Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Deluxe Edition)

Having never seen the original graphic novel, I have to say I was highly impressed by this adaptation. It's three hours long of pure, compressed awesome as Batman makes a comeback in Gotham City with a vengeance. And while he is older, Batman has lost none of his skills and determination, settling old scores one by one.Aside from strong action sequences, the movie also has some powerful themes running through it, particularly how it satirizes our media and way of life. Batman's activities and those of his enemies are commented on by a 24/7 news circus, led by a variety of talking heads that are all too often very opinionated but completely clueless. Far from dated, that commentary seems more relevant than ever. Today we live in a 24/7 news cycle, bombarded with information, but most of it's useless at best, misleading at worst.Another theme is authority figures abdicating said authority by failing to act when it's needed. Only Batman is willing to make the hard choices that will keep other people safe and restore order, but unfortunately this, more than anything else, makes him public enemy #1. Is it appropriate to resort to vigilantism when our leaders fail us, or is it better to stand by them for the sake of public order? Batman seems to prefer the former, and it's hard to argue with the results.The characters in the movie are all very interesting, with striking visual designs. The Mutants are a bunch of savages that babble slang from behind the multitudinous neon red glow of their visors, and led by a monstrous leader that probably is, in fact, a mutant. The Joker, in contrast to his usual lanky, disheveled appearance, looks nearly unphased by age and seems stronger than ever. There's Carrie, the girl Robin, who adds a desperately needed splash of bright color to Gotham's grim world, and her enthusiasm is infectious. And of course, there's the Batman, whose strong jaw and muscular bulk mark him as a force to be reckoned with. The voice-overs are all top-notch, too. The Joker's lines are delivered with an unnerving, almost feminine tone as he gleefully rampages about. Peter Weller's Batman is great, too. I know some people would want Kevin Conroy but Weller is just fine, here. This Batman needed to be someone who could come off as both a thinker and a leader, and Weller's strong voice pulled that off, though I have to admit that, when he said, "I am the law!" I couldn't help but get Robocop flashbacks.It's not entirely perfect, though. While the animation is good, some of the special effects, especially fog or smoke, look cheap and out of place beside the animated characters. I also felt the movie was way too hard on "President," who's obviously supposed to be Reagan--and the irony is that, while it was cool to poke fun at Reagan back then, these days, well after the publication of the original graphic novel, politicians from both parties are quick to try and compare themselves to him. So much for that bit of satire. And you may find this movie portrays some classic characters in ways you might be unused to, to say the least. Some scenes, especially with Superman and the Joker, are very disturbing, and I would even go so far as to say Heath Ledger's Joker was restrained compared to the one we have here.The movie caps off with a few hours of documentaries, but while some of them are fairly interesting, they can be safely skipped, because otherwise you're looking at a five hour movie--geeze!Hey, DC! How about a sequel, huh? Because The Dark Knight Strikes Again was... uh... well... hm. You know what, let's leave this saga at this satisfying conclusion. Frank Miller probably should have.

I do not own, or had seen either of the two parts on their own so you can take my review from that perspective.At first, I was hesitant to pick up this movie because the trailers did not really impress me, especially in terms of the art. The movie simply looked ugly, but I am happy to say that I was very pleasantly surprised to find I was wrong. What ultimately pulled me towards this movie was that I was looking for a DC movie where the world was not ideal, and our superheroes were more than just a face. And this movie delivered, and brought dessert with it too.The art fits the mood and story extremely well. The details are in the right places, and everything has a grim look to it, and it carries some weight. The only "cheesy" looking parts of the film are the cars which are straight-up CGI inserts, but those are kept to a minimum throughout. Otherwise, this a terrifically animated movie and it was very enjoyable to look at. The art style is different, but it works in favor of the story.However, the movie does not end at just its animation. The voice acting is outstanding to say the very least. I especially enjoyed Peter Weller's performance of Batman, and it just synced perfectly to the character and mood. Of course, the rest of the cast was very good as well with the exception of the Joker. I might be stuck thinking he should sound like the Joker from The Animated Series, but I do feel something was missing in this film when the Joker took the stage.In terms of the story, you get closure on several of Batman's arch-villains in one form or another. It was quite the ride, and spanned quite a bit of development, and it did not look like they downplayed any of the violence (though I do not know the comic source). However, at the same time, none of it felt really rushed, and in a way it all fell into place over the course of the 2+ hour movie. The ending itself could have gone a different direction, but I'm fine with the direction they took. In addition you also get several references to the 80s (some direct and some indirect) along with the Soviet Union and nuclear holocaust looming in the distance. And of course, you even get some Superman in there for good measure without even mentioning how you get to see the side of Bruce Wayne that you don't get to very often.In terms of what you get with the Blu-ray edition, there is the main Blu-ray disc, a special features disc, and the DVD disc. In addition, there is the Ultraviolet code and 4 art drawings based on the movie. The special features disc contains a few episodes from Batman: The Animated Series and one episode from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I honestly did not buy this movie for the special features so I have not looked at the rest.Ultimately, if you are looking for a Batman movie that focuses on the more darker side of society, then Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is the Batman movie for you. I was more than impressed.

