"Batman: The Killing Joke" is one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of all time, so saying I was excited to viewits animated adaptation would be an understatement. I left my expectations at the door, fired up Netflix, and sat down with my cousin, who fell asleep about 15 minutes into this movie.
Full disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of animation; that's not to say I don't enjoy it. Maybe my lack of enthusiasm for animated film is because of my lack of viewing high-quality animation. Luckily, "Batman: The Killing Joke," is, in fact, high-quality. As a fan of compelling drama, intriguing moral dilemmas, and of course, Batman, this movie delivered. To be perfectly honest, this was one of the most thoroughly entertaining animated superhero movies that I have seen, period.
Why did I enjoy this movie? For one, while the first third of this film has been met with polarizing reactions, to say the least, I really enjoyed the character building of Batgirl, and the exploration of her relationship with Batman. Sure, some of the dialogue and situations presented were extremely melodramatic, but I can't deny that I found it fascinating. The fact that Batgirl is basically the main character of the first act of this film was also an unexpected twist that consistently held my interest, and I enjoyed watching her interactions with Batman, as well as the criminals of Gotham. Also, the focus on her makes the inevitable incident regarding her and Mr. J all the more impactful.
And when Joker presents himself and the focus shifts to Batman, the film picks up in a big way. Batman is already an inherently interesting character, and watching him struggle with his own sense of morality in the face of Joker's psychotic behavior is riveting. Mark Hamill plays Joker to perfection, perfectly encapsulating his madness, as well as demonstrating a more sympathetic side during the film's flashback sequences. On the other hand, and it pains me to say this, I found Batman's voice actor to be lacking. While Mark Hamill sounded like he was relishing his performance, Kevin Conroy, the actor who plays Batman in this film, sounded like he was reading his lines directly off the script. Now, whether this is due to a legitimate lack of enthusiasm on his part, or because the lines simply do not translate from page to screen, is not clear. What is clear, however, is that his performance, while lackluster, is perfectly watchable, and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the film as a whole.
Additionally, I did find the animation to be, as a whole, cheap and bland. There were certain scenes that look absolutely gorgeous, almost as if the graphic novel leapt from the page to the screen. Besides those few sequences, though, the animation did feel unnaturally stiff and under-detailed. This may not be an issue for you, but since this was a major release based off of one of the best graphic novels of all time, I did expect a certain level of polish and detail that this movie did not deliver.
"Batman: The Killing Joke" is a fantastic drama. With a gritty story that explores how much pain a man can take before he abandons his humanity and loses his mind, this more grounded take on a Batman story is sure to satisfy your itch for a dark, yet entertaining, animated superhero film.
Full disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of animation; that's not to say I don't enjoy it. Maybe my lack of enthusiasm for animated film is because of my lack of viewing high-quality animation. Luckily, "Batman: The Killing Joke," is, in fact, high-quality. As a fan of compelling drama, intriguing moral dilemmas, and of course, Batman, this movie delivered. To be perfectly honest, this was one of the most thoroughly entertaining animated superhero movies that I have seen, period.
Why did I enjoy this movie? For one, while the first third of this film has been met with polarizing reactions, to say the least, I really enjoyed the character building of Batgirl, and the exploration of her relationship with Batman. Sure, some of the dialogue and situations presented were extremely melodramatic, but I can't deny that I found it fascinating. The fact that Batgirl is basically the main character of the first act of this film was also an unexpected twist that consistently held my interest, and I enjoyed watching her interactions with Batman, as well as the criminals of Gotham. Also, the focus on her makes the inevitable incident regarding her and Mr. J all the more impactful.
And when Joker presents himself and the focus shifts to Batman, the film picks up in a big way. Batman is already an inherently interesting character, and watching him struggle with his own sense of morality in the face of Joker's psychotic behavior is riveting. Mark Hamill plays Joker to perfection, perfectly encapsulating his madness, as well as demonstrating a more sympathetic side during the film's flashback sequences. On the other hand, and it pains me to say this, I found Batman's voice actor to be lacking. While Mark Hamill sounded like he was relishing his performance, Kevin Conroy, the actor who plays Batman in this film, sounded like he was reading his lines directly off the script. Now, whether this is due to a legitimate lack of enthusiasm on his part, or because the lines simply do not translate from page to screen, is not clear. What is clear, however, is that his performance, while lackluster, is perfectly watchable, and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the film as a whole.
Additionally, I did find the animation to be, as a whole, cheap and bland. There were certain scenes that look absolutely gorgeous, almost as if the graphic novel leapt from the page to the screen. Besides those few sequences, though, the animation did feel unnaturally stiff and under-detailed. This may not be an issue for you, but since this was a major release based off of one of the best graphic novels of all time, I did expect a certain level of polish and detail that this movie did not deliver.
"Batman: The Killing Joke" is a fantastic drama. With a gritty story that explores how much pain a man can take before he abandons his humanity and loses his mind, this more grounded take on a Batman story is sure to satisfy your itch for a dark, yet entertaining, animated superhero film.