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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 (2012)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 is one of two films that serve as an adaptation of Frank Miller's classic comic of the same name. The film finds Bruce Wayne having been forced some time ago to retire the Batman persona and essentially watch Gotham descend into a condition worse than when he decided to take the fight to the criminals.
Gotham is now ruled by a criminal gang known as The Mutants. One night, as Bruce Wayne is walking home his is cornered by two members of the gang, who are clearly going to kill him until he stands his ground, something they were not expecting. This shows early signs of Wayne contemplating returning as Batman, but it's not until later in the first half of this film that an old foe re-emerges, forcing Wayne to don the mask once again and take off into the night.
Some of this film, we've seen before. There are elements of it in the Christopher Nolan Batman films. For instance, the moment that the police realize Batman is back is depicted rather closely in The Dark Knight Rises. It's also clear that many elements of this story will feature in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, judging by the trailers. But, even with a pretty good familiarity with this material, this animated feature still stands as a worthwhile viewing.
The voice acting in Part 1 is pretty solid. Peter Weller is on hand as Bruce Wayne and Batman this time around, giving an older sound to the character that is fitting since Wayne is now in his fifties. There are times, however, in which Weller's voice doesn't quite sound right as Batman, though. This is most notable when he speaks for longer than a sentence or two, and this is more of a problem in Part 2 than it is in this volume. When the scripts keeps Batman's words to a minimum, Weller is quite effective. Ariel Winter is also quite good as Carrie Kelly, the new Robin in the story.
For an animated film, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 has more of an edge than you'd expect, continuing the recent trend of such films aimed at a more adult audience. The filmmakers do a good job of transitioning Miller's comic over to the screen, creating a Gotham that feels a bit more alive than what we sometimes see in the animated Batman adventures. At 76 minutes, things do feel a bit rushed at times, and perhaps both Parts 1 and 2 could have benefited from another 15-30 minutes to let things breathe a bit, but ultimately, this film is a very solid entry in the Batman animated franchise.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 (2012)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 is one of two films that serve as an adaptation of Frank Miller's classic comic of the same name. The film finds Bruce Wayne having been forced some time ago to retire the Batman persona and essentially watch Gotham descend into a condition worse than when he decided to take the fight to the criminals.
Gotham is now ruled by a criminal gang known as The Mutants. One night, as Bruce Wayne is walking home his is cornered by two members of the gang, who are clearly going to kill him until he stands his ground, something they were not expecting. This shows early signs of Wayne contemplating returning as Batman, but it's not until later in the first half of this film that an old foe re-emerges, forcing Wayne to don the mask once again and take off into the night.
Some of this film, we've seen before. There are elements of it in the Christopher Nolan Batman films. For instance, the moment that the police realize Batman is back is depicted rather closely in The Dark Knight Rises. It's also clear that many elements of this story will feature in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, judging by the trailers. But, even with a pretty good familiarity with this material, this animated feature still stands as a worthwhile viewing.
The voice acting in Part 1 is pretty solid. Peter Weller is on hand as Bruce Wayne and Batman this time around, giving an older sound to the character that is fitting since Wayne is now in his fifties. There are times, however, in which Weller's voice doesn't quite sound right as Batman, though. This is most notable when he speaks for longer than a sentence or two, and this is more of a problem in Part 2 than it is in this volume. When the scripts keeps Batman's words to a minimum, Weller is quite effective. Ariel Winter is also quite good as Carrie Kelly, the new Robin in the story.
For an animated film, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 has more of an edge than you'd expect, continuing the recent trend of such films aimed at a more adult audience. The filmmakers do a good job of transitioning Miller's comic over to the screen, creating a Gotham that feels a bit more alive than what we sometimes see in the animated Batman adventures. At 76 minutes, things do feel a bit rushed at times, and perhaps both Parts 1 and 2 could have benefited from another 15-30 minutes to let things breathe a bit, but ultimately, this film is a very solid entry in the Batman animated franchise.