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Batman (1944 Serial)
Originally Reviewed on May 5th

I thought I'd give one of the Batman serials a try and I have to say, I enjoyed it about as much as the Commando Cody serials MST3K used to cover, meaning not at all.

Unlike Judex, which displayed artistry and told its morality tale with class. Batman is cheap, crass propaganda. America was at war with Japan; therefore it goes without saying that the foe Batman squares off against is Japanese (a terrible stereotypical portrayal) who leads a gang of traitorous thugs. The frequent racial slurs heard within were disturbing and set a sour tone to the otherwise goofy flick (Though they do represent sentiments at the time, following Pearl Harbor).

The story follows the same hackneyed pattern seen in the Cody shorts: Death rays, bombs on bridges, hero falling from the sky etc. It was very very tiresome. There are unintentional laughs. Batman and Robin themselves are hilarious and fight like little girls. The Batsuit is ill fitting. The ears look like two droopy snow cone cups and at one point the cape falls off (only to magically reappear in a jump cut). Lewis Wilson is a strapping jovial Bruce Wayne, who pulls childish pranks on Alfred. Dick Greyson is played by Douglas Croft who is an odd looking fellow with a full shock of hair and he reminded me a lot of Hugo, the Devil Doll.

The Netflix reviews were generally warm and full of nostalgia; I guess if you have patience and a tolerance for this kind of tedium it could be fun. I don't and it wore me out. This was the first 12 part series; do I dare try the second?


"-sigh- Why didn't you go before we left the Bat cave?"

Batman and Robin (1949 Serial)
Originally Reviewed on June 20th 2008

The second serial was made with less of a budget but was much better than the first. For one, Batman isn't a government agent and we lose the offensive Asian stereotypes. For another, the acting and action is much better. The direction is tighter, the fights are quick fisticuffs (though the cape sometimes gets in the way - Edna Mode was right!) and Bats doesn't get his ass kicked by old men as he did in the first flick (the villains do win more than they should. After all this has got to go 15 chapters).

As with most of these American serials, the stories old hat: Bad guy sends goons to do his dirty work, good guys get in the way but wind up in a cliffhanger situation at the end. It's such a tiresome premise and I've grown weary of seeing it. But at least this one provides some decent material and performances to make it bearable. There's a mystery as to whom the masked baddie (the Wizard) is... could it be the grumpy (Mr. Potter like) wheelchair bound genius who invented the universal remote (which controls all vehicles) that was stolen by the Wizards gang?

At the top of the acting food chain is sleepy eyed Robert Lowrey as Bruce Wayne. He plays the character not as a jovial prankster (as seen in the first series) but more the bored socialite. Facially he reminds me of Victor Mature, body wise he wasn't in the best of shape. Something the good spirited actor would joke about according to 26-year-old John Duncan who plays Robin. Duncan is in good shape and in an interview said that he would help Lowrey get into a corset the actor had to wear throughout filming to keep his paunch from showing.

But he is much more convincing and a much better fighter than the previous actor. Duncan too, makes for a better, more athletic Robin. Character actor Lyle Talbot does a fine Gordon and Jane Adams -who was the blind girl in the Brute Man- is good as plucky reporter Vicki Vale, a character that was introduced in this film (Bob Kane created Vicki after meeting Marilyn Monroe, though she wasn't cast in the role).

With a small budget Wayne doesn't live in a mansion, but rather a nice house in the suburbs, and there is no Batmobile. Instead the dynamic duo tool around in a Mercury convertible. The Costume looks better, but that's not saying much. It fits like a gray sweat suit and the cowl still has those sharp traffic cone style ears --- and the way he tilts his head it seems the actor has difficulty seeing out of the eyeholes.

The "Batman signal" isn't a giant spotlight, but a small electric device that Gordon projects from his window. It looks a little cheesy but gives a more modern slant to the idea that I liked.

I still am not a fan of serials, they follow too much of the same routine. You've seen one you've seen 'em all. Plus I want my Batman to fight crime in the night. But in terms of performance, direction and action, this one is miles better than the first.

