If your tastes for the Caped Crusader spill into animated films, this may be something down your dark and twisted alley. Six short stories about Batman and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, are the focus of this animated feature. Supposedly taking place between the films “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight”, Warner Brothers and DC comics want you to believe this is necessary viewing before the big live action premiere. It is not. For those who enjoy Japanese-influenced animation and delving into the psychology behind this superhero, this may be an intriguing experience but for all others I suggest skipping this disjointed movie.
A few acclaimed screenwriters were involved in crafting the stories that make up this loosely related anthology, including David Goyer (“Batman Begins”), Josh Olsen (“A History of Violence”) and Alan Burnett (“Batman: The Animated Series”). While the writing is generally insightful, as it follows Batman/Bruce Wayne, and related characters in their battles with the underworld, the fact that different animation styles are used in every 10-15 minute short story is jarring, taking you outside the reality of the Bat-universe. Each story has a separate piece of the Wayne legacy to expose, from his learning pain management techniques before becoming the cowled crusader to different impressions of this dark superhero by members of the public - is he part monster, robot, shadow, or all of the above?
I found some stories went long enough to get their point across, including “Have I Got A Story for You” and “Working Through Pain” but the Goyer penned bit “In Darkness Dwells” felt crowded with villains, rushed and unsatisfactorily short. “Crossfire” about two Gotham cops caught behind enemy lines, with escaped lunatics and criminal hitmen surrounding them, could have also used a larger canvas to express the true danger these detectives were in. “Deadshot” was my favorite story, about a paid sharpshooter wrecking havok in Gotham. Batman needs both his detective skills and fearlessness to stop him. The continuity of having Kevin Conroy (“Batman: The Animated Series”) voice Batman/Bruce Wayne went a long way in holding the stories together. Those looking for a Batman film with a compelling narrative will have to wait and see “The Dark Knight”, since this film was only truly meant for the super-fan.
PG-13 for stylized violence, including some bloody images.
