Review of Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) by A.m. G — 10 Aug 2016

If you are actually a fan of the original graphic novel, ignore the negative hype. They did a great job bringing this to the screen. If you are a comic fan of pre-52, you will know and appreciate the material. The Batgirl intro was decent, not great, but they did weave it into the source material. Once the actual story starts, it IS the graphic novel come to life. The art style that some complain about is identical to the graphic novel. If they'd changed it, the other side of the people who like to complain would scream.

The story is dark. Well, no s**t. If you were not left in stunned silence when you first read the story, you weren't paying attention. The movie has the same effect. It is one of the greatest Joker stories ever told and Alan Moore's concept spawned an era of new mythos for the Bat-family. This is the first time anyone truly gave the Joker a backstory. This is the real insight into his madness and the goal of driving Gordon over the edge was a masterful stroke in storytelling.

Adding Conroy and Hammill as the voice talents was brilliant. Some of the Joker's monologues gave me chills they were delivered so well. If you were a fan of BTAS, this is like the evolution of the characters.

If you are expecting the typical "plot-optional leave your brain at the door" formula currently thrown at us on the screen, you will be disappointed. If you are truly a fan of The Batman, you will love this movie.

My only actual complaints are trivial - the intro could have been shorter. The final scene where the camera pans down to the rain puddles does not include the flashing police lights in its reflection as the comic did. Yep, those are my only complaints and I've been a Bat-fan for 40 years.