Review of Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) by Ethan H — 25 Jul 2016

The Killing Joke is one of those "classic" stories/graphic novels in the Batman mythos a story that showed off some different, even darker, sides of characters gave us something of an origin story for The Joker while initially done out of nothing more than shock-value for a unwanted character eventually led to one of the stronger characters in the DC story.

Batman: The Killing Joke is a decades old story that still holds strong today even given the various reboots and reworkings in DCs book continuity; one of those reworkings undoing the big event in this story, but many still see it as a defining moment for Batman, The Joker and Jim Gordon.

Adapting a graphic novel to the big screen brings with it challenges, this movie had most of those challenges solved for it by borrowing the animation style and look from the Batman Animated Series as well as bringing back the voice actors for Batman (Kevin Conroy) and The Joker (Mark Hamil) but another challenge was extending the story enough to significant runtime. The movie solves this by adding in an entirely new opening act centered around Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon and her relationship with Batman as the two work together to take down a group of criminals, a battle that takes Batgirl to the edge she fears and the two heroes make decisions that may deeply impact the way some see the characters and while uncomfortable in context it's not entirely "wrong.".

After Batgirl hangs up her cowl the movie adaptation of the book starts and more or less sticks to the book (though it has been a while since I've read it), picking up some months later with the Joker having escaped Arkham Asylum and is a danger again to the city of Gotham but Batman has no idea how personal Joker wants to make this. Intercut with Batman's activities we see The Joker's with flashbacks to his pre-Joker life and the events that lead to him becoming Batman's greatest foe.

The movie opens with, at least in my Fathom Events showing, an interview with Mark Hamil and his big start in Hollywood on Star Wars and his transition to voice acting for Batman: The Animated Series and we then go into the movie with some narration from Batgirl over the first segment.

The movie's animation looks good and very reminiscent of the animated series between and seems to be a mix of computer and classic animation the voice talent is very well used and not just the talent used for Batman and Joker but also the talent used for Batgirl and Jim Gordon.

Overall and enjoyable movie if you're aware of this classic book. If you've read it you'll enjoy seeing it brought to life though it's very likely the opening segment will bring a LOT of questions and mixed reactions. If you've never read The Killing Joke or even heard of it, but you're a fan of Batman it'll be something for you to enjoy too.

Stay tuned through the first segment of the credits as there's a nice tag-scene dealing with the fate of one of the characters. In my screening after all of the credits there was to a be a segment about the production of the movie's score which I didn't stick around for. Likely will be picking up the DVD/BD of this when it is released this week. In a year where we get the mixed-reaction Batman v. Superman this is a good movie to have in order to provide us with a real, solid, Batman story.