The Dark Knight Returns
2012
D: Jay Oliva
**********
Pros: Animation, Improved Artwork, Voice Cast, Soundtrack, Pragmatic Changes
Cons: Some Missed Visual Opportunities, Moments of Bad CGI
In the same year Christopher Nolan disappointed us with Dark Knight Rises, Warner Premier produced its best animated DC work since Under the Red Hood. This movie is a near-perfect adaptation of Frank Miller’s iconic graphic novel, and certainly deserved a theatrical release more than Rises. The movie is wisely split into two parts so as not to leave out too much: Part 1 involves Batman’s return and his defeat of the Mutants while Part 2 focuses on his battles with Joker and Superman.
The movie is remarkably faithful to the comic, and retains the story in its whole. The biggest difference is the deletion of the noirish narration and the news interviews. While these were surprisingly well-done in the book, the filmmakers realized that they would not translate well to this medium. As such, the movie lacks something the source material possesses, but its pragmatic nature is reinforced with a few modifications and slight improvements. Most noticeably is the Joker (Michael Emerson). I found him far too humorless in the graphic novel, but the movie cleverly works in some the lines from his narration reframed as quips. In this version the Joker actually tells jokes. I couldn’t help but think that this scene is also a vast improvement over the original, in which Selina Kyle (Tress MacNeille) appears to be too drunk to be properly disturbed by the Joker’s presence. Dr. Wolper's (Michael McKean) death is far more satisfying in the movie, although I found David Endocrine (Conan O'Brien) to be less witty than in the original.
The animation is good, and the art style is an improvement over the comics. Unfortunately, this says more about the comic than the movie; I find the former’s illustrations to be uneven and unfinished. In contrast, the movie’s look is cleaner, with more complete coloring while still maintaining a dark atmosphere. Some of the stylizations from the comic are missed, however, such as the high-contrast appearances of scenes like Superman’s stopping the missile. Superman’s stylish introduction in the comic through a play of images is practically begging to be put in motion, but the movie ignored it. The artwork is more professional, and some of the mistakes are cleaned up. For example, the SOB in the news interviews appears more intimidating and less like a college student who just realized he got shamed before a school day. Unfortunately, like many Warner Premiere DTV movies, Dark Knight Returns cuts corners by using cheap CGI for some of the scenery. Particularly egregious is the car race in the first scene; the comic provided them an excuse not to show the race by only featuring close-ups of Wayne. If they did the chase right, it would have been a welcome addition, though.
The voice acting is very good. Peter Weller, presumably present for the Frank Miller connection, took a bit of time for me to get used to as Batman/Bruce Wayne, but he eventually fits. Unfortunately, he does not change his voice between personas. The real star is Michael Emerson, who provides a chilling, creepy performance as the Joker. This character is the most improved aspect of this adaption, although I would have liked to hear Emerson’s read on the “What kind of bombs?” scene. Other cast members include Ariel Winter as Carrie Kelly, David Selby as Gordon, Maria Cannals-Barrera as Yindel, Wade Williams as Two-Face, Michael Jackson as Alfred, Gary Anthony Williams as the Mutant Leader, Mark Valley as Superman, Dee Bradley Baker, Grey DeLisle, Richard Doyle, James Arnold Taylor, Bruce Timm, Frank Welker, Rob Paulsen, Andy Richter, and Tara Strong.
Christopher Drake’s score is superb and it’s appropriate to the franchise while having a cyberpunk feel. The best track is “See You in Hell.” Dark Knight Returns is a solid Batman movie that complements its source material well.
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