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Batman (66)
Reviewed on September 17th 2006 - Updated Dec 15th 2008

1966s Batman, the Movie is nothing more than a camp classic. When I was a kid it was da bomb! Batman and Robin vs. all their greatest foes! I was like 6 years old when my family took us to the drive-in to see it. The theater gave away free Batman swag, which was awesome, and I took the movie totally seriously. When my dad started laughing I got upset. I couldn't see what was so hilarious about my hero getting attacked by a shark, or that the Penguin's submarine had little flippers.

As an adult though, my tolerance for camp has waned. While I carry fond memories, I seriously can't sit through the old 60s Godzilla cheese anymore - and when I recently attempted to watch an episode of the "Wild, Wild, West", I fell into a deep and troubling coma after 10 minutes of viewing.

That Batman is silly, bright colored fun goes without saying. The sets were big and there are funny props (Bat Sprays for various aquatic life forms) new cool transportation the Batcopter, cycle and boat. We get the best of the rogue's gallery, the Joker, Catwoman (who Bruce Wayne romances as Mrs. Kitka), the Riddler and Penguin. Robin's solutions to the riddles are as ludicrous as they are funny ("Someone Russian is gonna slip on a banana peal and break their neck!") And Adam West offers some of the best lines, accentuated by that Shatnerian style delivery ("Let's go, but... inconspicuously... through the window.")

But what works in a half hour situation, gets tedious when stretched to over an hour and forty minutes. The old standards, like the utility belt which has something for everything, Robin's "Holy ---- Batman!" and the "Pow!" "Bam!" animation during fight sequences all get old after a while and there's nothing fresh or original to hold my interest to the end.

My other problem is that I really hate seeing Batman reduced to this. By the 60s the character had fallen from Bob Kane's dark vision and had become a joke. In the 70s Neal Adams helped restore Batman to his former glory. So going back to the cheesy bat-dude is painful for me. I know it's a joke, I know I should relax, but now I am a man and it doesn't work for me anymore.

Of Note: The movie was released on Blu-Ray, which offers some a few more extras not found on the regular DVD. There's commentary from screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., 3 new featurettes and some pop up trivia. As well as the original featurette, a West/Ward commentary (which repeats the same material), and a look at the Batmobile.

Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
Originally Reviewed on November 7th 2008

As stated before I've outgrown the Batman TV series, it doesn't hold the same appeal it did when I was young. Never the less I did enjoy my time spent with this odd made for TV reunion film. I call it odd because it doesn't take the conventional biopic/reunion rout. To begin with there are 2 storylines; both fitting the farcical tone of the show it pays homage to.

One part of the film concerns the real Adam West and Burt Ward who are hot on the trail of the stolen Batmobile. As they pursue the vehicle they reminisce about the series, which fills out the second portion. These peeks at the past are loaded with bits of trivia. For example, we learn who the actor was who turned down the role of the Penguin and what that patch said on the pocket of Bruce Wayne's blazer. There are tales of affairs, clashes on the set and clashes with those outside of the show.

The actors playing these roles are a mixed bag. Jason Marsden (a voice actor who has done some work on the animated Batman) plays Ward and he is very good as both Burt and Robin. Jack Brewer isn't bad as Adam West but he doesn't do as well in the cowl. Oh he looks good, he's more fit in the costume than Adam ever was but he's a bit awkward when trying to deliver that distinct, measured Bat-voice. Still with a series rife with so much talent it's a tough row to hoe to expect any of these actors to match a Burgess Meredith or Cesar Romero (and the guy doing Vincent Price doesn't even come close). The best, was Julia Rose as Julie Newmar/Catwoman, she has a bit where she talks about why the Cat wouldn't sleep with the Bat that is very well done.

