As demonstrated by films like Batman Begins and Watchmen, comic books are a very rich source of material for filmmakers. It should come as no surprise, then, that the controversial and news-making "A Death in the Family" storyline from the Batman comics has made its way to a direct-to-DVD project from Warner Premiere.
The Storyline in Under the Red Hood
Released on July 27, 2010, Batman: Under the Red Hood begins with the Joker murdering Robin after beating him within an inch of his life.
Sometime later, major crime lords of Gotham City meet a new player, the Red Hood, who tells them that they now work for him. The sudden change in loyalty does not sit well with reigning kingpin the Black Mask, who decides to engage the services of the Joker to deal with the threat to his power.
Batman, meanwhile, uncovers unsettling clues about the Red Hood, leading the Dark Knight to reach an unthinkable conclusion about his new adversary.
The Look of Batman: Under the Red Hood
The character and background designs used in the story are reminiscent of those in Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League. This is to say that the artists take liberties with anatomical proportions with the male characters, making them bulky on top with disproportionate waistlines. Batman, in particular, is very broad-shouldered but possesses a waist so small that most figure-conscious women would be envious. Since the designs are consistent with those of Batman: TAS and previous DC Original Movies, fans of those titles should quite enjoy the renderings of their favourite characters in this latest release.
The backgrounds, meanwhile, employ subdued colours to convey the darkness of the story. They are nicely rendered but do not compete with the foreground, always turning the viewers' eyes towards the characters.
The Voice Acting
Those characters are brilliantly brought to life by a fine cast under the direction of Brandon Vietti.
Bruce Greenwood's Batman rivals fan favourite Kevin Conroy and even manages to sound like the Batman: TAS star. Greenwood's line readings are spot on, capturing the unrelenting turmoil that grips the Caped Crusader after the death of Robin.
John DiMaggio leaves behind Futurama's Bender to portray the unhinged supervillain, the Joker. DiMaggio does not hold back and gives Batman's archenemy a sense of insane menace that is worthy of the DVD's PG-13 rating.
Neil Patrick Harris's Nightwing hits exactly the right notes, exuding a wry sense of humour that Batman does not afford himself. Jensen Ackles as the Red Hood imbues his lines with an edge that suggests anger hiding just below the surface of his words. Jason Isaacs's Ra's al-Ghul is very calculating and authoritarian and leaves the audience wanting more of this terrific villain.
Strong Themes
Parents with young children should note that Batman: Under the Red Hood is not a Saturday morning-friendly affair. The opening scene by itself may be a bit too intense for younger audiences; while no direct blows are shown on camera, the Joker's beating of Robin does effectively convey the violence taking place.
Along the same lines, the Red Hood introduces himself with a duffel bag filled with severed heads. Again, nothing is shown but the point is very clearly made. Some of the fighting is over the top but, at the same time, realistic enough that you would not want young ones attempting to imitate the moves.
In short, reviewing the DVD prior to showing it to children would definitely be a good idea.
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
Also worthy of parental preview is the 11-minute short Jonah Hex starring Thomas Jane in the title role. This extra on the 2-disc Batman: Under the Red Hood DVD is a gritty western that starts with a wanted criminal (Michael Rooker) falling victim to a conniving madam (Linda Hamilton) and her gang. Jonah Hex arrives in town shortly afterward and, after discovering what has happened to the man he was pursuing, proceeds to take on the gang.
Unlike the live-action movie from this summer, the animated Jonah Hex does not include any supernatural elements to tone down the violence. Instead, it plays like a real western, complete with fist fights and people being dispatched by bullets.
This short film is a terrifically entertaining introduction to the character of Jonah Hex. With luck, Warner Bros. Animation will give the bounty hunter a feature-length release in the future.
The Other Extras
Aside from the Jonah Hex short film, the two-disc special edition DVD of Batman: Under the Red Hood boasts several other noteworthy supplements.
The most significant is the featurette on the original Robin, Dick Grayson. Long-time fans will not find anything new in this extra. Fans only familiar with the Boy Wonder from TV and movies, though, should give the short feature a look as it discusses at some length the history and evolution of the Dark Knight's partner in comics.
Also included is an extended preview of the next DC Universe Original Movie, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Rounding out the extras are two episodes from season one of Batman: The Animated Series.
A Top-Notch Release
Even without the supplemental material, Batman: Under the Red Hood is a very worthy addition to any Bat-fan's library. The writing is consistently strong, providing compelling drama along with some very well-choreographed action sequences. Batman: Under the Red Hood is easily one of Warner Bros. Animation's best offerings to date and should not missed by any true comics fan.
Anthony Sin - Anthony Sin has been writing a while now, since The Beatles abandoned the clean-cut look in fact. Much to his surprise, he made it out of ...
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