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Reviews - Film Review
Batman: Under the Red Hood
Original
Release Date - July 27th, 2010 (DTV Only)
Batman faces
his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham
City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal
kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency
of Batman, but without following the same ethical code. Killing
is an option. And when the Joker falls in the balance between
the two, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened.
Casting and Voice Direction by: Andrea Romano
Editor:
Margaret Hou
Music by: Christopher Drake
Executive
Producer: Sam Register, Benjamin Melniker, Michael Uslan
Producer: Bruce Timm, Bobbie Page
Co-Producer: Alan Burnett
Written by: Judd Winick
Directed by: Brandon Vietti
Main
Title Animation by: Peter Girardi Sarofsky Corp.
Animation
by: Answer Studio
Reviews by Zach Demeter, James Harvey |
Bruce Greenwood as Batman/Bruce
Wayne
Jensen Ackles as Red Hood/Jason Todd
John DiMaggio
as Joker
Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing
Jason Isaacs as
Ra's al Ghul
Wade Williams as Black Mask
Carlos Alazraqui
as Chi Chi
Robert Clotworthy as Leon
Gary Cole as Bobo
Brian George as Ra's Assistant
Kelly Hu as Ms. Li
Phil
LaMarr as Rick
Alexander Martella as Young Robin/Jason Todd
Vincent Martella as Robin/Jason Todd
Jim Piddock as Alfred
Kevin Michael Richardson as Tyler
Andrea Romano as Reporter
#1
Dwight Schultz as Freddie
Fred Tatasciore as Mercenary
#1
Keri Tombazian as Reporter #2
Bruce Timm as The Riddler
Michael Villani as Reporter #3 |
Review (Zach Demeter)
 It seems
like it's been awhile since our last DC Universe
outing. Though I suppose that's because it kind of
has been - the gap between the previous film, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, and this
one was about five months. After the rapid release that we got with Superman/Batman:
Public Enemies I got kind of spoiled with watching three of these films in
2009 and we're only just getting our second of 2010 with Under the Red Hood
(though we'll get another Superman/Batman film in September, rounding out
our third of the year for 2010). I realize this is all par for the course, but
when you run a website that, for the most part, lives and breathes these films
it gets to be a bit much and you expect these things to come out faster than
they do. In any case, here we are with Under the Red Hood which is yet
another comic book adaptation tweaked for home video. Those familiar with the
original story know that it was going to be an interesting adaptation for home
video, simply because Superboy punching a hole in whatever wasn't going to fly
for a seventy-five minute film.
From the outset I was pretty opposed to
this film. I found the whole rejuvenation of Jason Todd in the comics to be
nothing short of a swift kick to the pants of comic book fans everywhere. The
Todd story, of fans actually voting to kill the guy via a 1-900 number setup by
DC Comics, was something that was such an iconic piece of comic book lore that
to play with it just seemed immoral and wrong. By the time they pulled this bit
of shenanigans in the comic book world I'd long since stopped reading (kind of
lost my reason to go to the comic shop after they cancelled Batman Adventures) though, so I really wasn't affected by the
story they were telling. However once I heard that it was going to filter into
the DC Universe series of films, I knew I would eventually have to face facts
and deal with this annoyance. Unlike Chewbacca dying in the Star Wars
novels, I couldn't ignore Todd returning by just not reading the story in which
it took place - now it would be put into animation.
That was all a bit
overdramatic, of course, but it helped drive the point home I think. Basically
where I'm starting out with this film is a general feeling of hatred towards the
story, so in order to be won over it'd have to be quite a little awesome bit of
animation. Now I can only imagine those that either don't care or love the Todd
story as it now stands will take this film as it wraps it up into perhaps one of
the most neatly done and self-contained DTV's yet to grace the series. There's a
real sense of a stride being made even from the start of the film - the mood is
set almost immediately and when the opening credits with Christopher Drake's
score kick in, you can't help but get goosebumps. It's obvious that the
filmmakers here are going for a Christopher Nolan vibe as the film is genuinely
and truly dark and Drake's score even mimics and mirrors it on quite a few
occasions, although it still stands up on its own even without that relation
being made. The PG-13 rating really feels deserved here and I'm sure I've said
that before, but this is probably one of the most brutal bits of animated Batman
since Return of the Joker. So quite frankly I would avoid showing this
one to kids, as severed heads in a duffle bag (along with the requisite scenes
of Joker beating up on a teenage Todd with a crowbar) show up within a few
minutes of the film's opening credits.
