At some point in our lives, most of us worry about the mistakes of our past coming back to haunt us. Hindsight is 20/20 after all and it’s very difficult to know all of the unintended consequences of our decisions and actions as we are actually making them. Of course, the haunting that most of us fear is more figurative than anything else, but what happens when that haunting becomes literal? For Batman, this questioned is answered in the new Warner Premiere animated film
BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD.
Those who are familiar with the comics will know this film as the streamlined combination of two story arcs,
A DEATH IN THE FAMILY and UNDER THE HOOD, the latter of which being written by the film’s screenwriter, Judd Winick. This is the story of the tragic death and even more troubling resurrection of Jason Todd, the second Robin. It’s a story of how decisions Batman made and actions he did NOT take left the door open for tragic consequences, a notion we all know the character isn’t all that unfamiliar with.
The film is exceptional. Judd Winick trimmed the fat of DCU continuity off of his comic book story arc and left the diplomatic immunity, among other ridiculous notions, of A DEATH IN THE FAMILY on the cutting room floor for this masterfully paced action drama. In 75 minutes, the audience is treated to several breathtaking action sequences with compelling emotional drama in between, leaving one little opportunity to catch his or her breath.
Winick’s dialogue captures each of the characters at their core and the delivery from the voice cast more than matches the outstanding writing of Winick. Bruce Greenwood stars as Batman and he gives a gritty, broken performance. There’s a subtle sadness underneath the angry top layer of Greenwood’s voice. There is no confusion or doubt as to what Batman is thinking and feeling, both internally and externally, thanks to Greenwood.
Jensen Ackles pulls off being likeable and threatening at the same time while also inducing sympathy as Red Hood. He makes one question whether he is friend or foe, hero or villain. What’s more is that he makes the answer to that question different each time throughout the course of the film.
John DiMaggio is a revelation as The Joker. Even when leaving out the rich, seemingly infinite comic book history, anyone with a working knowledge of live-action and animated incarnations of Batman will know that there are enormous shoes for any actor to fill when he steps into this role. DiMaggio knew that and it made him nervous even the day after the film premiered at Comic Con.
He was nervous, but he didn’t need to be. DiMaggio delivers an amazing performance with a voice so different from previous Jokers yet so right for the character, especially in this film. This is probably the deepest tone of voice used by an actor for The Joker and it absolutely works. In all the years that I’ve been a fan of this character, I’ve only been truly frightened by The Joker twice. Now I’m going to add DiMaggio’s Joker as the third entry to that list along with Heath Ledger’s from THE DARK KNIGHT and Alan Moore’s from THE KILLING JOKE. This Joker is terrifyingly sadistic and is still able to make me laugh, though I hate myself for doing so (just as I should). I hope that this is merely the first of many Joker performances for DiMaggio and I demand he reprise this role if Warner Premier adapts THE KILLING JOKE or THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.
I’m not sure how great of a villain he is, but Wade Williams’ Black Mask certainly provides some outstanding comic relief, which I believe was intended. He may very well be a personal favorite for many who watch the film. Jason Isaacs captures a sorrowful side of Ra’s Al Ghul that hasn’t been seen before in animation (at least not this well done) and leaves one hoping we get a story starring Isaacs as Batman’s seemingly immortal foe. Neil Patrick Harris, while not having an emotional arc, is witty and charismatic as Nightwing. Alexander Martella brings a youthful joy to the role of the boyhood Robin/Jason Todd that makes the story that much more heart-wrenching. Meanwhile, older brother Vincent Martella goes beyond mere rebellious angst to the true deep-seeded anger that will be his character’s downfall as the teenage Robin/Jason Todd. Voice casting director, and legend, Andrea Romano deserves a standing ovation for assembling this amazing cast.
From facial expressions to body movements and all things in between, the animation provides the necessary visuals to convey the thoughts and emotions heard from the voice cast. The fighting transitions over the course of the film from beautifully stylized and almost graceful to gritty and brutal by the film’s emotional climax. The animation is so smooth, allowing one to be lost in every action sequence, especially in a pair of awesome chase scenes.
The character designs are fresh, standing out from previous animated incarnations of their respective characters while still capturing each one’s aesthetic core. The vehicle designs are so good that I almost forgot about how ridiculous it is to suggest Batman would use a plane to fight crime in a city. Almost. A helicopter would have better achieved the level of reality director Brandon Vietti was looking for in the film, but the Batwing looks awesome here so I’ll let that one go.
After first viewing the film with a live crowd at the Comic Con World Premiere, my instant reaction was that BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD was just as great as BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM, which I’ve long considered to be the absolute greatest animated Batman feature ever made. Actually, I thought B:UTRH might even be better. I waited to watch the film for a second time by myself before submitting this review, however, just to make sure I wasn’t caught up in the excitement of that evening. Just as I expected, my reaction had nothing to do with being at the World Premiere event and everything to do with how amazing this film is. It was even better the second time I watched it and will probably continue to get better with each additional viewing.
BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD is an instant classic that no Batman fan should leave off of his or her DVD/Blu Ray shelf.
