Batman: Gotham Knight
A straight-to-DVD release like this will probably only interest true Batman fans and comic book aficionados; but if you're a casual observer of the Caped Crusader and were particularly taken with Christopher Nolan's successful infusion of gritty realism in the film reboot Batman Begins, then Batman: Gotham Knight is worth a look in conjunction with the release of The Dark Knight. While the stories purport to fill in the gap between the two live-action feature films (they make subtle reference to the events of Batman Begins), they aren’t directly necessary to understanding The Dark Knight. The Gotham Knight tales are merely additional stories about Batman’s formative early years as a crime fighter.
What we have here are six chronological short stories, each directed by a different auteur in the world of Japanese anime. Now, I've never cared much the animation created by our neighbors in the Far East, and I often find the storytelling even sloppier. Much of that I attribute to nuances being lost in translation. That isn’t a problem with Batman: Gotham Knight because each of the stories were written by American comic book writers and screenwriters, including David S. Goyer, who co-wrote Batman Begins.
The first story in the film is probably the weakest, not only because of its childish animation, but also because of its recycled plot from the comics and animated series. After that, however, the film finds its footing with stories that focus on Batman’s burgeoning detective skills and the moral and psychological consequences that evolve out of choosing to do what Bruce Wayne does. The middle section of the film (“Field Test” and “In Darkness Dwells”) combines these two facets of his work quite well.
Gotham Knight wraps up with its two strongest sequences. “Working Through Pain” takes place in flashbacks as a badly wounded Batman remembers his training with the outcast of a religious sect who helped Bruce Wayne realize that his mental pain far outweighs any physical pain he will ever endure. That story is followed by “Deadshot,” the film’s finale about an assassin hired by the mob to eliminate Batman--the villainous manifestation of Batman’s never ending battle against gun violence.
After the first segment, the anime never gets quite so sloppy again, and while each director lends his own personal style to Batman and the Gotham City that so ominously surrounds him, the guiding hand of longtime Batman director/producer Bruce Timm never lets the painted picture leave the canvas created by he and his colleagues at DC Comics/Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan in the new live-action films.
- July 21, 2008
DVD Extras
Disc two contains most of the special features, including an interesting documentary about Batman creator Bob Kane and his flamboyant personality. A Mirror for the Bat is a 30-minute short in which DC writers and producers discuss Gotham City's notorious supervillians and how each represents a different facet of Batman's personality. Also included are four of director/producer Bruce Timm's favorite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, though I would argue It's Never Too Late (from season one) should have replaced Legends of the Dark Knight, as it better fit the theme of the other selections: real human stories of tragedy and redemption that help explain why the world needs someone like Batman.
Disc one features commentary from DC Comics Senior Vice President/Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck, former long-time Batman writer/editor Dennis O'Neil, and the voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy. It also has a 10-minute sneak peek at next year's Wonder Woman animated feature.