The story introduces us to a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne that has been retired over the past ten years. He's had an unspecified falling out with Dick Grayson and he lost Jason Todd, a moment that is suggested to have made Bruce retire in the first place. In this alternate version of the 1980s, crime has run rampant since the disappearance of the Batman and there are even more gangs out on the streets, none more dangerous than the Mutants.
Commissioner Gordon is on the brink of retirement but still wants to take down the Mutants before he finally has to be put out to pasture. He is aware that Bruce, still a daredevil who seems to be searching for a good way to die, was the Batman and they've maintained a friendship since Wayne's retirement.
Soon, though, the runaway crime and a gnawing voice in the back of his head urges Bruce to don the cape and cowl yet again. Once he returns, some of his older friends want to play as well, including a seemingly healed and rehabilitated Harvey Dent and a certain Clown Prince of Crime that has been in a catatonic state since the disappearance of his "darling."
The movie stays largely true to the source material thanks to how they adapted it. The film was originally released in two parts to accommodate for the budget. Eventually, Warner Bros. combined the two parts into one larger film and this is how I would recommend that you watch the movie.
In the movie, it was great to see a Batman that was still a bonafide badass but showing his age. During one scene, he is tracking down a gang of thieves and they hear creaking above them. One of the thieves notes that back in the day, Batman never made any noise, revealing that the Batman is not as sharp as he used to be... but that doesn't necessarily make him any less dangerous as he is able to use his still sharp mind to accommodate for any loss of physical strength.
The movie is also great at capturing that alternate '80s reality where Reagan is still the president and there were a lot of concerns about his actions and his relations with the Soviet Union at the time. The trap here would have been to try and force this movie into a more modern setting where it might not have worked as well, but thankfully the movie avoids that trap.
The animation is pretty spectacular as well and you feel every punch and kick during the film's various fight scenes. More importantly, it comes as close to capturing Miller's art style from the comics as we were ever gonna get. I felt like I was watching the comic book story come to life and that's the best compliment that I could give to the artstyle.
The voice acting, for the most part, is pretty spectacular. David Selby could have been a little bit better as Gordon and I feel he was trying a little too hard to make Gordon sound old, but it's not terrible. The best voice actor is Peter Weller as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I was a little hesitant when they first announced his casting back in the day because I just didn't know how it would come off.
Thankfully, he has all the force, quiet wisdom, and menace that the voice needs at various points in the movie. Weller does a great job and is probably only second to Kevin Conroy as my favorite actor to have ever voiced the character. Michael Emerson also does a pretty solid job as the Joker and while no one will ever top Mark Hamill in this department, Emerson gives a decidedly quiet and creepy performance that perfectly contrasts with all the chaos he proceeds to deal out.
Ultimately, this is a fantastic adaptation of Miller's classic story. It is still one of my favorite animated films featuring the Dark Knight and I recommend it for everyone who claims that they are a fan of the Bat!
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| 5/5 STARS |
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