The sections with the real actors are silly (as it should be) and it was nice to see these folks again. Yvonne Craig passed (Saying she didn't like the script. Her mistake) but along with Ward (who is now very roly poly and seems to be enjoying himself) and West (who also appears to be relishing this walk down memory lane) we see Newmar and Frank Gorshin (playing themselves) and Lee Merriwether (playing a waitress). One of the best parts of this piece was Lyle Waggoner, Adam's competition for the role. Though we aren't shown the other Robin, we are gifted with a few quick scenes of Waggoner's screen test, which was very cool.

Rights issues kept Director Paul A. Kaufman from using clips from the TV show. All he was allowed to use were bits from the movie (which makes for one odd scene where they are paying tribute to Newmar, while shots of Merriwether's Catwoman are shown) but overall he gives us something fun that fits the spirit of the series.

Batman (89)
Originally Reviewed on August 13th 2006

Director Tim Burton's first stab at the caped crusader was his best, most faithful look at Batman. While lacking the depth of character and brilliance of "Batman Begins", it never the less is a pretty decent movie and was quite the Summer phenomenon. Anyone who was old enough to remember it can attest that Batman was an event. Fans were really charged up with anticipation and this feeling was elevated by a strong promotional campaign. In my lifetime it was comparable to the summer buzz generated by Jaws (though the movie itself was nowhere near as brilliant).

What I liked: The opening scenes with Batman as a fearful entity to the criminal element. Elfman's outstanding score which would lead him to become the composer for the super hero epic. The nightmarish gothic cityscape, and of course Jack Nicholson. He's way over the top as Joker, but cripes, he's get some of the movie best lines ("Life's been good to me", "This town needs an enema!" "Where does he get those wonderful toys"), and it takes a great actor to out tough Jack Palance.

What I didn't like: The always annoying Robert Wuhl, The Prince music-especially during the painfully stupid museum scene. The confrontation between Bruce and Jack at Vickie's apartment grinds the momentum to a halt (and while the Nicholson speaks a few nice lines, poor Keaton is given the most asinine dialog ever heard - No Bruce, I don't "Wanna get nuts" -groan-). Michael Keaton doesn't do a bad job though I didn't care for Bruce Wayne being played as confused and distracted. The Batman mask was too bulky and the film didn't explore Batman as richly as Begins does, as Burton seemed more interested in the Joker.

Batman Returns
Originally Reviewed on August 13th 2006

Tim Burton's follow-up distances itself from the title character even further and the storyline becomes more silly and campy and violent. 15 minutes into it Burton and screenwriter Daniel Waters (Ford Fairlane, Hudson Hawk) set my teeth on edge by introducing those whimsical but dark circus performers (urk) and then showing our hero immolate a guy (uhg). At that point the duo lost the plot, the figure of Batman and my interest. The only saving grace for the entire picture, the one thing that drew me in and kept me from walking out of the theater? Catwoman!

The Catwoman sub-plot is great and the character is nicely developed. Michelle Pfeiffer's amazing in the role; she's exciting, sexy and wonderfully playful in scenes with Batman. The most lasting images are provided by the Cat (For example, when she glides over to Batman & Penguin and utters a quick "Meow" before Schreck's store explodes). As a counter to those delights is the Penguin, the bits with the baddie were a mess and really undercut the movies success. Danny Devito is terrible; he's too broad, too annoying (what was with all that irritating grunting?) and he brings in too many of the camp elements (Like the Army of Penguins - my God I wanted to bury my head in my hands an weep during that scene). And while I normally enjoy Christopher Walken, he too becomes one of Burton's caricatures rather than a fully realized flesh and blood character.

While Keaton looks good in the new suit, we've lost the dark night detective; Batman himself is just kind of thrown in there. I understand that Burton wanted to keep him mysterious but to the point were he's barely a presence in his own film? Tim said in his commentary that he didn't know where he could have added to the character, Bruce Timm and later Christopher Nolan showed how this can be accomplished.

There are a few nice touches aside from the Cat: I like the expressionist, art deco design and the 'out of time' setting (Gotham seems stuck between the modern era and the 40s). Seeing Bruce sitting alone in the dark in his immense mansion, not coming to life until the Bat signal flashes was an evocative scene, and it was a neat touch having that broken neon sign that read "Hell Here" during Selena's transformation. Still, though not a total waste, Returns doesn't do Batman justice. It's a Tim Burton movie that... oh yeah, just happens to include a character in a bat costume.

