Saturday 16 August 2008

Review, A Brief One: Batman: Gotham Knight


Well, I'm very much into Western comic lately, especially DC's (even previously I thought I prefer Marvel), especially Batman. That is because he is human, and the super aspect of this superhero is super rich and super intelligent. He is not some alien from out of space that allergic to a certain rock or mineral.

And so, I collected Batman Begin, and shortly after watching The Dark Knight, I collected all 4 80s and 90s Batman film along with the special feature. So, it is just predictable that even I am officially broke now, I still force myself to get the direct-to-DVD video of Batman: Gotham Knight. Who is not tempted with the trailer?

If The Animatrix is a companion of The Matrix Trilogy, in which the Animatrix explore the origin of the Matrix, what happen in between the first and second film, the back story of certain minor character as well as some other "everyday" event that take place in the Matrix universe i.e. people get liberated, so system error in certain area of the matrix and how the program fabricated it, a routine life in a ship etc, then Batman: Gotham Knight is slightly different.

It act only to bridge Batman Begin to The Dark Knight. While it never tell us the rise of Harvey Dent or the arrival of Joker, but is do tell how is the life after Batman Begin. The life refers to both Bruce Wayne/Batman plus his associated and the people of Gotham.


How Batman's life as crime fighter after saving Gotham from Ra's al Ghul? What is the people's reaction? In the people's point of view, what is Batman? What does the police feel? Do all of them feel that Gotham need Batman like Gordon does? The underworld leader in The Dark Knight mention Batman plays by the rule but Joker doesn't, so how and what is the rule? There are many many more question. Not all answered, but at least some is fulfilled in this DVD.

The Animatrix for Matrix did use back the voice talent from the film like Keanu's for Neo etc, but since Batman has a very strong animated series that has an iconic voice talent for the role, why bother to ask Bale to voice it? Better use back Kevin Conroy whose voice people will automatically associated with when they see an animated version of Batman.

There are six stories in total with six different animation and story telling styles. Despite the difference, all stories are connected, and has anime feel in it. Maybe that is because, except for the writing or story part, most of the production crew and studios are anime production studio, and all six directors for the anime are Asian, Japanese the most with one perhaps is Korean.

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