The Dark Knight Returns: Part I
So here it is folks, THE FIRST REVIEW. Here goes. Let me know what you think!
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS.
The Dark Knight Returns: Part I
2012, Duration: 1hr 16 mins (Animation)
Cast: Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, David Selby, Wade Williams.
Adapted from the iconic Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name, TDKR is set in a future where Batman has not been seen in 10 years, most think he's a myth, a story to scare children. With crime in Gotham at an all time high, a criminal gang known as 'The Mutants' overruns the police force and begins to take control. As Gotham burns, a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne, still struggling to put the ghost of Batman to rest, dons the cape and cowl one more time to clean the city up once and for good. But does he have what it takes?
The story itself is very loyal to the graphic novel, even down to some of the dialog. It captures Bruce's angry and vitriolic hatred of the world perfectly. The relationship between Batman and the new Robin is a perfect example of someone actually knowing what they're doing when it comes to casting the boy wonder. The character needs to be cocky, headstrong, a know-it-all who knows nothing. But also he has to have the trust and respect of Batman. The voice work in this is second to none. Peter Weller brings a depth to the Batman character that has been missing, let's not forget Bruce Wayne is now fifty, so casting someone younger in the role would have been a mistake. Ariel Winter steals the show as Robin. The leader of Mutant gang is genuinely scary and you feel nothing but anger towards him. As I mentioned before, the film succeeds in capturing the relationships between all the characters as they are depicted in the novel, without spoiling them which is how it should be.
First off. The tone. The novel is so dark, so eerie, so edgy, it shouldn't have been too hard for Warner Bros to adapt it. The material is there! You don't ever feel like your in a dangerous, fallen, desperate, cess-pool of a city. The animation itself is TOO cartoony. It needs to be toned down. Some of the other secondary characters, like Gordon and Harvey Dent aren't introduced properly, so you don't really care for them as you're meant to. The first half of the film is rather dull and you kinda the feeling "oh it's another shoddy batman adaptation" Yawn, yawn. It does hit a point mid way through, (where Batman is on his first outing since returning) where you think YES! this is what I've been waiting for. But it's a long time coming. It needs to get to the point quicker. It's impossible to review this film without drawing comparisons to the novel, but with the novel you always knew what was happening, where things were going. The flow was smooth and it kept you hooked from the opening page. The film falls down in that aspect. It takes a while to get going and when it does and you're hooked in, it finishes!
To summarise, TDKR IS a good Bat-flick. If a little full of air. The well worked character relationships and the voice work are the bright spots, but it's lack of story development and rambling start let it down. It's not up there with The Mask Of The Phantasm, which is a shame, because based on the material the story comes from, it should be.
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