Batman Forever
Originally Reviewed on September 18th 2007

After the horror of Superman III I figured I could handle anything. Therefore I decided to give the 3rd Batman film another shot. The goofy plot concerns a 3-D mind control device that looks like an old blender, and Director Joel Schumacher was probably a big fan of the 60s Batman series because he likes to camp it up (Robin even gets to spout a "Holy"). Everything is so overblown and over the top. The villains in particular get to be a bit much. You'd expect this from Jim Carrey (The Riddler), but Tommy Lee Jones, as Two Face is equally hammy. And that gets damned annoying (What is it with Batman and all these cackling, scenery chewing madmen as foes?)

Though it gives it a good shot, Bats 3 doesn't completely shatter the stupid meter like Supes 3 did, and as bad as Schumacher can be, he does a better job than Lester (The scene where Wayne and Commissioner Gordon look up and spot Dick Greyson looking down at his murdered family was a nice camera angle). Maybe it was simply that anything would appear good after sitting through the debacle that was the 3rd Superman movie, but there were things I liked about this entry in the series.

While Chris O'Donnell (Robin) is not a very good actor, Nicole Kidman (whose never looked prettier) as psychiatrist Chase Meridian is given some silly dialog to speak and Val Kilmer (Batman) is too stiff... I found that I liked the dynamic, the rhythm and the interplay between these characters. As a whole, they clicked together. There was also scene with a neat Flaming Lips song that accentuated Riddler's skewed sanity perfectly - despite the scenery chewing; Carrey did get a laugh out of me here and there. And I dug the idea with the coins at the end.

There was also a lot I didn't like, along with the overacting baddies. Schumacher's fetishism bleeds through (Nipples on rubber suits, and henchmen with countless studs). The plot was silly, there's too much cheese and not enough detective work. Three times was not a charm, in Gotham or Metropolis. But, I enjoyed my third visit in Gotham a wee bit more and had a good time in general despite the noticeable rough patches.

P.S: And keep a look out for Jon Favreau in a very small non-speaking role as one of Bruce's assistants. He will later go onto play Foggy Nelson in Daredevil and direct Iron Man (and play Happy Hogan).

Batman and Robin
Originally Reviewed on September 18th 2007

And then I decided to brave the 4th Batman film. Here, Schumacher kills the franchise, dead! (Thankfully the future brings forth a better director who offers us a truly decent Batman)

This is simply God-awful. While watching I kept hearing George Harrison's voice, singing in my head, "It's all too much". There are too many broadly portrayed characters (we are introduced to Mr. Freeze, Woodrue, Poison Ivy, Bane and Batgirl), too many plot threads, too many dumb punch lines from marble mouthed Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In the animated series, Mr. Freeze was a somber, haunted character. Here Schumacher and AHNOLD strip the character of every ounce of dignity. The director didn't get it, at least not for true believers like myself and other comic book fans. Whenever cast and crew would bring anything heavier to the performance, Schumacher would shout, "Everybody lighten up, this is a cartoon" - A Cartoon? Even as a kid I still had the intelligence and the maturity to appreciate and relate to Peter Parker's hardships in the pages of Spider-Man. This wasn't just a stupid cartoon, this could offer something deeper. Mr. Freeze was also a character that could offer something deeper, and in those rare moments when he showed that in this flick, they'd then obliterate it by having him spout some dumb quip ("I hate when they talk during the movie!" he growls when interrupted while watching video of his wedding day)

During an MST3K special they rightly skewered this with savage brilliance. Bats 4 is a loud, obnoxious, overacted mess, it represents all that is bad in Hollywood (Even before filming began, their main focus was on the toys that were to be marketed - even more so, according to Schumacher, than with the last movie). And of all the Batmen, I liked George Clooney's the least. All that head bobbing made me dizzy. (He did manage one nice scene, one of the few moments worth a damn in this entire flick- where his Bruce Wayne tells a dying Alfred that he loves him)

It's a movie that should be mocked and I've already wasted too much time writing about this turd. Ignore it and go watch the first season of the animated TV series if you want to see how great a Mr. Freeze story can be.