There's also the issue of the
films dialogue. I shouldn't say "issue" because it is PG-13 - there's just
a lot more "hell" and "damn"'s being thrown around, but it totally works here.
It doesn't feel forced in like it has in past films; in fact it oddly feels
right. It's kind of another element of the DC Universe titles hitting their
stride—they've finally figured out how to juggle these new PG-13 boundaries and
exploit them to their fullest. Of course the dialogue would still sound idiotic
if it wasn't delivered properly and this is a tight little cast we have knitted
up for this release. The only real jarring portrayal was John DiMaggio as Joker,
but I soon realized while watching the film that the reason it felt odd was
because it actually makes you feel uncomfortable and in a creepy child
molester kind of way - which I'm not sure how close to a compliment that is to
DiMaggio, but it definitely got under your skin. Bruce Greenwood as Batman was a
superb portrayal as well, if mildly forced at times (particularly the speech in
the batwing as he was flying back from a meeting with Ra's al Ghul, but that was
really the only major moment) and Neil Patrick Harris added a much needed level
of levity as Nightwing (oddly enough Black Mask adds some laughs to the thing as
well). They could've made even Nightwing's role a bit darker, but considering
how they wrote him out of the story and avoided any kind of confrontation with
Red Hood proper (at least after Hood's identity is "revealed") taking him to any
kind of dark place would've been unnecessary in this film. The remainder of the
cast is as you'd expect with Alfred (voiced by Jim Piddock) and Jim Gordon (no
voice from him though) making appearances. There's no real surprise parties
here, although there is a passing reference to Oracle and brief bit with Talia,
but nothing that we weren't already expecting (unless The Riddler wasn't shown
before, in which case he shows up here too...voiced by Bruce Timm no less). Then
of course there is Jensen Ackles as The Red Hood, which is probably one of the
strongest performances out of the entire film—really quite exceptional all
around.
 Obviously the main thing about this film is the story and how it
was adapted. The final elements of A Death in the Family play out in a
few minutes and we don't dwell on it too much, although there are a few
well-done flashbacks plopped into the film here and there. In fact that was
probably one of the nicest things about the film - the exploration of Jason Todd's
character. I'm sure it'll come as no surprise that Todd is Red Hood (if that is
a surprise then you have terrible observational skills), but the film doesn't
even make it out to be much of a surprise except to Batman and Alfred, so it's
kind of a hook that the audience is already in on (although the less informed
may be unsure at first). In any case, the history of Todd is given in such a way
that it gives a nice backstory to the audience unfamiliar with it (and a
refresher for those that are). It even oddly ends the film in a way that feels
both abrupt as well as just ... right. It's hard to describe so I won't even bother
trying, but the ending is probably one of the more poetic wrap-ups I've seen yet
in these DC Universe films. It may have been better served if the ultimate
resolution to the Red Hood story was a bit more dramatic, but it works either
way.
I did realize something about the film shortly into it that it felt
very familiar in structure to another animated outing in the past. The story
structure really isn't all that different from Mask of the Phantasm, with
the mysterious stranger from Batman's past arriving in Gotham and killing people
off. On top of that there's the whole flashback angle and...truth be told the more
I think about it the more elements that the film kind of borrowed from Mask
of the Phantasm. This isn't a terrible thing of course, but I'm not sure if
it makes me like Under the Red Hood more or less. I will say the
inclusion of Ra's and the whole angle that it spun with Todd's resurrection was
definitely a pleasing element at the very least - I'm not sure what I expected the
reasoning to be, but Judd Winick definitely did a solid bit of storytelling
here, with some nice little threads planted early on that were later picked up
at the end. Granted Ra's was a component of the comic book resurrection as well,
but we avoided the idiotic time ripple effect of Superboy punching stuff. I
won't divulge the whole story piece by piece, but it definitely was one of the
more movie-like storylines of the series thus far.
