy Harley Quinn (the ever brilliant Arleen Sorkin), wealthy animal advocate Catwoman (Adrienne Barbeau) and eco-terrorist Poison Ivy (Diane Pershing), stealing the show in many of the standout episodes.

Featuring an array of splendid vocal talents, including a handful of big names, the show sparks with entertainment, complexity and wit, though the stars of it all are undoubtedly the major regulars in Kevin Conroy (the definitive voice of The Batman), Bob Hastings’ authoritative Commissioner Gordon, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.’s loyal Alfred and the best onscreen Joker ever in Mark Hamill. The casting truly is spot on and even, at times, allows for the themes of the show to be deepened (ala the lovingly referential “Beware The Gray Ghost”).

This Emmy award winning series has been a long awaited release, and the results are 100% worth the wait. The visuals remain stylish, powerful and perfectly envisioned and the transfer sharpens some elements up to a tee, particularly the moments of fiery set pieces, the small details or the flamboyantly dressed heroes and villains. The sound is rivetingly effective, with all the charactoral musical motifs playfully jumping out of your speakers, with the work of an array of musical artists and composers like Danny Elfman and the late great Shirley Walker being proudly displayed.

Additionally and perhaps most excitingly, the set also comes with an assortment of extras, including the content gifted to the previous belated DVD set, as well as an insightful new documentary and featurettes. Best of all though, this set contains the high definition debuts of the animated features Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (one of the best ever Batman movies) and the exciting and rather poignant Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero (which has only ever been released on VHS in the UK until now). That alone is enough to mark this one down as a major win.

For this reviewer, as with many others we’re sure, this set will bring back fond memories of a childhood spent emulating the adventures of Batman (alongside other heroes like Robin and Batgirl) in front of the Batman week omnibuses on Cartoon Network back in the ‘90s. There is a good reason why this award winning series is still talked about so fondly and in this Blu-Ray set, you see that displayed better than ever.

For any fan of Batman, this is a must own Blu-Ray release. As The Joker himself says, “Without Batman, crime has no punch line” and over two decades ago, this show proved it…and continues to do so to this day!

Special Features: ‘The Heart of the Batman’ Documentary / pilot promo reel / Behind the scenes and character featurettes / audio commentaries on 11 episodes / Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero

BATMAN: THE COMPLETE ANIMATED SERIES / CERT: 12 / DIRECTORS: VARIOUS / WRITERS: VARIOUS / STARRING: KEVIN CONROY, MARK HAMILL, EFREM ZIMBALIST JR, BOB HASTINGS, LOREN LESTER, ARLEEN SORKIN, ADRIENNE BARBEAU, PAUL WILLIAMS, RICHARD MOLL / RELEASE DATE: 5TH NOVEMBER