I'm Getting Too Old For These Hits

Now that we're into the final quarter of the year, I better start cracking down on these films I've had sitting in my to-watch pile for a while now, so the next few posts will most likely be on those movies.

Today, it's the last DC Universe Original Animated film of the year, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1.

An adaptation of the classic Frank Miller book, The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 is about a world where Batman retires from crime-fighting after the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. A decade after said retirement, Gotham's gotten worse and Batman can't take it anymore. He dons the mantle once again, despite his advanced age, and sets out to reclaim the city.

I actually managed to procure my own copy of the comic the other day, though I have read it several times via a copy from the library. I've already spoken a little about it in my Batman comic recommendations list, but for those who haven't read it yet, it's a fantastic Batman comic, and the best Frank Miller work I've ever read (though that's not hard since he wrote All-Star Batman And Robin, which is a travesty except for the art). OK, it's not perfect (Frank, why do you hate Selina Kyle?) but what is?
The dialogue remains true to the characters, the concept of “does the world need a Batman?” gets fair representation on both sides and there are a few great images that you will never get out of your head, either because they're awesome (Bruce's fight with Superman), or horrific (the last time you see the Joker. Yeah...). So as you can imagine, both films have a LOT to live up to, considering how influential the story was.

Part 2 is expected to be released early next year, but until then, let's see how Part 1 fares.

For anyone who has read the comic, the end of the film is roughly at the same point as the end of the second issue, but the final scene of the film is actually taken from earlier in the comic (more on that later)

In all honesty... the film's actually very underwhelming, given what we're adapting here. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible film, not in the slightest. It's just, considering what the comic presents us with, a lot of it is lacking in this adaptation. I wasn't expecting this film to reinvent the wheel or anything, since Batman doesn't need a reinvention after having had one at the hands of Nolan and his talented cast and crews for the latest films, but I'm not quite sure the creative team for this knew exactly what impact the dialogue had for the book.

That's my biggest problem with the film right there: the lack of internal monologue. The comic is heavy with the internal monologue, a lot of which works well. Frank Miller really got the Batman character down, as well as the Joker, and it's one of the few times he's written Superman with respect. Each of them gets at least one memorable monologue and it's Frank at his best (we try not to speak of The Dark Knight Strikes Again... though personally, I don't hate it but it gets too bogged down in politics and is less about Batman than it is the other DC heroes.)

So, to discard some of the top-notch writing, simply because it's spoken in the character's heads and not as actual dialogue, it takes away from the experience.

For example, early on, Bruce Wayne gets mugged by a couple of mutant gang members and reconsiders his opinion on Joe Chill, who he used to consider the lowest of the low. The movie cuts that, and anything Bruce thinks about while in his Batman gear.

But by removing the fantastic writing, audiences who haven't read the comic won't get what Bruce is trying to achieve. Yes, seeing old man Bruce beating up mooks is still fun, but the dialogue just added so many layers.

The scene I mentioned above is also one of my favourites, definitely within the top five moments of the comic for me. Three of my other favourites won't appear until the second part, and as for my other, I'll save that for when I hand out praise, because that scene is actually done well.

Another gripe I have is that the animation looks too colourful for its own good. I mean, the Gotham of the comic wasn't devoid of colour, but it certainly didn't look as bright and cheerful as the film's version. Well, cheerful may be the wrong word, but it just looks lonely, as opposed to looking like a craphole. Or, even more of a craphole than normal.

I get that they may be trying to appeal to a more general audience, and thus things have to look a little less... depressing, for lack of a better word, but considering how these are straight to DVD, and more often than not an adaptation, it's not exactly going to bring people in en masse. So, the majority of people buying these are familiar with the source material, or at least know beforehand that this is an adaptation.

That being said, I still did enjoy the film on its own merits and there are things I need to praise:

While all the voice acting is good, the two stand-outs are, naturally, the voices for Batman and Robin (Peter Weller and Ariel Winter, respectively).

Yep, Robocop as Batman. I've long since considered Clint Eastwood for the role when I was hoping for a live action adaptation, but hey, Peter Weller's a good choice for the cartoon. He's grim and stoic, as a Batman should be, but one that's weary, and he's a good fit.

Ariel Winter, best known for her role in Modern Family, is more than capable of voicing Carrie Kelly, who in herself is a refreshing character (especially with Frank's track record with women. Ho boy... no pun intended, by the way). Ariel voices Carrie with a lot of spunk, confidence and determination, something I definitely give the thumbs-up to.

But if there's one thing I praise more than any other, it's how my favourite scene from the book was handled.

In the comic, Harvey Dent is seemingly cured of his Two-Face persona once and for all, with his face restored. But after this announcement is made on TV, he disappears. Not long after Batman reclaims the mantle, he confronts Harvey, who admits that he is now one man... Two-Face. “Both sides match...”. The panel in the comic even shows Harvey Dent, with his face now resembling Two-face completely, even if physically he looks like the old Harvey Dent. Two-Face has taken over, and he has come to terms with that. Batman can do nothing but sympathize and be left just a little bit disappointed.

And in the movie, the scene is just as brilliant. Wade Williams, who was Black Mask for a previous Batman DCUAO production, Under The Red Hood (and Bellick in Prison Break), voices Harvey and for what little screen time he gets, he makes the most of it. The scene is no less powerful, and nothing has been lost in translation. Harvey is still a broken man, a man who can't change, even as the world has changed around him. Much like Batman. Fantastic scene, just fantastic.

Also, kudos to the creative team for managing to slip in a reference to Carrie's parents being stoners. Even with an M rating down here, I still expected any such references to be omitted. But nope, the “”I was tripping the whole time” line made it in. That actually shocked me. Carrie's parents are... well, slack. Very bohemian and all “down with the establishment”, which in itself was great commentary, about loose style parenting.

All in all, a very good effort, but lacking the punch of the spectacular dialogue found within the comic. But not a waste of your time, and still better than other Batman related fare like The Batman Vs. Dracula and Batman And Robin. 3.5/5

(P.S one other thing to praise though... the final scene. It was actually in the middle of the first issue, but as a segway to Part 2... oh man, wise choice. No spoilers, but one word sums it all up nicely: “Darling”. If you've seen it, you know what it means and what's coming. Part 2 could end up being the superior installment, and hopefully they'll fix the mistakes they made with this one, especially when it comes to my remaining favourite scenes)