Review of Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) by Lorenzo V — 14 Mar 2011

"Hard to forget that night, huh? In a way, Batman, this was the site of your first great failure. Maybe your greatest, but certainly not your last, right? Ah, memories.".

While a new foe who uses The Joker's old alias wreaks havoc among Gotham City's organized crime, Batman finds him disturbingly familiar.

REVIEW.

Upon my friend's recommendation, I watched this latest DC Batman animated film. I am not really fond of Batman animated films. I have not even seen Batman classics like "Mask of the Phantasm". I do not know why, but they did not really catch my interest because of the heavy and brooding atmosphere in these films. So therefore, this film "Under the Red Hood" is my first animated Batman film.

In "Under the Red Hood," Batman is his usual brooding, dark self. However, with this film, I got a more intimate look at his conflicted psyche and what makes him tick as a vigilante. This film served as my introduction to the new Robin, Jason Todd. The cameo by Nightwing (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris) was also very good. I saw his motivation in his quest against crime. And the Joker here is an capital arch-villain in the real sense of the word, not the usual easy-to-defeat fool.

The script is very well-written. The psychology is deep and insightful. The sense of humor is wry and biting (especially the lines of the Joker in the confrontation scenes at the end). The action is relentless (although it can look like Spiderman there at times) and intense (with blood and death). The film takes great advantage of what the animated medium can offer. I should say that because of this, I think it is high time for me to go back and check out all those previous Batman animated movies I have missed.