Es una excelente edición para disfrutar de la mejor experiencia que existe para The Dark Knight Returns. Poder disfrutar de la novela gráfica, el material de origen del cual surge la película animada, y después la película en si. Una verdadera obra de arte lo que hizo Frank Miller con Batman y la adaptación de Jay Oliva es magnífica.El disco de extras es buenísimo. Vale cada centavo esta edición.Quizá habría que tener cuidado con este material en bodega ya que me llegó un poco dañado de las esquinas, por lo demás está excelente.

Nuff said...

First off, I love the DCU/animated versions of the Batman, more than the live action movies. I got hooked on Batman: The Animated Series, and since then I've enjoyed anything animated with the Batman, maybe not so much the feature with the Red Hood and the return of Jason Todd. But Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, the deluxe edition is worth every penny. The story of Bruce Wayne in his later years, and him realizing that Bruce Wayne died when his parents died those many years ago making way for his new persona, the Batman. Although not as spry and strong like he was in his more youthful days, but as we learn as the story plays out, he never stopped being the Batman, he just lost his way. But what he missed was the rush and the paradox that he subscribed to and betrayed when he hung up his cape and cowl. "Never again", as he learns the gruesome realities of a Gotham that barely survived without the Batman.Frank Miller's treatment of the subject matter, and indeed this adaption of the graphic novel to animated perfection shows a great deal of reverence to the subject matter. Also Peter Weller is a great Batman, providing voice work on par with the best of Kevin Conroy. With constant reference to the history of Batman, some references like Bruce Wayne's non-existent relationship with former friend and ally, Dick Grayson to the death of Jason Todd all gave nods to a much greater story than what was presented. And of course the inclusion of Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, and later on the Joker really drove home the inescapeable nature of Bruce Wayne being the Batman. There's a great deal of sub-text and much can be looked into the inclusion of Harvey Dent and the Joker as his two classic rivals; mostly dealing with Batman's dual personalities, one of Bruce Wayne and the other being of course the Batman, and how regardless of the face being shown there's only one true identity in control. Essentially the idea isn't anything new to the idea of Batman being man with dual identities and psyches, but it's in the delivery of this that really sets it apart from other looks into the psyche of Batman's character or Bruce Wayne's mental instability. And of course the tried and true, Batman doesn't kill ideal that he always maintained is tested with the Joker to the ultimate end. Truly this Batman is by far the most tortured and most interesting. Bruce has years to mull over his failures as a "hero", and his coming to terms with the fight never ending. The Batman becomes something of a pathetic character nevery being able to shake the responsibility he took those many years ago, even with a failing body and a tortured psyche. But he comes off unbeatable when he confronts his greatest rival, Superman. Much is being made of the new Batman vs. Superman movie, but I promise you, if you watch this take on it you will not be disappointed by what you see.From a story perspective this is a masterpiece, but the action and animation is what hits it home. Every fight be it against the mutants, Harvey Dent's gang, and the Joker were given a great deal of care making for an intense and visceral viewing experience. All told the entire production is about two and a half hours, and the there isn't a single wasted moment or lull or boring bit in the entire feature my attention never wained while watching. This is a story that is a must watch for any fan of the Batman.

先日(2015 4/17)に公開されました来年公開の映画Batman v Superman dawn of justiceのトレーラー。十数日も経たないうちに再生回数が2000万回を突破するなど、非常に高い評価を受けています。この映画の予習に、このアニメをご覧になられてはいかがでしょうか?バットマンがスーパーマンに勝てるはずがない…その疑問にこの傑作は答えてくれるでしょう！

great movie & watch it