Long before cinematic universes were a thing started by Marvel and DC was trying to catch up on that, the comic book brand had already initiated such a phenomenon with their animated universe back in the early 1990s. It all began with Batman: The Animated Series. Adopting various parts of Tim Burton’s live action films and taking inspiration from other Batman works, the animated series proved itself to be quite eventful for many fans of the property and newcomers alike. It was even more surprising to many when Warner Bros. decided to not only produce but also theatrically release an animated movie based on the TV show. And unlike much of Warner Bros. live action films, this one got some fairly decent praise. And it seemed like that trend followed through with many of the other future animated films.
The story is about a mysterious cloaked vigilante going around doing in very well-known mobsters in Gotham. Being mistaken for Batman by city official Arthur Reeves, Bruce Wayne begins investigating who is behind the mask. Simultaneously, an old friend and ex-lover by the name of Andrea Beaumont returns throwing Wayne off balance due to their complicated history. Written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reaves, the story is very much a fun ride to experience with some expected flaws. The structure shows Wayne’s dive into becoming what he is best known for now. Adding to that are the things he wants versus what he knows he must do. All the writers mentioned have had experience working on various other shows prior to this. The same goes for directors Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski.
The progression at which Bruce Wayne transforms into someone not sure of his path, to confirming for himself what he must be, is an interesting one to watch. All viewers love Batman, but to be Batman means sacrifice and that’s never easy to watch let alone actually go through like the main character. With that there comes some intriguing revelations as more of the mystery is uncovered. This historical background adds some extra depth to some of the main characters’ relationships. However, with that comes new questions to be asked that may not ever be answered. These kinds of issues though are far and few between though. The voice cast behind the characters is of course top notch and should not be underestimated. And to those who are starting with this instead of the TV show, some may also be quite shocked.
Although best known as Batman now, Kevin Conroy began a career in live action roles in TV shows. However now, one cannot deny how much Conroy is practically Batman as much as vice versa. The same could be said for Dana Delany playing Andrea Beaumont. Her career trajectory was very similar in path. Hart Bochner playing Arthur Reeves is fine. Coincidentally he also played the love interest in DC’s live action Supergirl (1984). Stacy Keach who voices Andrea’s father Carl Beaumont and the masked mystery man does well too. There’s also voice appearances from Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, John P. Ryan, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings, Robert Costanzo and lastly Mark Hamill who some still can’t believe voiced the Joker. And if you don’t know who Mark Hamill is,…please come back after watching Star Wars.
From a visual perspective, the movie looks good. The animation very much throughout the run time is crisp and has plenty of dimension to it. Even for what many would consider a cartoon, the violence and action is also more intense than the cartoon itself. There was also cinematography by Sung-Il Choi in his only credit for this role. Perhaps this was only for the opening CGI intro where the camera pans over the city. Finally, the music composed by Shirley Walker is only a mere extension of her work from the TV show. The themes resurrected from Tim Burton’s films remain along with new themes to listen to. Additionally, the extended album comes with a rare song sung by Tia Carrera. Overall it’s an album hardly any Batman fan would ignore. It’s definitely not the hardest to find either.
Looking further into the details on the story raises some new questions on the historical background of certain characters. Cinematography credit isn’t the clearest either but that’s nothing compared to the entertainment provided from the charismatic voice acting, thought provoking story, expressive animation and music.
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