Being a movie collector is lots of fun. You go to the store or the online site and shop for hours looking for deals on your favorite movies. But, a problem for me is I go to secondhand stores and will sometimes buy movies that maybe I wasn’t crazy about when I saw them but now it’s only $6, so I figure “Why not?”
I have mentioned before that my wife is supportive of my collecting, but she also gets annoyed because I buy movies and they sit on my shelf, never seeing the inside of my blu-ray player.
At first, I told my wife “I’ve watched most of them!” But recently I decided to separate the films that I have not watched. And darn it, my wife is right!
So, I took all those discs and placed them on the bottom of my shelf. My movies are organized alphabetically, so I thought for fun I would mix them up, place them back on the bottom of the shelf and watch whatever movie is next.
I will review the discs as it will keep my focused on completing my task of finally being able to tell my wife, “I have watched them all!”
Welcome to Blu-Buried!
Batman: Year One (2011)
Batman: Year One is the 12th film in the DC Universe Original Movies label. Based on the 1987 4 issue story that appeared in Batman comics written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli.
Batman: Year One takes us to the beginning of Bruce Wayne’s crime fighting career. After being in exile for numerous years, Wayne returns to Gotham after the murder of his parents. Wayne gives the media a persona of an aloof billionaire. He has women fawning over him and he also appears to be uninterested in being a model citizen.
What the public doesn’t know is Bruce Wayne has been training abroad to become a masked vigilante and take down the mob bosses and villains of Gotham.
Also arriving in Gotham is newly appointed Lieutenant James Gordon. Gordon soon learns that the police in Gotham are as corrupt as the mob. Gordon soon becomes involved in a one-man war against the mob and Police Commissioner Gillian Loeb.
We also meet Selina Kyle, a dominatrix and soon to be cat burglar.
Truth be told I have never been a big Frank Miller fan. Miller is so important in the comic industry, as he pushed Batman and Daredevil to places, they have never gone. With Batman: Year One Miller stripped Bruce Wayne to his core and delivered one of the most celebrated stories in Batman history.
And yes, Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming Batman is stuff of legend (I mean, seriously I might go through and see how many movies and cartoons retell Batman’s origin. It feels like everyone touches on it). But, Batman: Year One is much more a Jim Gordon story. In the film played expertly by Bryan Cranston, Gordon goes from just being a policeman and Batman ally to a multi-layered character. And here might be my biggest issue with the story. Throughout the history of Batman Gordon is portrayed as a righteous man, always making the tough and right decision. In this film and in the comic, Gordon cheats on his pregnant wife with a co-worker named Detective Sarah Essen.
I am sure that Miller was trying to give Gordon a little more humanity by making him have faults but this one just rubbed me the wrong way. Gordon’s wife is portrayed as caring and loving. His decision to stray from her doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Also, the idea of Selina Kyle being a dominatrix at a strip club with a teenage proustite is another just unnecessary retcon. Miller is known for pushing the envelope and Batman: Year One does that, but the extra “dark, adult” elements have never appealed to me. It might be the Spider-Man fan in me, but not everything has to be doom and gloom.
The action is solid and choreographed well. Most of the cast is pretty great. Ben McKenzie steps into the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman and he is good, but my years of Kevin Conroy have spoiled me and made me judge every Batman actor since so McKenzie maybe unfairly doesn’t quite nail Batman to me. Eliza Dushku delivers a solid turn as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
The action flows well, I do wish the animation had a little more detail to it and did not appear so washed out and bland. The characters look like animated versions of Mazzucchelli’s work which is commendable, but the skylines and vehicles just look blah.
Overall, Batman: Year One is a solid adaptation deserving a place on your shelf if you are a Batman fan.
The video presentation on Batman: Year One is just ok. Animation is fluid and the characters look striking. The backgrounds and vehicles are just not interesting and give the film a washed, no detail look. Not the best-looking animated film in DC’s arsenal.
The sound however delivers quite a punch. Dialogue, which is so important in more character driven animation films must be top notch. Batman: Year One has a lot going for it, from punches to sound effects, the blu-ray delivers an incredibly immersive experience.
Batman: Year One is loaded with extras. All are worth your time.
First in a commentary by several crew members, including voice director Andrea Romano and director Sam Liu. The commentary is great breaking down the production and the process of bringing Batman: Year One to life.
There are also two lengthy featurettes, the first Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots, explores the history of Batman and why Frank Miller’s Year One got Batman back on track. The second is Conversations with DC Comics: Featuring the 2011 Batman Creative Team, is my favorite feature on the disc. It’s a great, open and honest discussion on all things Batman.
Next up is a fun animated short (15 minutes) called simple Catwoman. It is really dark and somewhat dirty (strip show is shown, no nudity but really provocative) so you might want to screen it before you show it young ones. But older and mature audiences will get a kick out of the heist and action packed short.
A digital comic is included, as well as trailers for other DC Animated films.
Finally a couple of cartoons picked by Bruce Timm from The Animated Series, “Catwalk” and “Cult of the Cat”
Batman: Year One is a solid entry into DC’s Animated universe. Bat-Fans will not be disappointed with the film and should be excited to check out a bounty of extras. Recommended.
Movie: B
Video: B-
Audio: A
Extras: A
Overall: B+