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Batman Begins
Originally Reviewed on August 8th 2006

Begins gets Batman right.

Schumacher's Batman films were too loud, too garish and too over the top. Burton's first Batman movie has many high points (Nicholson was fun as the Joker), and Cat Woman was great in his second film (though the Penguin and his campy army of penguins -wince- ruin it). But they both feel more like nice Tim Burton flicks, instead of great Batman movies. There were those excellent animated features, but until Begins, Batman had yet to be done right for live action.

What's great about Begins? The acting across the board is stellar, in concert with the script, in which interplay is vital. Every person Bruce Wayne meets has an influence in the development of his character. Each one will help shape who he becomes as a man and hero. And even though I felt Katie Holmes love interest was too sanctimonious; her character as well will provide Bruce a moral compass in which to balance out Liam Neeson's terrorist/mentor role.

Another key moment: By giving us scenes between Bruce and his father it humanizes the man, makes him real. So that when he and his wife die I feel it, and that's a key point, "I feel" for Nolan's characters. Burton never got under my skin, never made these people flesh and blood for me. I can intellectualize the death (yes it is sad when a boy watches his parents gunned down) but Burton doesn't touch my heart.

And lastly: This is the Dark Knight as I love him, this is the Batman of Neal Adams (which a touch of Frank Miller). This is the intelligent detective, the driven obsessive personality, the frightening specter who prowls the night, but still forms tight bonds with others (Gordon, Alfred and Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox - Wayne is not a complete isolated loner).

A thematic masterpiece, what Sam Rami did for Spider-Man, Christopher Nolan does for Batman. Thank God, the dark-night detective has arrived.


Batman: The Dark Knight (IMAX)
Originally reviewed on July 26th 2008 - Revised on December 9th, 2008

When I watched the Dark Knight the first time I didn't know what to think of it, I admired the direction and story but I can't say I enjoyed myself, the feeling of darkness squeezed in on me too tightly. I knew I needed to allow it to percolate for a while and then see it again, only this time I wanted to catch it on the IMAX screen. I knew I was never going to experience the film in this manner on DVD, and what an experience it was.

If you've got an IMAX anywhere near you I urge you to go. While most of the movie is presented in 35mm size there are moments, during certain action sequences and mostly for the city-scapes, where the picture suddenly bursts to fill the entire IMAX screen. On paper that would sound like a distraction, it's not. It's breathtaking. Seeing Batman standing on a building and overlooking this expansive vista, then jumping from a sky scrapper literally made my heart pound (I've a small fear of heights, so I found myself gripping the arm rest a couple of times. That's how incredible the visuals are). And the car/batcycle chase through Gotham is even more exhilarating when seen in this manner.

As for the movie itself, it's nearly flawless. The summer comic book season opened with the delightful Iron Man. Every expectation I had for that film was met (and as a long time I-Fan my expectations were through the roof). I.M. was forged in the classic Marvel style. It was bright, funny and as entertaining as anything I've seen this year. Dark Knight closes the season in brilliance, but it does so on the opposite end. It's dark, nasty and is forged in the classic DC Vertigo style. Which one is better? That's an apple and oranges question, but each exemplifies all that a comic book movie should and can be.

Dark Knight is Shakespearean in scale. It is a collision of ideologies and explores the consequences of actions taken - and that sometimes, making the right choice doesn't result in a happy ending. More so than in any other comic, Gotham has always been a character in its own right and it becomes the central figure in a battle of opposites. Batman who represents an incorruptible spirit vies for the soul of the city against the Joker, who represents pure chaos.

