 Worth every penny. |
| Review Date: June 30, 2008 |
| Reviewer: C. Sawin, TX |
*This does contain some minor spoilers. I tried not to spoil too much.*
Batman: Gotham Knight is advertised as the missing link between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. There are six stories in total. Each story is by different artists, but they all link together and flow together nicely.
The first story is called, "Have I got a story for you," and involves a boy waiting for his friends to arrive. Once they do, each one of them tells a story about what they saw today and they all saw Batman. Each story is farfetched in its own way as this story capitalizes on teenagers stretching the truth and/or having overactive imaginations. It seems their day isn't finished though as the fight they all witnessed makes its way to that very skate park.
"Crossfire" is the story of Chris and Anna being apart of Lieutenant Gordon's MCU (Major Crime Unit). Chris thinks Batman is a vigilante that takes the law into his own hands while Anna is still unsure about him and is just thankful that good cops that know how to do their job are actually being respected now that Batman has shown up. After taking a recent Arkham escapee back to the asylum, they soon realize they're stuck in the middle of a gang war between Sal Maroni and The Russian.
"Field Test" begins with Lucius Fox showing Bruce Wayne some new gadgets. Amongst them is a harness equipped with an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to deflect bullets. Batman decides to test it out with Maroni, The Russian, and his goons. Everything is going Batman's way until a certain...glitch...happens.
"In Darkness Dwells" has everyone looking for a monster. Killer Croc, to be exact. Apparently, he was the former patient of a certain Johnathan Crane. Coincidentally, one of the reasons he was admitted to Dr. Crane was for his fear of bats. Go figure.
Batman is injured on what seems like any other night he puts on his mask in "Working Through Pain." We're basically shown how tenacious he really is as he struggles with his injuries. We're also shown a few flashbacks of his past and soon learn the difference between exterior and interior pain. There's a way to put pain in its place and this is how Bruce Wayne found out how.
"Deadshot" has come back to Gotham and has set his sights on Jim Gordon, but it looks like he has ulterior motives. Bruce Wayne also gives his views on guns.
Gotham Knight is superb. There's really no other way to describe it. I had my doubts about it, but I think those were blown away during the first few minutes of the film. The animation is fantastic. Everything moves crisply and smoothly. It just seems to flow. And let me just say that it's amazing to hear Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman again. It's like a homecoming in so many ways.
The biggest question you may be asking yourself is how can all the stories actually flow together since they're all done by different artists. The truth is that other than the artistic style changing, you don't really notice anything. The voice cast stays the same throughout the entire film and while each individual story has its own story to tell, they're all connected in some way and flow together nicely.
Gotham Knight is a feature that shouldn't be missed by anybody. Whether you're an anime fan, a Batman fan, or you're just looking for something new to catch your eye, I'd recommend Gotham Knight to anyone and everyone. The animation is beautiful and has a real crisp flow to it while the stories are written incredibly well and will keep you interested. The voice cast is also something worth mentioning. Other than seeing Kevin Conroy come back as Batman, the rest of the cast does a great job as well. My one complaint is that it doesn't really bridge the gap between anything. However, it doesn't really seem to bridge the gap between anything and is just an excellent stand alone animated feature. |
Very Good
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| Review Date: July 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Savant11, Canada |
To be frank I only liked the second half of the film. The first half constists of nothing but the view of Batman through the eyes of various civilians, and Batman beating up goons.
The second half or the last two stories are far more enjoyable. Working Through Pain was written by one of my favourite comic book writers Brian Azarello (100 Bullets), and he did a good job in annunciating that Bruce really doesn't want to work through the pain of his parents death. He wants to hold on to that pain because it gives him purpose and it drives him. And really if he were to give up that pain--he probably would find his life devoid and meaningless and purposeless. The Deadshot story, I liked because it shows the kind of Alpha male hero who is willing to stand down any threat (yet not a goon) warrior I like to see him portrayed as.
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A Knight Emerges From The Shadows
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| Review Date: January 4, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Mr. Richard D. Coreno, Berea, Ohio USA |
What an ambitious project; six interlocking short films from six directors with the outstanding animation based on Japanese Anime art.
The stories - Have I Got a Story For You, Crossfire, Field Test, In Darkness Dwells, Working Through Pain, Deadshot - capture a variety of angles in the life of Bruce Wayne and the conflicting elements in keeping the peace in Gotham City as Batman. There are a variety of bonus features, depending on the DVD set that is purchased, including the documentary, Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story, and four episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.
This is a fantastic work of art that is solidly placed in the small front pack of classic material that explains and celebrates the life and times of the iconic crime fighter. |
A great fill-in for the live action movies
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| Review Date: July 9, 2008 |
| Reviewer: T. Cunningham, Los Angeles |
I'm surprised at the tone of some of the negative reviews. The common complaint was that some of the features are "too boring." However, this feature is VERY similar to the pace of Batman Begins. Lots of flash back... big fight WITHOUT the costume, gadget time with Lucius, Batman facing off against regular thugs and (eventually) his comic book villains, reflection on his internal conflict, Alfred as moral compass and big final battle on a train. HELLO!?!?!?
Obviously, Joker is the quintessential Batman villain, but Nolan and Ledger's brand new take on the character preclude them from featuring that villain. This effort is firmly placed in the LIVE ACTION universe, and some fans expecting a BTAS feature might be disappointed. However, I have always found the Dini style to be too juvenile for the Timm scripts and was pleased to see such a fully realized production.
Overall, this is an EXCELLENT disc. Adult fans of Batman and anime will be well pleased.
P.S. As an aside, others have alluded to the "youthful" appearance of Wayne in the "Field Test" segment. He does look like a teenager, but that is simply the nature of that style. The story is solid and offers strong insight into the nature of Batman's integrity and character. |
Batman Gotham Knight DVD
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| Review Date: January 16, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Mainframe, Ireland |
The price was well affordable and the quality of the animation and story amazingly good!
This is all basically about the 'transition years' for Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. It's gritty and grueling behind the scenes work for the young Bruce Wayne and allows those fans who may not collect the comics (and so may not be privy to a lot of Bruce's back story other than what the films reference) to see just how determined-single minded-obsessive the character is and the torturous path he is determined to walk.
I'd recommend this DVD to anyone who enjoys good animation, not just Batman fans, it is well able to stand out for the animation alone. |
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