2 Days Left!
It’s ninety miles to the IMAX theater, I have a full tank of gas, no packs of cigarettes, it’s dark, and I’m Batman.
Batman: Under the Red Hood
I’ll admit a certain amount of bias when watching “Batman: Under the Red Hood”. Judd Winick’s run on “Batman” is a personal favorite of mine, and this movie is mostly based on his storyline. I also love the fact that DC is adapting popular comics into animated movies. Marvel has been doing these low budget lip syncing adaptations called “Motion Comics”, but they don’t compare to the strength of a made-from-scratch feature movie. DC animation has been in a golden age since the early nineties, and movies like this are proof that they have no intention of slowing down now.
UtRH works because it really cuts deep into the sordid emotional past of Batman. Common folk mostly just know about the death of his parents, but Batman has had to deal with a lot of death and destruction in his life and career as a crime fighter. The comic storyline came at a particularly dark time for Batman with the death of a crime fighting teenage girl, Spoiler, and the discovery that members of the Justice League tampered with his memories. The movie version cuts out most of the crossover drama, but still manages to explore the pain Batman feels that extends beyond the death of his parents. This deeply emotional story is helped by great animation and a brilliant voice cast even if Kevin Conroy isn’t playing Batman. The heart of Winick’s story is kept but slight changes were made to keep the film fluid and consistent. Though changed, it still remains a faithful adaption because the film makers realized what made the story work.
My love for the source material might have made me love this movie more than I should have, but I honestly can’t see anyone with taste not liking this movie. The only serious flaw I find in the film adaption is that there is a tad too much explanation towards the beginning. I know it’s there for the uninitiated, but some of the clarifying is badly handled. I suppose I found it annoying because I already knew the story and didn’t need any explanation. Plus, it helps if you show the background visually and not just explain it through random side characters reading off of cue cards. That aside, I found this adaption to be top notch work. DC has a really good team on their hands and they continue to showcase their talent in adapting and creating animated movies. One day this era will come to an end, but not today.
Batman: Year One
In 1987, Batman was already 48 years old. By then comics were really beginning to evolve into a more adult medium. Writers with real talent were beginning to emerge and told stories of morally ambiguous heroes with real life issues to deal with. Since so much had changed in comics since 1939, Frank Miller decided it would be a good time to retell the first year Bruce Wayne was Batman. Throughout issues #404 to #407 of “Batman”, everyone got to rediscover Batman in a tale of true grit and realism. It’s been published and republished in several trade paperbacks over the years, and still maintains itself as one of the most popular graphic novels of all time. In 2011, DC animation took this now classic retelling and made it into the direct-to-DVD release you see before you.
The first rule of messing with a Frank Miller story is that you DON’T mess with Frank Miller. DC animation knows this rule very well and has translated the original comic line by line. The animation is so much like the comic that it even feels it was adapted panel by panel. The movie actually doesn’t do anything wrong here, and any problem you had with the story would also come from the comic. It also brings me to the only real issues of the movie. It is short, and lacks value. Year One only clocks in barely over an hour. It is because the comic was only four issues and nothing was added for the sake of preserving the original story. Not that I really have a problem with that aspect, but the DVD extras don’t really justify a full retail price. The second issue piggybacks off the first with it being too short, but I also want to point out that there is nothing you can’t get here that you can’t get in the comic. Anyone who has read the original comic will find nothing new here. This is probably the most faithful adaptation in the history of comics. Considering how good the story is this is turned into a strength, but it also becomes a weakness. If you never read Year One before… what the hell is wrong with you?
Also, in a shameless plug to myself, check out Bruce Osborne on Facebook. I post/link all my stuff there, including chapters on a book I’m working on. Feel free to hit the ‘Like’ button as if you’re an addict.
I also write publish works of fiction on my Bruce Osborne Blog. Feel free to read, follow, or even hate my stuff. I don’t care if people like it, only that they read it.
There are too many movies for me to review in full, so I created a twitter account to give brief opinions on the many movies I view. If you wish to read my smart ass remarks, follow M.O.V.I.E. Reviewer @MutantOpossum.
 Batman Scrabble Til… $2.00
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 Year One (original … $30.00
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 1988 Batman Year On… $5.00
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 Buy Batman 404 Year… $18.00
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 Super Heroes Batman… $30.00
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 Gotham City Batman … $34.99
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 Batman Best Friend … $80.00
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 Batman Poster A3 Pr… $18.00
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