Batman: Year One (2011)

[InformationGeek]

This year's animated Batman film from DC Universe Original Animated Feature is the adaption of Frank Miller's Year One story.  Having read the comic in the past, I say that this is great adaption of the comic.  Covers all the scenes from the comic, hits all the right points with the dialogue, and delivers on some of the best action scenes I've seen from DC's animated stuff.

The story is basically the first year on the job for Bruce Wayne and Jim Gorden, when he hadn't yet become the Batman we know and he hasn't become the comissioner for the police force.  Gotham City is a hellhole; with the mob running basically everything and the police are corrupt as heck.  In this first year, we see Bruce and Jim start their long going journey to try to change the city for th better.

The story is very well done, even getting the amusing dates that pop up like in the comic.  The animation is solid and everything flows well (except for the plane in the opening), really showing how intense some of the fights get.  Now, voice acting.  This is where the movie has the most trouble for me.  Most of the voices were fine, but Bruce Wayne and Alfred's voices were a bit troublesome.  I didn't really like Alfred's voice the entire film and I found Bruce's hard to get use to.  It kind of got me out of the movie a bit.

Anyhow, this is still a solid movie that is worth seeing.  If you were having trouble with Christopher Nolan's films before but still like Batman, you'll probably love this in still.  Plus, it's only 67 minutes!  Perfect for you guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdMtMU91u0U
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[tracy]

We'll be checking this one out for sure...

[alandhopewell]

This year's animated Batman film from DC Universe Original Animated Feature is the adaption of Frank Miller's Year One story.  Having read the comic in the past, I say that this is great adaption of the comic.  Covers all the scenes from the comic, hits all the right points with the dialogue, and delivers on some of the best action scenes I've seen from DC's animated stuff.

The story is basically the first year on the job for Bruce Wayne and Jim Gorden, when he hadn't yet become the Batman we know and he hasn't become the comissioner for the police force.  Gotham City is a hellhole; with the mob running basically everything and the police are corrupt as heck.  In this first year, we see Bruce and Jim start their long going journey to try to change the city for th better.

The story is very well done, even getting the amusing dates that pop up like in the comic.  The animation is solid and everything flows well (except for the plane in the opening), really showing how intense some of the fights get.  Now, voice acting.  This is where the movie has the most trouble for me.  Most of the voices were fine, but Bruce Wayne and Alfred's voices were a bit troublesome.  I didn't really like Alfred's voice the entire film and I found Bruce's hard to get use to.  It kind of got me out of the movie a bit.

Anyhow, this is still a solid movie that is worth seeing.  If you were having trouble with Christopher Nolan's films before but still like Batman, you'll probably love this in still.  Plus, it's only 67 minutes!  Perfect for you guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdMtMU91u0U

     I saw this at Wal-Mart yesterday-$15.00, which I didn't have at the time. If I get the usual $50 Wal-Mart gift certificate from my mother-in-law at Christmas, I may gift myself with it. Looks great, and I loved the graphic novel.

     Speaking of re-dos of graphic novels, I found this at our library the other day, and thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it....



     If you get the chance, read it....tasty.

[InformationGeek]

Speaking of re-dos of graphic novels, I found this at our library the other day, and thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it....



If you get the chance, read it.

I have read No Man's Land in the past.  Very good book, though I dislike how they left out Poison Ivy from the book even though she was in the comics.

[Mofo Rising]

I've been looking forward to seeing this one. Batman: Year One is a seminal point in the Batman mythos, one of Frank Miller's finest works done before he went off the crappy deep end. A lot of that comic made it into Batman Begins, especially the Jim Gordon stuff.

I'm glad to hear you say it turned out well.

I'm surprised they didn't just get Kevin Conroy to do the voice. Kevin Conroy's voice is Batman. Why change it?

On a side note, I was sad to find out that Arkham City was Mark Hamill's last project portraying the Joker. Hamill really did some terrific work with the Joker.

[InformationGeek]

I'm surprised they didn't just get Kevin Conroy to do the voice. Kevin Conroy's voice is Batman. Why change it?

Well if it makes you feel any better, the next animated DC movie, Justice League Doom, he's back in as Batman.  In fact, everyone from the Justice League to Superman animated series are back in their roles, expect Malcolm McDowell as Metallo and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Cheetah.

[tracy]

I'm surprised they didn't just get Kevin Conroy to do the voice. Kevin Conroy's voice is Batman. Why change it?

Well if it makes you feel any better, the next animated DC movie, Justice League Doom, he's back in as Batman.  In fact, everyone from the Justice League to Superman animated series are back in their roles, expect Malcolm McDowell as Metallo and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Cheetah.

That's good...I like his voice work as Batman.

[HappyGilmore]

This year's animated Batman film from DC Universe Original Animated Feature is the adaption of Frank Miller's Year One story.  Having read the comic in the past, I say that this is great adaption of the comic.  Covers all the scenes from the comic, hits all the right points with the dialogue, and delivers on some of the best action scenes I've seen from DC's animated stuff.

The story is basically the first year on the job for Bruce Wayne and Jim Gorden, when he hadn't yet become the Batman we know and he hasn't become the comissioner for the police force.  Gotham City is a hellhole; with the mob running basically everything and the police are corrupt as heck.  In this first year, we see Bruce and Jim start their long going journey to try to change the city for th better.

The story is very well done, even getting the amusing dates that pop up like in the comic.  The animation is solid and everything flows well (except for the plane in the opening), really showing how intense some of the fights get.  Now, voice acting.  This is where the movie has the most trouble for me.  Most of the voices were fine, but Bruce Wayne and Alfred's voices were a bit troublesome.  I didn't really like Alfred's voice the entire film and I found Bruce's hard to get use to.  It kind of got me out of the movie a bit.

Anyhow, this is still a solid movie that is worth seeing.  If you were having trouble with Christopher Nolan's films before but still like Batman, you'll probably love this in still.  Plus, it's only 67 minutes!  Perfect for you guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdMtMU91u0U

I'm gonna see this as soon as possible. 

Although, I have NO problems with Nolan's Bat-series.

[Mofo Rising]

I watched it tonight and found it quite good.

The first thing I noticed was that the animation was quite a bit above the regular level these DCU movies put out. There's some awkward "too clean" CGI stuff in the backgrounds, but the character design and animation was top notch.

Second, the movie really takes a lot of its cues from the comic book. Some of the scenes are shot in from the exact same angle as the comic. This is good, because the Mazzucchelli art from the Year One is fantastic.

The movie's short, and not as in-depth as the comic, but the story really shines through. I'm emphatically not a fan of Frank Miller, but for a short period of time in the '80s and early '90s he had his finger on the pulse of where mainstream comics could go. Year One is an integral building block in the character of Batman we know today. Especially in creating the universe he exists in. This particular story is Jim Gordon's real introduction.

Plus, they got Walter White to voice Gordon. Cranston brings a great tone to Gordon's character, although sometimes the delivery seems a little too low energy.

If you watch the DVD, there's a pretty good documentary about the transition of '60s Batman to the gritty '70s version which manages to skip the usual PR fluff these tend to accumulate. (The last one I watched had a glowing recommendation of Miller's All-Star Batman, which is just foolish.) There's also a Catwoman short which managed to be the most sexually explicit DCU cartoon yet made.

If you like Batman (and if you don't, what's wrong with you?), check it out.