Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's for a new audience-some of it works, some doesn't, May 26, 2005
If you're going to have any chance of liking this show, you have to completely forget about "Batman: The Animated Series." BTAS was, is, and will remain one of TV's crowning achievements in animation. This new series doesn't aspire to anything that lofty-it's kid-vid. Judge it that way.
I'm 40 years old with a 10-year-old superhero-loving daughter. We watch the show together. We understand this show is a new riff. It has something of an anime influence, and it works. The show looks awesome. The theme music, by The Edge of U2, is very cool. Let's look at the characters. (BTW-don't look for Comissioner Gordon, Batgirl, Robin, Bullock, Montoya-they're not here. At least, not yet)
Batman/Bruce Wayne: He's young, he's just starting, he makes mistakes, and he's still having fun.
Alfred: One of the best parts of this show. Really captures the complex fellow that Alfred is.
Villains on this disc:
Joker: A Joker who is Bruce's equal in hand-to-hand combat? Neither my daughter or I care for this take on Batman's biggest foe.
Bane: Interesting version. Tad over-the-top, but what the heck. The episode does highlight Bruce's brainpower over brawn. The introduction of Rupert Thorne is a nice touch.
Penguin. This one flat-out-works. You really get a feel for what makes Oswald Cobblepot tick. They take the high-society-wannabee aspect of Paul Williams from BTAS, and add a true sense of menace.
Other villains from later in the series:
Catwoman: Get the costume right. My daughter and I call her Mousewoman.
Mr. Freeze: Worst of all the reimaginings. They've taken the most incredible tragic character from BTAS (and the DC Universe in general) and reduced him to a common jewel thief. Pathetic.
Clayface: Awesome. The two-part origin special may be the best episode so far. The production team really found their feet on this one. A Gotham cop gone horribly wrong through no fault of his own. Hearkens back to BTAS's treatment of Victor Fries.
Riddler: Loved it. Looks cool, and so far seems to be Batman's intellectual equal.
Bottom line: Batman can survive any reworking. From the camp of the '60s TV show to Frank Miller's brooding Dark Knight, the icon remains. "The Batman" is a update for a new audience, no more, no less. If you're expecting the glories of BTAS, save your money, and buy the BTAS box sets instead. If you're looking for a little kid-friendly fun, give it a whirl. Although at only three episodes on the disc, you might want to wait. For a better value for kid-friendly superhero action, try the six-episode "Static Shock: The New Kid."
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Formulaic Saturday Morning Fare, October 13, 2005
If you're looking for something groundbreaking like B:TAS or "The New Batman Adventures," you'll have to look elsewhere. "The Batman" is nothing new. In fact, it's the kind of Saturday morning show you might have seen in the late-80's. This re-imagining abandons many if not all of the conventions that made the other animated shows great. No longer are the villains multi-layered and complex; rather they are the standard cardboard cutouts that exist solely for the purpose of fighting the hero. Further, Batman mythos mainstay James Gordon is abandoned in favor of two "hipper" more "kid-friendly" replacements that serve the same function. On the plus side, the animation is good; but it is still not enough to make up for the series' shortcomings. I understand the second season was better, but if so, they must have made some major changes. All in all, a disappointment.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
This show is horrible., May 25, 2005
Batman is supposed to be the dark knight. This show reminds me of the Batman movies of the 90's which made batman "happier" and more "friendlier". The dialog is also lacking for this show as well. Plus I don't buy the excuse that the reason that this show is dumbed down is because its for kids. The original batman cartoon had just as many toys and had just as many kids watching it and still managed to pull off excellent characterization, intelligent dialog and a great story. You actually felt for the characters. Plus, you don't need to have seen the original animated series or even be a fan to see that 1.)this show is plagued with horrible dialog. 2.) batman is mis-characterized and 3.) that theres absolutely no depth to this series or any of the characters. Just my 2 cents on this show, but go ahead and watch the show and make your own judgement.
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