The philosophical struggle is handled with a heavy hand. Director Christopher Nolan doesn't just present his idea and then allow the audience to think for themselves. No, he wads up his fist and beats us over the head with his message. We are told in no uncertain terms that this is who Batman and the Joker are, and what Harvey Dent represents etc. (Which is why I don't understand the few who criticized the story as confusing. Nolan spells it out quite clearly). Never the less, the screenplay and direction as a whole unfolds in a gripping and compelling manner.

The action is tight and well staged. Fights are quick, to the point and violent. The acting is without fault (well okay, Christian Bale did go overboard on the bat-growl in the final scenes). Maggie Gyllenhaal is a superior actress to Kate and that makes for a much better Rachel (which was "Batman Begins" one flaw). Much has been made about Heath Ledger's performance and it is outstanding, there are not many layers there (subtle or otherwise), but what he brings to the table packs a wallop.

It was genius to have the Joker be a man without origins, who seems to have come from nowhere like a nightmare manifested. I love the way he defines himself... "I'm like a dog chasing a car. I wouldn't know what to do with the thing once I caught it". Nolan also does a good job explaining why Joker and Batman are destined to struggle like this for ages (even though in reality, offing the villain would have saved a lot of misery. In comics you gotta have that returning opposite to plague you)

I feared introducing Two Face might have put a hitch in the narrative. It doesn't and Nolan's take on Two Face's origins is an improvement on the comic book. It felt genuine, appropriate and carried a real emotional impact. Aaron Eckhart captures the man as shinning knight, but with human fragility and flaws that pop up and therefore makes his transition feel natural and unforced.

To sum things up: Christopher Nolan has created a mature, somber and philosophical epic. It's packed with ideas but it also lots of action. The acting, script and camera work is superb and the score heightens every scene and adds to the mood of the film - from sorrow to adventure to nail biting tension. Is it the best comic book movie ever made? In terms of personal taste I think that is debatable, but on pure filmmaking standards it hits nearly every note dead center. A bit heavy with its message but for the most part I found it to be a masterpiece in style and substance. Made even better for the IMAX experience.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Originally Reviewed on September 15th 2006

Animation has often succeeded where live action has failed. Batman, for example, was better realized in cartoon form in the early days. The TV show gave us a stunning, haunted portrayal of Sub Zero, whereas the live action equivalent was turned into a pun-spewing buffoon. Burton's Batman wasn't bad but it wasn't until Mask of the Phantasm that the character was given his due.

There's a scene in Mask, where Bruce Wayne is looking over names on a computer screen. Two of those names are O'Neil and Adams - who comic book aficionados recognize as the creative team that breathed new life into the franchise in the early 70s. That homage says straight out that this Batman movie is going to respect the characters history, his character, the motivation and more importantly, his mind. Batman is a detective and if you don't understand that then your movie's dead from the start.

Mask gets all of this right and while the romantic flashbacks come off melodramatic and corny at times, and the background story lacks the same depth and layers we'll find in the brilliant "Batman Begins", Mask of the Phantasm succeeds because it respects the character and the genre.

The storyline is tight; I thought the voice work as stellar (Mark Hamill was a great Joker wasn't he) and the animation, while becoming dated, was unique in its time (Unlike most animation which is created on a white or light art board, the animated Batman was drawn on a dark background. He was always emerging from shadow, which was appropriate)

Batman and Mr. Freeze: Subzero (Direct to DVD)
Originally Reviewed on October 29th 2007

My favorite Batman villain, heck one of my fav villains overall is Mr. Freeze. He's not your traditional, world conquering baddie. Freeze does what he does for love of his dying wife, who is kept in a cryogenic chamber while he searches for a way to cure her.

The thing with Freeze is that you can't over use him. There's not a lot you can do with the character before the story gets worn thin. What Schumacher and Schwarzenegger did to him filled me loathing and disgust. The animated film Subzero restores some of the characters dignity but still, can't surpass the short story seen in season 1 of the animated series.

The problem is that it's far too padded out with lengthy car chases and action sequences that could have been cut in half. It's a great premise -Freeze kidnaps Barbara Gordon for an organ transplant- but simply doesn't lend itself to a full-length feature.

