Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two

Following on from the recently released Part One of Chris Palmer's animated adaptation of the famed Batman graphic novel of the same name, The Long Halloween Part Two continues on the good work before it too make a case for these two part feature length efforts to be regarded as some of the best examples of DC Comics staples when it comes to the animated game.

With a more Joker-fueled first part that was at times more like a darker version of the old Adam West starring TV show with the crazy clown running rampant around the mysterious murders at the hand of the Holiday Killer, Part Two differentiates itself in a neat way as we get far more time here with the unfortunate Harvey Dent as well as additions Poison Ivy and the Mad Hatter.

While so well handled in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight masterpiece, the Josh Duhamel voiced Harvey Dent is here one of the most well-rounded representations of the aspiring political figure that is the eventual two-faced haunted soul and it's nice to see Palmer and the film allow Batman/Wayne to take a backseat at times here as Dent's journey from a bright-eyed figure to a disfigured shadow of his former self takes centerstage and adds layers to this tale that might not have existed without the confidence of the people in charge.

Coming in a brisk sub-90 minute running time, Palmer crams a lot into this second part of the Long Halloween tale and in some ways you do wish there was more time allotted to the continuation of the mystery surrounding the Holiday Killer's identity and their reasoning behind their spree of vicious murders, with it coming as somewhat of a surprise that in many instances the Holiday Killer is an afterthought, even if their killings and presence looms large over all characters involved in the story.

It's all nitpicks however as the wonderful old school animation and well-rounded bringing too life of some of the most famous figures in the Batman universe combine to treat die-hard and more casual fans alike too an entertaining and high quality Batman experience.

Final Say -

Continuing on the with the solid work of the first part, The Long Halloween Part Two is a fitting finale to this double-header that will likely be regarded as one of the best exponents of animated DC features for the years yet to come.

3 1/2 boardwalks out of 5.

The brilliance continues with part 2 still focusing on the Holiday serial killer which was filled with twists and turns even I couldn't see coming, and i've watched a hell of a ton of movies in my 26 years of life. With a introduction of a heap of new characters that werent in part 1, lets get straight into this movie.

Whoever voice Two-Face in this was perfect. Per-fect. That is exactly how I imagined Two-Face sounding like everytime I saw him on screen or in comics. The same goes for Scarecrow and Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter and I could go on and on. Wes Gleason did a great job as usual casting the voices. This was a great as the first part, continuing the story and I especially liked the action. Definitely recommend this two-part movie to anyone who wants to have fun with a good movie.

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two is an incredible conclusion that's thrilling, dark and satisfying and solidifies it as one of the stronger adaptations. Jensen Ackles, Josh Duhamel and Naya Rivera are all great once again. Chris Palmer's direction is also great and the animation is excellent. It's extremely well paced and the music by Michael Gatt is really good. However, it's brought down slightly by Batman feeling sidelined occasionally.

I really was pumped after Part One of Batman the Long Halloween. The story was interesting, the animation stellar and the cast especially Jensen Ackles as Batman was great. But sadly the second part is not as good. Part II is disjointed, with some really poor use of Ackles as Batman. He has almost no dialog, leaving us just a drawn, lifeless character. The other characters, evolve, Dent, Gordon, Carmine, even Catwoman but not Bruce Wayne or Batman. It's ashame. I really wanted this to be iconic. I will have to read the original comic and see where they missed the mark.

First, the positive. The animation and voice acting were great. It had an interesting set up and the world building was decent. That's about it.

The premise from the first movie had promise, but in the end it felt like the writing force things to happen they way they should in order to make the ending happen.

Batman is made to look weak and is constantly getting beaten throughout the two parts, but no one thinks to just kill him. The villains win a lot, until the script needs them to lose so the movie can end. The twist feels out of place, as does Batman's reaction to it.

This had potential, but was a let down in the end.