Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
If you need a Batman fix and you’ve begun to get a little tired of watching and re-watching the live-action films, give this animated movie a shot. Just because you’re not going to see actors on-screen doesn’t mean this movie is simple, or for kids.
Based on the Under the Hood storyline by Judd Winick (who wrote the screenplay) and Doug Mahnke, a new criminal has arrived in Gotham City. The Red Hood (voiced by Jensen Ackles) is brutally eliminating many of the criminals Batman (Bruce Greenwood) has struggled against for years. This pushes criminal boss Black Mask (Wade Williams) to desperate measures.
This film wastes no time. It assumes you know Batman, the Joker (John DiMaggio), Alfred (Jim Piddock), and the rest. It comes in guns blazing but doesn't neglect what is required to make the film good. The characters are plenty developed, and in ways that you don’t usually see in superhero stories. In this tale, Batman has been fighting crime for many years. The mistakes he's made in the past are weighing heavily on him. The way he and his former protege Nightwing (Neil Patrick Harris) interact, you can tell something about this case bothers him. The Red Hood is such a big threat nor only physically but psychologically that you're kept on edge. Even though I was familiar with the source material, I still felt uncertain about where things would go.
The action scenes are particularly well done. When I see a fight brought to life through animation, I want to see stunts and moves that would require stuntmen hours of rehearsal and buckets of special effects to make it look genuine. These combat scenes are spectacular. Batman, his allies, and his opponents feel like they're bringing their A-game because the animators pulled all the stops to give us impactful hits, daring leaps, and well-coordinated moves.
Obviously, Batman's the star of the show but director Brandon Vietti doesn’t shortchange everyone who surrounds him. A personal favorite is Black Mask, whose absurdly short temper makes him memorable and still feels threatening even when he makes you laugh. Plus, it's cool to see a character who doesn't usually get time in the spotlight. It would've been obvious to make someone like Two-Face or the Penguin be the victim of Red Hood's attacks but by having a lesser-known villain, you can reinvent or do something new with them. He’s no holy grail. Could this mean he'll end up on the Red Hood’s trophy wall?
On an emotional level, the story has an impact, particularly as we dig deeper into what makes Red Hood tick. Under the Red Hood is intelligently written with an understanding of how humans work, particularly ones as complex as Batman and his supporting characters. In several ways, it even improves the material at points by streamlining the story.
I only have a few minor criticisms, such as a gang of assassins that could've been swapped for much cooler, lesser-known characters and certain scenes taken out of the well-known Death in the Family story arc who are tweaked for no significant reason. As a whole, these are nitpicks. Batman: Under the Red Hood is a superior direct-to-video film that will impress those who pick it up. (On Blu-ray, April 7, 2015)