It's not a bad movie by any means. I love the opening scenes that established the story and show us a Freeze trying to find someplace where he can be left in peace with his beloved. That peace is shattered tragically and this sets Victor on his collision course with old foes, Batman and Robin.

Michael Ansara has always been one of my favorites. He has a warm, soothing voice. But it is tinged with anger and a dangerous pride, as if he could go off at any moment. Ansara was memorable as the soldier in a Terminatoresque Outer Limits story and he was the quintessential Klingon in the original Star Trek series (He should have been used a lot more) and he's spot on perfect as the voice of Freeze.

I didn't like the CGI and I'm not a Robin fan and even after all these years, it still doesn't click seeing with him with Bats. I like Dick much better as Nightwing (That the character of Robin was a better fit in the campy TV series says much as to how odd it is that the brooding Dark Night should be always hanging around with a brightly garbed boy/teen)

Saying that, though this is the lesser of the 3 films, it still has a lot to recommend and is well worth a watch.

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (Direct to DVD)
Originally Reviewed on October 28th 2007

I watched the Mystery of the Batwoman last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot was solid with lots of mystery and atmosphere and I liked the fully developed characters and voice work. Kelly Ripa's cartoon voice might annoy some folks each morning, but it fit her character perfectly.

I like how the writers set me up. 3 new women, which one is the Batwoman? Well obviously it's going to be the less obvious one. Yes... And no. Gotta admit they hooked me in with that one. The story also throws Bane, Rupert Thorn and the Penguin in the mix. I'm not a Penguin fan at all, but he served his purpose as a mobster who puts things in play.

Some of the dialog got a little melodramatic at the end. Batman's speech to Sonia when he confronts her was a bit leaden. Also, while I generally liked the animation -the close ups were all nice- sometime with movement, it did look clunky (As when Kathy Duquesne makes her entrance in the red dress).

I'd rank it a hairs breath behind Phantasm as I found it an interesting, fast paced and well told tale. It's one that holds up well to repeat viewing too, probably more so than the other animated Batman films I've seen. The disc includes an enjoyable Catwoman short. It's a cute, playful chase between the bat and cat. There's no dialog, just a cool jazzy score.

The Batman Vs. Dracula (Direct to DVD)
Reviewed on February 11th 2009

Released to promote or feed off "Batman Begins", this version of "the" Batman was pretty sad. While some of the animation is okay (though composition is hit and miss), I hated the design work; Joker (or was that Sideshow Bob?) looks atrocious and loves throwing those cards as much as Gambit does, and everyone from Bruce to Alfred looks like they've spent a few rounds in a boxing ring. Add in Duane Capizzi, who writes some of the worse dialog in animation history (as when Drac tells "The" Batman "Try as you may, you can not out bat me!") and I was damned. Then there's Dracula. Yeah, I know, the Bat vs Drac seems a natural but eh. I like the Dark Knight grounded in gritty, gothic crime stories. I've always hated it when they got too supernatural with this character.

Capizzi does 2 things: #1: He riffs on things that have already been done. Vicki Vale is along for the ride but she adds little and reenacts much of what she did in the Tim Burton film. Capizzi also cribs his Penguin from Burton (Cobblepot becomes a kind of Reinfeld to Count Chocula). 2nd: He likes to twiddle around with cannon, and that would be okay if say, he had talent like Alan Moore. But he doesn't even have talent like Dinty Moore. His idea of clever is to have Drac calling himself Mr. Alucard (Dracula backward - yeah, no one's ever done that before and I'm supposed be impressed when Batman figures this out? Like, totally duh!)

The whole productions a trite bore. Riddled by pedestrian storytelling, wretched puns ("Nice Jugulars" sez Penguin while watching Vale) a redundant score - every aspect of this film made me want to poke my eyes out. I'd have just turned off my TV instead, only I had this review to write. And now I have, and now I can forget about this horror.

