Batman: Gotham Knight is a first for the DC animated universe. It is the first time that Warner Brothers has developed a DC animated feature using Japanese anime style animation as opposed to an American approach. Certainly it was a risk to take such a radical departure from the style known and loved by so many DCAU fans. So did the risk pay off?
Well in my opinion it sure did. Batman: Gotham Knight is a fantastic animated feature that excels on every level that it possibly can.
The movie itself is comprised of 6 different yet interlocking segments. Each segment is directed by a different director and has a unique visual style. Going into watching the movie I had the feeling that the segments would be mostly episodic in nature. However there are very visible threads that carry from story to story and it was interesting to see the same items and people pop up in different segments with different animation. For the sake of being thorough, I will break this review down to a segment-by-segment basis.
Segment 1: Have I Got A Story For You
Fans of The New Batman Adventures might recall an episode entitled Legends of the Dark Knight. In that episode three kids share stories about Batman. Naturally each kid has a radically different vision of The Dark Knight. The episode ends with the kids actually catching a glimpse of Batman in the flesh.
The kids sharing Batman stories concept was revisited for this first segment. This time it is four kids and three of them recount tales of their run in with The Caped Crusader. While the three kids all see Batman's appearance in completely different ways, their stories are connected in that they are chronological. In other words where one kids story ends, another one begins. All the kids have witnessed Batman chasing the same criminal all over Gotham City.
If any one area of Gotham Knight truly benefits from the anime approach it would be this segment. The various exaggerated forms of Batman take on a distinct style that couldn’t quite of been captured in the usual form of DCAU animation.
Segment 2: Crossfire
Segment 2 introduces us to two Gotham detectives, Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez. Both work for Lt. Gordon but have varying views on Gordon’s working relationship with Batman. Allen sees Batman as nothing more than a dangerous vigilante and disagrees completely with Gordon’s decision to trust him. Ramirez on the other hand respects all that Batman has done for the city and tries to open Allen’s eyes to all the good Batman has done. The climax of the segment is an explosive gunfire fight between two mob bosses, Sal Maroni and The Russian. Without giving too much away, I will say that by the end of the segment Detective Allen might just find himself rethinking his stance on Batman.
Segment 3: Field Test
Much of segment 3 features Batman in his alter ego of Bruce Wayne. What initially startled me was the way in which Wayne is portrayed in this segment. He has the well known anime “pretty boy” look about him. It’s a look that seemed foreign to me, until I stopped and realized that it made perfect sense. If Bruce Wayne, the suave and attractive billionaire, were drawn in classic anime style then the pretty boy look is the one he would take on. The plot of the segment sees Lucius Fox give Wayne a new gadget. Batman tests out that gadget while in another confrontation with Sal Maroni and The Russian’s men. The gadget ends up reminding him of an important lesson about himself.
Segment 4: In Darkness Dwells
When a man is abducted Batman must venture into the sewers to rescue him. Working closely with Lt. Gordon via a radio, Batman discovers the man behind the abduction is The Scarecrow, who has a new deadly henchman at his disposal, a deformed flesh eater named Killer Croc. The very monstrous visual for both Scarecrow and Croc is something that makes this segment stand out for me. It was also very nice to see the interaction between Batman and Gordon.
Segment 5: Working Through Pain
This segment opens with a very injured Batman walking around the sewers. As he tries to cope with the pain he remembers back to when he was trained to manage his pain. Much like with segment 3, the bulk of this segment is dedicated to Bruce Wayne. We are introduced to the teacher that taught Bruce how to understand and manage his internal and external pain. The segment really gives some insight into how Batman can abuse his body night after night and yet still maintain his near super human physical and mental strength.
Segment 6: Deadshot
The final segment really ends the film on a high note. An assassin named Deadshot is hired by the Mob to take out Batman. By targeting a close friend of Batman’s, Deadshot is able to lure The Dark Knight into the open for a one on one showdown. Deadshot is a foe truly worthy of challenging Batman. As an assassin his method of choice is take out his targets with long range attacks. He posses an uncanny ability to shot targets from very long distances, even if he or the target are on a moving object such as a train. A fight between a man who specializes in guns and another man who has an oath against using firearms is just as interesting as it sounds.
As a final note, I must say how pleased I am with the voice over work for this production. Everyone did a phenomenal job and it was nice to see so many DCAU veterans involved in his production. A very special expression of praise to Kevin Conroy, who I was immensely pleased to hear in the title role. When doing something that is so radically different from all the other DCAU projects, it was nice to have the familiar presence of Kevin as Batman. It especially helped keep the continuity in a film that changes its visual style about every 15 minutes.
Final Verdict:
If you like your Batman dark, then see Gotham Knight.
If you’re a fan of the DCAU, then see Gotham Knight.
If you’re a fan of anime, then see Gotham Knight.
Really the appeal of Gotham Knight is so widespread that I can safely say anybody reading this review should check out Gotham Knight.
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