The Killing Joke

[Slash Man]

Alright, before I can really gather my thoughts into the form of a review, I picked up some neat Easter eggs relevant to Batman Online.

Batman pulls up pictures of the Joker from various stages in his criminal career on the Batcave computer.

The main image Bruce focuses on is a recreation of the very first appearance of the Joker.


Other pictures are of Jason Todd's death and the Laughing Fish. Couldn't immediately discern if they were based on any pre-existing frames.

This shot was recreated, seagulls and all:


Another shot I saw was a nod to Heath Ledger's Joker and a recreation of this famous publicity shot:

Though I'm not 100%, they didn't linger on it that long.

I believe this replaced a scene where Batman looks at a Dick Sprang-inspired picture of the Bat-Family in the graphic novel (which I believe was different in the original printing).

[The Dark Knight]

So I saw the movie. It was okay, but in some respects it's underwhelming.

[Catwoman]

Ick. I trust y'alls judgement so I'm feeling a little apprehensive now. I'll still totally be seeing it (wanted to see it at the theater tonight but it didn't work out) and forming my own opinion but I'm lowering my expectations a little.

[The Dark Knight]

Some dialogue being changed to be 'edgy' didn't really work for me.
The animation style was average.
I didn't really feel the Batgirl subplot they tacked on.
By the time the graphic novel proper started, I was already getting on the bored side.

It's not a trainwreck that should be shunned and buried deep near the Earth's core. It's just an average movie. Which is a shame, because it could've been so much more.

[Travesty]

I just wasn't impressed with the prologue, and I thought they messed up the ending. But of course, I know people have different interpretations of what happened, but the ending to this made it look like a happy-go-luck, almost friendly ending. I never interpreted it that way, at all.

They made it look like they were hugging. In the comic, it looks like Batman is strangling Joker.

[thecolorsblend]

More and more these movies depend on continuity that they have to create for themselves because none of these movies is in continuity with any of the others. The result is often a movie with patchwork continuity that ultimately doesn't matter. TKJ as a movie was never destined to be a big priority for me but it sounds like a dud more and more all the time.

[Silver Nemesis]

Down to a 7/10 on the IMDb, with a 46% 'rotten' rating on RT and a 62% RT user score. I think this is the first time an animated Batman film has ever been rated rotten. Critics usually love these movies. On the upside, it beat Ghostbusters at the box office.

This is pretty cool:

[phantom stranger]

That's pretty cool, Silver Nemesis.

Someone else did the same thing but made it look like real actors. CGI these days is amazing... 

[The Laughing Fish]

I finished watching this right now.

I'm not impressed. The first half hour exploring Barbara's relationship with Batman felt tacked on and served no purpose to the main plot at all. The only positive thing I can say about this new material to the story is it explored why Barbara decided to abandon her Batgirl identity, and she realised that Batman was right when he warned her about how toxic and soul destroying that crime-fighting can be. But again, it didn't tie to to the Joker story at all. This entire narrative would've been appropriate for a standalone TV series instead. Except for the whole sexual tension Batman and Batgirl. That was pointless and unnecessary.

I'm disappointed that the most poignant moments of the story felt rather flat on screen. For instance, the comic showed the Joker looking somber and remorseful before he had rejected Batman's last ultimatum to rehabilitate, but it wasn't made a big deal here. The comic did a much better job at conveying that the Joker was a lost man who fell victim to tragic circumstances and reached the point of no return, unlike Gordon. I didn't get that impression here, it felt strangely played down. Even the Joker's backstory here didn't resonate me with me as it did in the comic. As Travesty pointed out, the ending had none of that ambiguity either.

I must admit - I enjoyed the three New 52 Batman movies more than this, and I thought those movies were average at best, albeit fun as a one time watch. I've come realise that the DC animated movies have been on a decline for some time.

[Silver Nemesis]

I picked up the DVD of this yesterday on my way home from seeing Suicide Squad. Here's my brief review.

I agree with the consensus that the opening act is weak and superfluous. It doesn't gel with the rest of the movie and feels out of place with Moore's style of writing. Barbara gossiping about her love life with her GBF may be some people's idea of a good Batman film, but it isn't mine. The sex scene also felt a bit random and reminded me of Batman and Black Canary's costumed hook-up in All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (and that's not a good thing). I understand that they wanted to pad out the running time, but I think they would have been better served drawing from J. Michael Straczynski's 'Ladies Night' (The Brave and the Bold Vol 3 #33, June 2010) than this original content.

The rest of the film is a more or less faithful adaptation of the book. I've never minced words about the fact I dislike this story, so naturally I wasn't mad on the film either. But those who like the comic should enjoy the movie. The voice acting was generally good, with Mark Hamill and Ray Wise leaving the strongest impressions. The score wasn't memorable, but I liked the fact it was so understated. It suited the more serious subject matter.

The animation was serviceable but underwhelming and I found the overall look of Gotham rather bland. In his original script, Moore described the amusement park as having a Caligaristic quality, and I wish the film had displayed a similarly twisted expressionistic style. The muted colour palette reflects the art in the deluxe edition, but I would have preferred a more vibrant aesthetic along the lines of the original 1988 art.

In the past week I've watched three new Batman films: the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition, Suicide Squad and The Killing Joke. If you can only see one, get the Batman v Superman UE. But if you've got leftover change and you're a fan of the original graphic novel, you may as well give TKJ a look too. I wasn't mad on it myself and I wouldn't recommend it to people who disliked the comic, but fans of Moore might feel differently.

Final rating: 5.5/10

Take into account I don't really like the book it's based on. If I did, I might have rated the film higher.