A Welcome Dark Knight! A great way to spend an evening in the company of 6 live comic books!
This is a great `Bento Box' pack to feed the imagination of graphic novel, anime, comic & movie fan.

Warner Bros & DC presents 6 tasty takes on Batman, much as you would find in any great comic shop, where illustrators and writers since the 1940's have given their own take on the Batman. How he looks, how Gotham looks & how others perceive him.

Kevin Conroy,(Batman the Animated Series) , is back to provide the deep rasping tones to this Bat of few words which is the only consistent element, but he is in great company with a plethora of characters. In the Batman's corner Allen & Ramirez, Alfred & Gordon Vs Arkham Inmates Scarecrow & Croc and the impeccable Deadshot.

The Japanese animators create very different styles, with the opening story `Have I got a story for you' providing the perfect prelude. The Gotham you see here is not a world away from the backdrop you see in Frank Miller's (Dark Knight Returns) & the Chris Nolan /David Goyer Dark Knight films. I won't take you through each episode, that would be like someone else opening your presents!

For me, I loved the different interpretations, the Shadow Batman, Man-Bat , Zoltar-esq (Battle of the Planets aficionados will hopefully share this view!) youngish Bruce dealing with pain . As well as why Bruce draws the line in terms of defence and weapons - if there is no risk, no danger what is there to lose?


The book is mightier that the DVD
Batman Gotham Knight is in the same vain of the Superman Doomsday animated movie, and just like our favourite citizen of Metropolis; it's good but that is all it is, it never excels, never really excites or enthralls like The Mask of The Phantasm. It's gorier than its predecessors and in some respects creates the same serious tone of Batman Begins and the Dark Knight and is designed to be sandwiched between both.

As a film or rather vignettes it works but only just, when I first saw that it was just over 70 minutes long I was concerned as to if the content would do justice to the Dark Knight, but as it stands it was long enough, the stories connect..... just, and manages to keep your attention but it limps in.

The film falls short where the book handles the story better, it isn't at disjointed as the film appears to be, so I would be much more inclined to re-read the book than to watch the film again for a few months, but it is something to come back to. The way the book handles the assasination by deadshot is so much better and creates more suspense as Jacob Feeley is still on the loose, not taken to Arkham before hand as in the film.

This isn't one for the younger viewer due to some of the content, and for a more mature audience it will only just satisfy. That said the animation is great, shame the film isn't, but it is good.



Took a couple of viewings.
First time through and, I think, the opening story put me in the wrong mood for the rest. The animation is pretty stylised and the story odd... this is Batman as seen through the eyes of Gotham's children.
The other stories seemed OK but the damage was done.
A few weeks later and I decided to give it another shot... glad I did.
Something clicked with the first story. Of course, this is a follow-on from Batman Begins so nobody is sure of who or what The Batman is.
"Crossfire" shows the acceptance of a vigilante to an ally for the police.
"Field Test" highlights, however dark, that Batman has certain morals and lines he won't cross. It also provides an explanation why he isn't 100% gadget driven.
"In Darkness Dwells" is a more traditional Batman Animated type episode showing his sleuthing and combat skills.
"Working Through Pain" give a bit more to the training and drive.
"Deadshot" brings it all together in another 'traditional' episode.
A common theme is that each episode conveys the awe and power people meeting Batman feel
I see now how each episode brings the character together and fills gaps between 'Begins' and 'Dark Knight'. Using 6 different animators might not have been necessary but is interesting. As a filler it works for me.
Even viewing them strictly as stories they're very good (even if you need to skip the first one).


Nice filler
This is a good filler while I am waiting for the new movie to come out. Very distinctly different animation styles on all the short stories whilst still keeping the Dark Knight feel of the Batman. Only criticism is that the stories are all maybe a little too short. I bought this on Blu-Ray, but as it's a dark movie, you dont appreciate the extra quality, so maybe better value on DVD. At this price worth a purchase for all Bat-Fans

Left Me disappointed
The Animatrix [2003]
Firstly, you wont find a bigger Dark Knight fan than myself, and i wouldnt reccommend buying this or even renting it. I Love Japanese animation and this dvd cannot be called anything but shoddy. The animation is poor and if you have seen the animatrix you will know what i mean.
The animatrix was solid, better than the films and the animation left you in awe of what was capable in the future. However the producers on this had obviously seen Animatrix as well but wanted to make something like it that was alot cheaper to produce.
Many times during the dvd i enjoyed what i was watching but the overall feeling was that i had been cheated out of the pleasure of watching a true classic. If you can look past the shoddy animation and below par plot then by all means, waste your money

Hide Reviews