Gotham Knight (Direct to DVD)
Originally Reviewed on November 8th 2008

Before catching The "Dark Knight" I watched the much-hyped Gotham Knight DVD and truth be told, didn't really enjoy myself. I found the stories dry and while the art was well done, I didn't care for the style. In the first segment "Have I Got A Story For You" the bodies look like balloon animals, all segmented and bloated - In the final ep, "Deadshot", the action and bodies were well drawn but the faces were poor (Bruce had a chin like the guy in Time Chasers!)

The 6 stories are set between Batman Begins and the Dark Knight. The Arkham inmates are still running lose from Begins, and a cop named Ramerez (introduced in "Crossfire") will play an important role in Dark Knight. Also, while it is an anthology there are connections that run through each segment (The guy Bruce golf's with in "Field Test", is referred to again in the "Deadshot" story)

Some of the story threads it tackles: It looks at how Bruce has built this mythic figure and -especially early on- how some people were not sure that he was even human. It speaks to how Gotham is trying to heal and trust its new protector. And touches on how he came to his philosophical mindset in terms of how he fights crime and how he conducts himself.

The David Goyer penned "In Darkness Dwells" wasn't bad (It lets us in on what happened to Scarecrow). "Field Test" was my least favorite (I felt the reason he dumps the force field was lame. How many things have ricochet off his bat-a-rangs and arm spikes? Not to mention how many times Diana's wrist bracelets came to his rescue in JLA stories - Things that ricochet have to land somewhere, even in bad guys themselves)

"Working Through the Pain" was a favorite of Timm's and Nolan's group - Because it delves more into Bruce early training. Something Nolan wanted to get more into (show how Bruce traveled the world gaining knowledge). I felt it was the best written and animated of the bunch, and I liked that shot with him holding all the guns.

It's not a terrible collection of stories, but overall It never held my interest. I'd be sitting there wishing a story would end because maybe the next one would be more interesting... but it rarely would click for me. Some nice ideas here but told in a dry manner. For a complete rundown on the 6 stories check out Wiki: Gotham Knight

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (Direct to DVD)
Originally Reviewed on April 27th 2008

The title says it all, but how the Joker -young and vital- happens to find himself in the future is the mystery surrounding this title. I purchased the uncut PG-13 version because it came highly recommended, and it was good, very good and yet... I can't really get into this modern version of the Bat.

From the opening sequence my problems with the series were still present. The futuristic architecture and landscapes, the industrial rock music score, the voice work by Will Friedle as Terry McGinnis (Batman) still annoys me, as does the voice of Barbara Gordon. Technically everything they've done for the series is the right move, Batman would have all the modern updated toys, it would be slick but even though it's the right move, I don't like it.

I have tried to separate myself from the original, and have told myself to view this as a different character. But the fact that Bruce Wayne is present as a mentor and the history is all there, I find that a futile endeavor.

Which is probably why the movie doesn't start to click until it shifts into flashback mode. Ahh yes, this is the Batman I like. The dark shadows, the cape, the brooding character with deep smooth voice. The gothic landscapes, the lightning. Now it had me. The bit here offers some horrifying revelations and the Joker is given new cruel and dangerous dimensions (Though he's a little better fighter than I remember). When Batman and Batgirl square off against Joker and Harley Quinn I was digging it.

Then we go back to the future and my interest waivers a smidgen.

Return of the Joker is a good story though predictable and the way Joker finds his way back is a little too out there for my blood (again, probably logical to this series, but far fetched -even to comic book standards- for the original) but it's well told, moves along nicely. The new villains didn't do a whole lot for me, though I enjoyed how one of the characters sounds like Christophen Walken and I liked Dee Dee (Voiced nicely by Melissa Joan Hart). Chicks who kick ass are always cool to me. And of course Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy are perfect as Joker and Bruce Wayne.

I think if I could just get into the Batman Beyond universe this would have been even more enjoyable than it was (and it is a superb movie) but as it stands, I'd rank it a solid 3rd behind Phantasm and Batwoman, but ahead of Sub Zero.

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