Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1
Released: 25th September 2012, US Import, Bluray and DVD
Cert: TBC
Dir: Jay Oliver, Written By: Bob Goodman (Screenplay) Based on the Graphic Novel by Frank Miller, Characters created by Bob Kane & Bill Finger
Cast: (Voices) Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, David Selby, Wade Williams, Paget Brewster, Michael Jackson, Michael McKean, Gary Anthony Williams and Michael Emerson
Plot Summary
After ten years in retirement, a fifty-five year old Bruce Wayne is once again forced to adopt the mantle of the Batman when a vicious gang of criminals, The Mutants rises to threaten Gotham. Is the aging superhero still up to the task?
Review
Hot on the heels of The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 gives Bat-fans another slice of action featuring Gotham’s Caped Crusader. What is really interesting about this animated feature is how faithful it is, both to the source material (Frank Miller’s seminal 1986 graphic novel of the same name) and to the history and character of a cultural icon.
The story begins with Bruce Wayne living a relatively normal life, contemplating his retirement for the past ten years and reminiscing with Commissioner Gordon, himself just weeks from retirement. Unfortunately for both, the rising of The Mutants and an increase in brutal, sickening crime coincides with Harvey Dent’s release from Arkham and subsequent return to crime, shocking Wayne back in to action.
The thing that is most apparent when watching The Dark Knight Returns part 1 is how much this graphic novel has influenced the cinematic outings of Batman, both visually and thematically. From direct lifts from the pages (Batman interrogating suspects for information by dangling them from high rise buildings, or using a special brace to deal with damage sustained protecting the city) to the design of the Batmobile/Tumbler (a massive, tank like vehicle capable of devastating carnage) this graphic novel has served as major influence on Christopher Nolan’s Batman universe.
The main reason for this may be in its approach. By showing us a much older Batman, weaker, less agile and not as able to achieve the feats of physical prowess he once could we are given a more realistic world and a hero that shows the ravages of his nightly crusade against crime. Obviously the greatest parallels that can be drawn are with the most recent movie The Dark Knight Rises.
The idea of a Batman returning from self imposed retirement, who is less than he was and unsure if he can still fight at this level is present in both films as is an enemy who is not his physical equal but the superior of the two. Rises also employs a similarly thrilling action sequence to reintroduce Batman to the story and Gotham’s consciousness, even going so far as to steal a classic line of dialogue.
Years ahead of its time, The Dark Knight Returns even influenced the terrorism videos of the Joker in The Dark Knight and the use of TV News as a method of providing exposition and moving the story along in a natural way.
The use of the news and of talk shows in Returns to inject satire in to the proceedings, whilst not as effective as the graphic novel still serve to give the material a greater voice than most other comic book adaptations and certainly a lot of animation. It is also reminiscent of Robocop (released a year later than the graphic novel) in that an action movie can have an intelligent debate regarding violence, heroism, vigilantism and the way crime is dealt with in modern society.
The other obvious link to Robocop is the surprising choice of Peter Weller as Bruce Wayne/Batman. For fan-boys Kevin Conroy will always be the animated Batman. However, Weller brings something very different to role, for the most part he is aloof, always keeping everyone at distance and Weller brings this with a cold, punctuated delivery until the introduction of the new Robin and an uncharacteristic (but welcome) softness presents itself.
The majority of the voice actors do a fantastic job, with Weller standing out for obvious reasons. Ariel Winter (as Robin) and Gary Anthony Williams (The mutant Leader) also make a significant impact, Williams in particular sounds exactly as I imagined the leader of The Mutants would when reading the graphic novel. Unfortunately there is one role that has been woefully miscast and that is David Selby as Commissioner James Gordon.
Selby lacks the gravitas needed to not only be a rugged all action cop (despite being well in to his seventies) but also man questioning the choices he has made, their implications and his place in the Batman legend. His delivery never feels real and detracts from the drama of the scenes he is in.
The script allows the material to be as faithful as possible to the source whilst adding little flourishes where needed. As with many of the animated adaptations, the use of character inner monologues has been dropped. Whilst this gives the film a more cinematic feel akin to Nolan’s trilogy, some of the emotional punch has been lost and at times (without fully understanding his motivations) this incarnation of Batman is less likeable than on the page.
With regards to the animation, this film is superb. Taking everything that was brilliant about the animated series and ramping it up beyond all expectations. The character and ‘set’ design remain true to the graphic novel, whilst adding a gloss that is much needed in film format. The action sequences are thrilling. Offering a sense of both grandeur and peril, they also fill in the little details missing from the book which adds a depth to these scenes.
With The Dark Knight Returns part 1, Batman: Year One (both animated) and The Dark Knight Rises, 2012 has been a fantastic year for Batman fans. This film is particularly pleasing to watch and I can’t recommend highly enough. Its influence on cinema is evident – in fact this is actually one Batman story that would translate fantastically to live action – Maybe Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale will revisit in 20 years, here’s hoping.
An awesome animated movie that delivers from the first minute to the last, the only thing missing is a key scene that hints at a major storyline in part 2, which if it remains at this level of quality can’t come soon enough.
My Rating: 9.2 out of 10 Kevin Williams