Directing and
animation in this film were generally superb - everything flowed beautifully and
the fights looked appropriately brutal. The CGI usage was a bit over abundant
and occasionally awkward looking, but nothing too terribly annoying ... though they
just can't seem to nail down vehicular physics, because they float around a lot
in these films. In any case the flaws you may have with the film definitely
don't stem from the quality of the animation or the directing by Brandon Vietti
as both are absolutely top notch.
Truthfully speaking I expected to
really just dislike this film, but setting aside my reverence for the story of
Jason Todd's death ... I have to say this really was a damn good film. Time will
tell how I feel since I think I say that about every one of these DC Universe
titles and then later realize the flaws with each of them, but for the time
being Under the Red Hood was a genuinely surprising and entertaining
film. Definitely a Recommended outing, which is truthfully a higher
rating than I thought I'd give it when I slipped the disc into my player this
morning.
Review (James Harvey)
 Before I continue in
any capacity, you need to know I'm a huge Batman fan. Out of all heroes, from DC
and Marvel, etc., Batman just edges them all out. As a young child I loved the
1960s Batman
television until the 1989 big-screen Batman feature film, and the Batman:
The Animated Series program, changed my entire perception of the Caped
Crusader. I find he's a character that, arguably, is the most flexible in
comics. And, to this day, his adventures in four-color and animated form
continue to enthrall me. And, to my fellow Batman fans, I can thankfully say
that Batman: Under the Red Hood is no exception. Not only did this movie
thoroughly grab on to me with an unforgiving hold, but it is also easily one of
the best DC Universe Animated Original Movie titles yet.
The DC Universe
Animated Original Movies has been pretty excellent so far. A couple slip-ups,
yes, and a few features which don't quite add up to the others, but this line
has definitely brought up more hits than misses with the likes of Wonder Woman and Justice League:
Crisis on Two Earths easily at the top of the heap. However, it looks like
they may have just been dethroned with Batman: Under the Red Hood. In
fact, I would peg this as the most mature DC Universe Animated Original Movie
title yet, and the best Batman-focused animated feature since Batman Beyond:
Return of the Joker.
Where to start? Well, to those familiar with the
comic book story of which this film is based, you can rest assured knowing that
not only is this film very faithful to the Batman: Under the
Hood storyline, but actually improves upon it. There were actually moments,
while watching this movie, where I found myself wondering why Judd Winick,
writer of both the original comic story and this animated feature, didn't just
do this or that in the first place. But that's a completely different
discussion. Suffice it to say, this film offers down an improved, streamlined
version of the story. Plenty from the original Batman: Under the Hood is
left out, but what's left is the real meat. That's not to say it's perfect, it
has a couple 'face-palm'-worthy moments, but it's an invigorating and fast-paced
flick.
I found Winick's work on the dialogue really added a fresh
spin to the movie. It's quick, witty, and allows for some great observation and
interaction between the cast. Nightwing, naturally, gets plenty of great lines
off of Batman, and Winick allows the crimelord Black Mask to chew some major
scenery whenever he appears. The dialogue is solid and the film in general is
pretty well-structured, taking a look at some deep issues and building up this
great story to a powerful, intimate ending. The final scene? Perfect, perfect,
perfect.
And as sharp as the story is, the animation is also up there. I
found the animation on display here was pretty amazing with only a couple
exceptions. This is possibly the best animated effort since Green
Lantern: First Flight. Everything looks smooth, slick, and nearly perfect.
Whether it's a quiet scene or a full-out brawl, the quality is hard to deny. In
fact, the film's ability to move from an epic-like battle, such as the Batman/Nightwing/Amazo
three-way battle, to a more intimate duel, like the Batman/Red Hood tussle
toward the end of the feature, adequately shows how the creative team here is
able to juggle the demands of feature. During the later conflict between Batman
and Red Hood, you'll feel every punch, every face smashed into the wall, all of
it. It's particularly brutal at times, causing me to flinch more than once.
Kudos to the sound team for making each connecting punch, each crack, sound just
painful.
