Review: Batman, Gotham Knight (spoilers)
Jul. 10th, 2008 08:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalSummary: Put together as a bridge between Batman Begins and Dark Knight, BGK is a series of six loosely connected animated shorts with production design by some of Japan's leading animation studios, examining various aspects of Batman's character. It's not completely successful, as not all of the shorts really succeed in being unique, but it is interesting to watch and visually stunning for a made for DVD film.
The first section, Have I Got a Story For You, sets the tone and is basically a new version of the B:TAS's episode "P.O.V.", with a group of skate punk kids telling stories of their encounters with Batman that day, as he chases down a high-tech criminal across the city. One kid sees him as a supernatural creature leaping from shadow to shadow, another sees him as literally a Man Bat, flying across the city, while a third sees him as a battle-suited warrior defeating the villain through high tech. They're all both wrong and right, as in the end they see the real Batman, bloody, human, but undefeated.
It's an interesting piece, but it perhaps suffers from having the most wildly stylized and unappealing character designs, which stand in contrast to the freaking gorgeous city design. Also, oddly, the voice sync is seriously off for some of the kids, making me wonder if there wasn't a last minute re-write of the dialog.
The next story, Crossfire, follows a pair of detectives on Lt. Gordon's Major Crimes Squad who escort the prisoner from the previous story to the Narrows, the crime ridden neighborhood the was devastated in Batman Begins and has now been turned in a vast, open prison, ala Escape from New York. It's basically a running argument between them on the topic of Batman as the Vigilante, topped off by a major set-piece of Batman bad assery. It also seems to be the one most connected with the upcoming live-action film, detailing some of the events that have occurred between BB and DK.
Story Three, Field Test, takes a look at Batman's High Tech Warrior aspect, as he tries out a bullet deflecting force field created by Lucius Fox. It's not really connected with the other pieces, and has the most traditionally "anime" designs (think G-Force/Gatchaman), but it does serve to also highlight the Bat's decisions on what tools to use, and what not to use in his war on crime.
In The Darkness Dwells is another piece most notable for setting the background for the next film and dealing with leftovers from the first one, as Batman goes after Killer Croc and the Scarecrow, both hiding out in the sewers of the Narrows. It's mostly just mood and action, showing off Batman's Gothic aspect as he goes after the city's monsters. The only real weak point is Gordon channeling Basil Exposition as he narrates Croc's origin story to Batman.
Working Through the Pain follows up directly from the previous piece, as a wounded Batman tries to escape the sewers, flashing back to his years of training in the Orient (or India, in this case). This is about Batman the Spirit Warrior, learning to overcome physical and mental barriers, making him far more than an ordinary man. It also, in a final scene that is quietly and utterly devastating, demonstrates what a facade his extreme psychological control really is.
"Sir, give me your hand."
"I can't."
The final story, Deadshot is... um... traditional, as Batman fights a sniper who apparently learned his technique from Terry Pratchett's Guards, Guards, specifically the "A million to one shot always works" scene. It's very pretty, but in terms of looking at what drives Batman it's as sledgehammer blunt as Working Through the Pain was subtle.
Oh, and no matter how each story measures up individually, Bruce/Batman is voiced by Kevin Conroy in all of them, and he manages to do a subtle acting tour de force as he modifies his intonations to match the mood and the design of Batman in each piece.
The first section, Have I Got a Story For You, sets the tone and is basically a new version of the B:TAS's episode "P.O.V.", with a group of skate punk kids telling stories of their encounters with Batman that day, as he chases down a high-tech criminal across the city. One kid sees him as a supernatural creature leaping from shadow to shadow, another sees him as literally a Man Bat, flying across the city, while a third sees him as a battle-suited warrior defeating the villain through high tech. They're all both wrong and right, as in the end they see the real Batman, bloody, human, but undefeated.
It's an interesting piece, but it perhaps suffers from having the most wildly stylized and unappealing character designs, which stand in contrast to the freaking gorgeous city design. Also, oddly, the voice sync is seriously off for some of the kids, making me wonder if there wasn't a last minute re-write of the dialog.
The next story, Crossfire, follows a pair of detectives on Lt. Gordon's Major Crimes Squad who escort the prisoner from the previous story to the Narrows, the crime ridden neighborhood the was devastated in Batman Begins and has now been turned in a vast, open prison, ala Escape from New York. It's basically a running argument between them on the topic of Batman as the Vigilante, topped off by a major set-piece of Batman bad assery. It also seems to be the one most connected with the upcoming live-action film, detailing some of the events that have occurred between BB and DK.
Story Three, Field Test, takes a look at Batman's High Tech Warrior aspect, as he tries out a bullet deflecting force field created by Lucius Fox. It's not really connected with the other pieces, and has the most traditionally "anime" designs (think G-Force/Gatchaman), but it does serve to also highlight the Bat's decisions on what tools to use, and what not to use in his war on crime.
In The Darkness Dwells is another piece most notable for setting the background for the next film and dealing with leftovers from the first one, as Batman goes after Killer Croc and the Scarecrow, both hiding out in the sewers of the Narrows. It's mostly just mood and action, showing off Batman's Gothic aspect as he goes after the city's monsters. The only real weak point is Gordon channeling Basil Exposition as he narrates Croc's origin story to Batman.
Working Through the Pain follows up directly from the previous piece, as a wounded Batman tries to escape the sewers, flashing back to his years of training in the Orient (or India, in this case). This is about Batman the Spirit Warrior, learning to overcome physical and mental barriers, making him far more than an ordinary man. It also, in a final scene that is quietly and utterly devastating, demonstrates what a facade his extreme psychological control really is.
"Sir, give me your hand."
"I can't."
The final story, Deadshot is... um... traditional, as Batman fights a sniper who apparently learned his technique from Terry Pratchett's Guards, Guards, specifically the "A million to one shot always works" scene. It's very pretty, but in terms of looking at what drives Batman it's as sledgehammer blunt as Working Through the Pain was subtle.
Oh, and no matter how each story measures up individually, Bruce/Batman is voiced by Kevin Conroy in all of them, and he manages to do a subtle acting tour de force as he modifies his intonations to match the mood and the design of Batman in each piece.
