Now Playing Presents: The Batman Movie Retrospective Now Playing Podcast

Pixar films including Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo, had been smash hits. But could this success that worked on toys, fish, bugs, and beasts, work for a movie starring a roster of human characters? That was the risk they took with The Incredibles -- Pixar's first superhero film. The gamble worked and Pixar had another hit, but how does this film hold up more than 10 years later? Join Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to find out!

The Fast and Furious franchise started off as low budget racing films, but has risen to be one of Hollywood's most bankable action franchises. In anticipation of the upcoming Furious Seven, Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob are living their life one quarter mile at a time and reviewing each film in this series!

Since Michelle Pfeiffer squeezed into latex in Batman Returns an idea of a Catwoman movie had been teased. Writers, directors, and stars were attached to the project over the years, and it took over a decade for the film to become reality. Now starring Academy Award winner Halle Berry as Patience Phillips, a woman given the mystical powers of a cat, the film hoped to jump on the superhero bandwagon and launch a new franchise. Instead, it won several Raspberry Awards and tanked at the box office. Is this film as bad as its reputation? Listen to Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie as they let the fur fly in our review!

The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated conclusion to his Batman trilogy, opened last Friday under the pall of a senseless tragedy that occurred at a screening in Colorado. Nationwide, people mourn for those lost, and pray for those injured. But the majority refuse to let the acts of one man taint a movie they've waited four years to see, and audiences rushed to theaters and IMAX to see if Nolan's latest effort could measure up to 2008's record-breaking, Academy Award winning The Dark Knight. Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's final review in their Batman retrospective series to find out if it did!

The Dark Knight opened under the dark cloud of Heath Ledger's death but went on to break box office records and set a new standard for superhero films and cement Christopher Nolan's A-List status. But why so serious? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review of this Academy Award winning tale of capes and cowls!

It took eight years after Batman & Robin for the caped crusader to return to theaters with Batman Begins. Directed by a cult director with only two studio films to his name, starring an actor best known for extreme roles in small films, and released in a summer dominated by lightsabers, Batman Begins burst onto the scene and changed the public perception of what a superhero film can be. Now listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review of Batman Begins as we lead up to Nolan's final film in his Batman trilogy--The Dark Knight Rises!