And to quickly follow-up on the film's fighting and intensity,
this movie earns its PG-13 rating. It's a dark, twisted tale that parents may
want to keep away from the little ones. Thankfully, the mature subject matter,
the violence and occasional curse word and such, all flows together organically
so none of the mature content feels out of place here. Still, as noted by
others, the film is a bit inconsistent with how it represents the violence, and
is sometimes pretty sanitized. The opening sequence, where the Joker bludgeons
Robin with a crowbar repeatedly, looks pretty safe, though later we see blood
splatter across a wall after Red Hood literally blows off someone's head.
Inconsistent to the point where it's occasionally distracting, blood will be in
one frame and gone the next, but nothing that actually takes away from the
actual content of the film. The strong story and usually powerful voice-acting
makes it easy to completely miss the odd animation hiccup.
 And there's
not a thing to worry about concerning the voice cast. In fact, there's rarely a
flaw to be found here when it comes to the voice work. The major roles include
Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) as Batman, Jenson Ackles (Supernatural)
as Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as Nightwing,
Jason Issacs (the Harry Potter film series) as Ra's Al Ghul, and John
DiMaggio (Futurama) as The Joker. I thought everyone hit their marks well
throughout the movie, with only the odd quibble. I found Issacs wasn't given
enough to work with for his role as Ghul, but did pretty well for what he had.
Greenwood was a great, great Batman, only occasionally sounding a bit too horse
or raspy as the Dark Knight. Harris brought some great levity to the film as
Nightwing, despite his role being smaller than I would've hoped. Ackles was
absolutely perfect as Red Hood, selling every line and creating a multi-layered
and complex character. Ackles easily gives a standout performance as our
mysterious vigilante. And hats off to John DiMaggio for an absolutely riveting,
terrifying take on the Joker. Unique, creepy and pretty unforgettable. I got
chills during some of the Joker scenes here ... the dialogue was just that good and
the execution even better.
Kudos to Brandon Vietti on his
direction, effortlessly juggling the big set pieces with the smaller moments
with ease. Whether it's the big bridge showdown toward the climax, or the final
moments of the film, or even the tense-riddled pre-credit sequence, Vietti nails
it all. All of this is aided with the superb musical compositions of Christopehr
Drake, who hits it out of the park yet again here. Drake has managed to bring
his A-game to each of DC Universe Animated Original Movie titles, and this is no
exception.
Save for what's previously mentioned, complaints are minor for
Batman: Under the Red Hood. It seems that while the creative
teams on these features are starting to get a grasp of creating a full feature
with a limited 75 minute time-frame, there still seems to be a couple
time-crunch problems. I find that there could easily have been a few instances
where the action could have been cut to make room for the movie to breathe some.
As enjoyable as it was, the Amazo sequence could easily be jettisoned in favor
of, well, more Red Hood. The film doesn't feel rushed at all, and does unfold at
a nice steady pace, but it's only after that fact where one begins to realize a
couple things could be excised to let the movie breathe. Plus, Nightwing
vanishes about a third into a movie and then promptly disappears until a silent
cameo toward the end. It would have been nice to have seen more of him, even
just to provide some levity as the film dips into some very dark territory as it
heads into its final moments. Still, the film never loses focus so the flaws are
barely noticeable.
Before I move on, I feel the need to point out an
absolutely mind-boggling observation made by Alfred during the film as he and
Batman unearth a body during a late night graveyard excursion. I won't spoil it
here, but it's simply baffling and surprisingly jarring because you'd never
expect to see a comment so stupid come from someone like Alfred Pennyworth.
You'll know it when you see it.
A mature and faithful take on the Batman
lore, fans of the Dark Knight really shouldn't pass this up. The storytelling is
solid, the animation is top-notch, and the cast and crew really pull out all the
stops to give fans a solid character-driven action drama. It's a really fine
Bat-film that, while not succeeding them, can stand shoulder to shoulder with
the likes of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman
Beyond: Under the Red Hood. This is one movie you need to experience on in
the best format possible. No downloads or torrents, but DVD or Blu-ray. It's
just better that way (and besides, you shouldn't be illegally downloading this
stuff anyway, but actually supporting these releases by purchasing them).
A stunning, action-packed emotional ride, Batman: Under the Red Hood is
an unquestioned Must Own for Batman fans.
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