Which is why Batman: Beyond, with its more teen based marketing campaign, came out at a time that made it far more relevant to me than any other show on. From this original sin, came a more sophisticated appreciation for the old animated series, and then came the movies, The Dark Knight etc. But more importantly soon came the first comic book I ever read. A little known piece of literature called “Batman: Year One”. For many this is the seminal Batman work, the comic book that defined Batman, written of course by none other than the great Frank Miller, who reinvented the character and comic books in general, with his more adult focused tone. Soon this lead to reading more Batman, and more, and more , until of course that leads us to now. Years after that first contact, that first comic book, that first look into the sick and twisted mind of The Caped Crusader himself… And It’s time to take a second glance at that same comic book, but this time, why not watch it? Why? The question these days doesn’t seemed to be, “Why adapt something that was perfectly made for one medium to another?” and more “Why not adapt something that was perfectly made for one medium to another?” So here we are, the DC Animated Feature, Batman: Year One.

The first thing I notice while watching is an annoying CGI Plane. Why does it need to be CGI? It’s a traditionally animated film from what I can see; there is no need to make the plane CGI. Am I supposed to think it’s real? I don’t know, I guess it doesn’t matter, anyway I hear the voice of Benjamin McKenzie, he’s okay I guess, the Batman voice he does is better than most I supposed, better than Christian Bale… As if that’s really saying much of anything. Although it a pretty good voice, it holds absolutely nothing on Kevin Conroy, which is unfair I guess, because Kevin Conroy is the be all end all of Batman and his voice, mastered it so perfectly… Oh I seem to be going off track… Anyway the next voice I hear makes me feel all soft inside. It is the voice of the always wonderful Bryan Cranston. He saves the entire film in my opinion, he is the only really great part about it, all of the other actors are pretty meh. Especially Eliza Dushku, who delivers a bland as all hell rendition of Selina Kyle, who becomes Catwoman, although I’m not sure why she’s even in the movie because she has no real plot, and instead is just strategically placed throughout the film as if to give off the impression that she’ll be important. Look, I know that that’s how it was written in the comic book and whatever that’s Frank Millers prerogative to do so. But you’re creating an adaptation of a comic book you are allowed to take some liberties, especially considering the 64 Minute runtime, I feel like there was more than enough time to flesh out the character.

This film, is certainly the best page for page adaptation of a comic book I have ever seen in my life, but that is also its biggest flaw, when you adapt something from one medium to another, you can’t just do it word for word, that is so lazy, now I get it with movies like Watchman and Sin City, that makes the films seem artistic and cool and all that, but when you’re doing it with an animated movie, it just comes off as bland and lazy, there are practically no colours, all of the framing is the same, I mean there’s even no music as if to make it feel more like reading a comic book. I mean why even animate it? Why not just drop all pretence and scan pages of the comic onto the computer and have Bryan Cranston read out all of the dialogue and narration? It just annoys me when stupid movie makers feel the need to succumb so easily to fan peer pressure, I mean do you really think fans were going to complain if you added an extra half an hour of story to the film? Maybe more actions sequences, I mean it’s not like you gave us any new ones, the one action sequence from the book that you did animate had already been copied frame for frame by another Batman film, I’m not sure, you may have heard of it… it’s called Batman Begins. I mean.. whatever, I don’t really have any more to say about this film. Except that it’s disappointing because I was looking forward to it and all I got was a 64 Minute motion comic with a tacked on voice acting cast (Except Bryan Cranston – I Love You Bryan Cranston! )

Bryan Cranston brings the movie to life with his portrayal of James Gordon

It is set just after the events of the first movie and is based on Batman’s newest enemies a psychotic madman named the Joker, (Heath Ledger) and Gotham’s white light Harvey Dent AKA Two Face (Aaron Eckhart), Gotham’s district attorney turn psychopath after he loses the love of his life. The Joker is obsessed with Batman and will do anything to catch and kill him as well as anyone close to him or anyone nearby for that matter. Heath Ledger did the character justice and it is the best acting I’ve ever seen by him as he doesn’t just play the joker, he becomes him, and you’ll forget that it’s Heath on the big screen.

But it’s not all explosions, gun fights, butt-kicking and dramatic plot twists as they still keep a little bit of its good-old-comic-charm from the Tim Burton films. With darker twists such as nurse cross-dressing with exploding backgrounds and disappearing pencils shoved into goons foreheads as well as the occasional joke that’ll split your sides with its dark humour and witty charm.

I recommend that you should see this movie because if you don’t you’ll be left behind by all the gossip and one liners and will kick yourself for not going. But seriously, it’s a great movie and you will not be disappointed by it and it is worth more than the concession price you pay at the cinemas. See you next time, Joffries.