Batman:Under the Red Hood DTV movie

[Earth 2 Chris]

I just watched this. It's good. I actually forgot I was watching a cartoon for a bit. It's brutal. Intense. It's somewhat sadistic, but the sadism is portrayed in a very negative light. I can't believe Winick wrote this.

It feels like a smash-up of Bruce Timm's Batman and Chris Nolan's. There are larger than life things in this Bat-universe, but Gotham is very grounded, like Nolan's.

Voice acting is top-notch. Bruce Greenwood is the best of these bigger actors cast as Batman. Neil Patrick Harris' Nightwing is a little more light-hearted than I like, but it works well against Jensen Ackle's Red Hood.

John DiMaggio, Bender of Futurama, and Aquaman of B&B is the Joker. He is CREEPY. He's a bit of a cross between Hamil and Ledger, but with his own flavor. He comes across as a frightening monster.

This movie ejects the goofier elements of "A Death in the Family" and "Under the Hood" and makes a coherent story out of two messy storylines. No small feat...and it's Winick!

Winick.

If you like Batman, you'll like this.

Chris

[The Bat]

Bought it today on Bluray....AWESOME Flick! It's dark as Batman should be...and not meant for younger Children. I LOVED it!

[saildog]

Thank You for the heads up.

Winick was the A-number-one reason I was planning on ditching (despite the fact that I like the voice casting). However, I trust your opinion so I'll happily give it a watch.

I guess if Bruce Timm can "eject the goofier elements" of the Winick written stuff....well, it's a bit like lighting a match in a fart-filled room: once the stink is gone, you can notice the furniture, paint, and décor are nice.

[samurainoir]

Just watched the first half and hour and I'm enjoying it.

It's definitely the darkest animated Batman ever given the fact that it begins with Joker bludgeoning Jason Todd with the crowbar and blowing him up. Not to mention the seven heads in a duffle bag.

Black Mask is in Al Pacino mode. Amazo and Riddler make appearances.

What will delight fans the most is how they portray Dick Grayson/Nightwing. Neil Patrick Harris does a great job playing the former boy wonder.

[BlackKnight]

Winick's Been writing Justice League Generations Lost ...., and It's Really , Really good stuff imo .
Maybe the Guy just Excells on using recyled story lines and adding new twists to them or something.

[madmarva]

Hey guys,

If you've watched the Robin documentary on the disc, it uses a Robin origin story with semi photo-realist art in the backdrop.

Does anyone know what comic it's from? I've missed it and would like to seek it out.

[saildog]

Winick's Been writing Justice League Generations Lost ...., and It's Really , Really good stuff imo .
Maybe the Guy just Excells on using recyled story lines and adding new twists to them or something.

I want to like Winick and I think he has the talent to make a mark, but it seems to me his main focus has mostly been on being this generation's Denny O'Neil. AND O'Neil missed the mark plenty in his quests, too, though the body of his work speaks for itself.

If Winick would just focus on being the writer he is capable of being, the rest will take care of itself.

[EMCE Hammer]

I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't think Winick had something like this in him. NPH's Nightwing was OK with me, although I wouldn't have minded seeing Dick get a little more hardcore at some point. This is probably my favorite of the animated movies so far, Marvel or DC.

[bizzaro megomauler]

i saw it a few weeks ago, (my brother works for Blockbuster and he gets things early) a masterpiece. Love the Joker!!!! BTW the Jonah Hex short is also BRILLIANT!!!!!

[The Toyroom]

Winick's Been writing Justice League Generations Lost ...., and It's Really , Really good stuff imo .

ya know, I hate to admit it, being a Winick basher and all...but Generations is a MUCH better read than it's bi-weekly counterpart "Brightest Day" and that's got Johns & Tomasi on scripts...

[saildog]

Okay...I didn't read the original Winick stories that this is drawn from. Were they as brilliant as this movie or did Bruce Timm draw out the elements that worked and sh*t-can what didn't? Does the film draw out the good elements while suppressing the weaker/crappy ones?

Forrest Gump was a great movie, but the book it was based on was not nearly as brilliant or successful. I saw that movie and then read the book. Had the order been reversed, I would have never bothered with the film. (Time having passed, I consider them two separate works and having re-read the book, I now enjoy it but it is nothing like the film.)

[Earth 2 Chris]

If you've watched the Robin documentary on the disc, it uses a Robin origin story with semi photo-realist art in the backdrop.

Does anyone know what comic it's from? I've missed it and would like to seek it out.

It's from Legends of the Dark Knight #100. The cover is also seen behind the mythology expert. It's the Alex Ross painting where Robin is leaping forward, swinging his sling.

Okay...I didn't read the original Winick stories that this is drawn from. Were they as brilliant as this movie or did Bruce Timm draw out the elements that worked and sh*t-can what didn't? Does the film draw out the good elements while suppressing the weaker/crappy ones?

I honestly didn't make it through Winick's entire "Under the Hood" arc in Batman. He brought Jason back with no explanation, and said in interviews he didn't need one. He took the returned Jason from Loeb and Lee's HUSH storyline and ran with it (even though that Jason was revealed to be Clayface...if you buy all that). He later explained Jason came back to life due to Superboy Prime punching the walls of his inter-dimensional prison...yeah.

This movie's version is 100 times more satisfying. Not to spoil things, but he went with the explanations most fans guessed at. It was the right way to go.

In Winick's defense (I can't believe I just typed that), he pitched the Under the Hood arc to the DCTV team, and Timm thought there was no way to do it in 70s minutes, and it was too convoluted, but Winick came up with the streamlined story on his own, according to interviews with Timm.



Chris

[madmarva]

Earth 2 Chris

Thanks for the info.

I don't guess I ever read that one.

[Raydeen1]

Dane,
Compared to BTAS... too grim for an 11 year old?
I like the grim Batman as much as anyone as it suits him but I'm a bit tired of it. I find B&B very refreshing.

Thoughts?

Bought it today on Bluray....AWESOME Flick! It's dark as Batman should be...and not meant for younger Children. I LOVED it!

[The Bat]

Dane,
Compared to BTAS... too grim for an 11 year old?
I like the grim Batman as much as anyone as it suits him but I'm a bit tired of it. I find B&B very refreshing.

Thoughts?

First...I LOVE BTAS! I've never seen B&B.

I like Batman grim & gritty, it's part of who he is. Love Frank Miller's Batman:Year One...and The Dark Knight Returns. Plus Chris Nolan's two Batman Movies. So I guess that shows my tastes in how I like to see Batman portrayed.

If you want "Sun Shine & Light"...that's what the "big blue Boyscout" is for.

P.S. I don't have Kids...but I would let an 11 year old watch "Batman:Under The Redhood".