Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible and Worth Every Penny, June 30, 2008
*This does contain some minor spoilers. I tried not to spoil too much.*
Batman: Gotham Knight is advertised as the missing link between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. There are six stories in total. Each story is by different artists, but they all link together and flow together nicely.
The first story is called, "Have I got a story for you," and involves a boy waiting for his friends to arrive. Once they do, each one of them tells a story about what they saw today and they all saw Batman. Each story is farfetched in its own way as this story capitalizes on teenagers stretching the truth and/or having overactive imaginations. It seems their day isn't finished though as the fight they all witnessed makes its way to that very skate park.
"Crossfire" is the story of Chris and Anna being apart of Lietenant Gordon's MCU(Major Crime Unit). Chris thinks Batman is a vigilante that takes the law into his own hands while Anna is still unsure about him and is just thankful that good cops that know how to do their job are actually being respected now that Batman has shown up. After taking a recent Arkham escapee back to the asylum, they soon realize they're stuck in the middle of a gang war between Sal Maroni and The Russian.
"Field Test" begins with Lucius Fox showing Bruce Wayne some new gadgets. Amongst them is a harness equipped with an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to deflect bullets. Batman decides to test it out with Maroni, The Russian, and his goons. Everything is going Batman's way until a certain...glitch...happens.
"In Darkness Dwells" has everyone looking for a monster. Killer Croc, to be exact. Apparently, he was the former patient of a certain Johnathan Crane. Coincidentally, one of the reasons he was admitted to Dr. Crane was for his fear of bats. Go figure.
Batman is injured on what seems like any other night he puts on his mask in "Working Through Pain." We're basically shown how tenacious he really is as he struggles with his injuries. We're also shown a few flashbacks of his past and soon learn the difference between exterior and interior pain. There's a way to put pain in its place and this is how Bruce Wayne found out how.
"Deadshot" has come back to Gotham and has set his sights on Jim Gordon, but it looks like he has alterior motives. Bruce Wayne also gives his views on guns.
Gotham Knight is superb. There's really no other way to describe it. I had my doubts about it, but I think those were blown away during the first few minutes of the film. The animation is fantastic. Everything moves crisply and smoothly. It just seems to flow. And let me just say that it's amazing to hear Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman again. It's like a homecoming in so many ways.
The biggest question you may be asking yourself is if all the stories actually flow together since they're all done by different artists. The truth is that other than the artistic style changing, you don't really notice anything. The voice cast stays the same throughout the entire film and while each individual story has its own story to tell, they're all connected in some way and flow together nicely.
Gotham Knight is a feature that shouldn't be missed by anybody. Whether you're an anime fan, a Batman fan, or you're just looking for something new to catch your eye, I'd recommend Gotham Knight to anyone and everyone. The animation is beautiful and has a real crisp flow to it while the stories are written incredibly well and will keep you interested. The voice cast is also something worth mentioning. Other than seeing Kevin Conroy come back as Batman, the rest of the cast does a great job as well. My one complaint is that it doesn't really bridge the gap between anything. If you've seen Batman Begins, you'll be fine when you see The Dark Knight. This doesn't really seem to have anything that's a must see before TDK comes out in a few weeks. It is a nice bonus though and is highly recommended.
Rating: 9/10
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Six Perspectives Woven into One Bat-Man Story, July 8, 2008
I am surprised at so many one star reviews. I really do not know what to make of it, because at any level, this DVD is not that poor in writing or quality; however, I was both satisfied and in places a little disappointed. The main film involves six stories woven into one narrative that last about hour and ten minutes. The art work is generally good, but Batman is often drawn in an oft-kilted style. So first, the disappointments: Now, I am just an amateur artists, but this style only works in short spurts (like one frame), not in multiple frames (where it starts to wear thin very quickly). In one frame, it can draw the on-looker in, making one appreciate characteristics and points being made; however, in a film, this technique, I assert, begins to distract the viewer.
The stories are in and of themselves, pretty good; but, because they are small vignettes, they are not as good as the "Animated Series" from the early to mid 90s. The story "Working Through Pain" is so esoteric, that its strength fails to deliver with its pretentious ending. With that said, the rest of the DVD is very good and the stories hold up very well and while some stories involve a lot of action, some do not and this adds depth to the character - much like the comic book. The best story is the last and that is true because it is also well told and the best "drawn".
The bio-epic on Bob Kane on disc two is really nice and one gets a good sense about the man and his life and journey. There are some special "animated" series episodes and "The Legends of the Dark Knight" is similar to the first story on disk one, "Do I have a Story to Tell" (both of which are based loosely on "The Batman Nobody Knows" -Batman #250, 1973, Frank Robbins).
This is a very good edition to the Batman genre and mythos, but not a spectacular one.
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18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
In the darkest of Knights..., July 8, 2008
With The Dark Knight just around the corner, Warner Bros. and DC has released another more than solid, direct to DVD animated feature with Batman: Gotham Knight. A collection of six interlocking stories featuring various writing and animator talent, Gotham Knight gets off to a bit of a rocky start, but winds up being a thoroughly entertaining ride while it lasts. "Have I Got a Story For You", with a script from A History of Violence screenwriter Josh Olson, revolves around a group of kids and their stories about encountering Batman in action. The story and animation here aren't really anything special, but thankfully things get better from here on forward. "Crossfire", with a script from acclaimed comic writer Greg Rucka, finds detectives Allen and Ramirez caught in the middle of a gang-war between mob factions, with Batman in the middle as well. "Field Test", with a script from Jordan Goldberg, features a ridiculously young Bruce Wayne putting new gadgets from Lucius Fox to use, while Batman Begins and Blade writer David Goyer contributes the excellent "In Darkness Dwells", where Batman takes on the Scarecrow and Killer Croc. Comic writer Brian Azzarello contributes "Working Through Pain", which is an intriguing look at Bruce's past lessons to overcome physical pain, and the excellent finale entitled "Deadshot" is written by classic animated series writer Alan Burnett and features a bloody face-off between Batman and the gun-toting assassin of the title name. The various animation techniques used throughout may not be everyone's cup of tea (some will certainly thrill you more than others), but as a whole Gotham Knight is a dark (and surprisingly violent) blast. The Two-Disc Special Edition features some spectacular extras that are worth the price of admission alone, including a fascinating documentary going over Batman's rogues gallery, a documentary about Batman creator Bob Kane, and four great episodes from the classic 90's animated series. All in all, Batman: Gotham Knight will tide you over (briefly) during the wait for The Dark Knight, and Batman fans should definitely give it a look. Be warned however if you're a parent: Gotham Knight is a surprisingly mature and violent animated feature that more than likely should not be viewed by young children.
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