Batman Gotham Knight [Blu-ray]
![Batman Gotham Knight [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BFUzYNzyL._SL160_.jpg)
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 disappointed 1. it's still pre-ordered on my cart right now, i'm now bit skeptical about actually purchasing it. i might get it in the future because of making film parts and interviews, i don't think i will be ever want to buy this one purely based upon those episodes on this dvd. 2. visual's ok, they hired top notch japanese studios. they delivered it nicely. there were some episodes that didn't live up to my expectations though overall i think it's well done in terms of art directions and visuals. 3. writings might be one of the most major disappointing part. i mean nothing special, just plain boring stories on and on and on. if they had some prquels about villains...that might be interesting...but they didn't. i'd rather watch wb's tv series batman, it has better intriguing and fresh ideas than this gotham knight. 4. i don't know why dc let japanese stuios come up with their own stories just like animatrix did. outside looks fresh because of visuals from different studios but as you peel it out more, it stinks just like onions. inside is just same old... batman's old franchise, and i think it needs more freshness. i'm not sure this dvd makes happy old batman fans. one of my friends who is hard core batman fan wasn't that happy with gotham knight. 5. anyways, if you're a mild batman fan, and expect new visions from japanese studios. don't expect too much. visuals are good, but stories are just sam old. but i think it will be worth 20$, including making films and interviews which i haven't got a chance to watch it...:) hopefully  Very Good To be frank I only liked the second half of the film. The first half constists of nothing but the view of Batman through the eyes of various civilians, and Batman beating up goons. The second half or the last two stories are far more enjoyable. Working Through Pain was written by one of my favourite comic book writers Brian Azarello (100 Bullets), and he did a good job in annunciating that Bruce really doesn't want to work through the pain of his parents death. He wants to hold on to that pain because it gives him purpose and it drives him. And really if he were to give up that pain--he probably would find his life devoid and meaningless and purposeless. The Deadshot story, I liked because it shows the kind of Alpha male hero who is willing to stand down any threat (yet not a goon) warrior I like to see him portrayed as.  A disappointment I had pre-ordered this DVD Saturday, July 28th and that night I went to a free screening for Batman: Gotham Knight in Wizard World Chicago. Tonight I removed it from my Amazon orders. Batman: Gotham Knight does not live up to the hype. Producer Bruce Timm and company have delivered a 6-part turkey. As each of the 6 stories in this animated movie played out I expected the stories to get better and better. Sadly, instead they got less and less terrible. Believe me, there is a difference. Not even Greg Rucka, a man who wrote classic Batman crime stories a few years back, could deliver on a project that sorely needed some substance. The closet thing to a sucess was the story written by 100 Bullets scribe Brian Azzarello in which Batman flashes back to his pain endurance training as a young Bruce Wayne. However the worst crime in the 6-chapter feature was committed by writer Josh Olsen's "Have I Got a Story for You". In this tale a few young children each tell exaggerated stories about who Batman really is. Sound familiar? Well it should because producer Bruce Timm has produced the exact same story before in the 90's for Batman: The Animated series with the episode: Legends of the Dark Knight--a piece of animation much more lively than this bland throwaway tale Mr. Olsen has the gall to submit us to! To add insult to the viewer's injury, the Legends of the Dark Knight episode was based on a Batman story from the 70's Batman comics, "The Batman Nobody Knows" by Frank Robbin and Dick Giordano (reprinted in The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told). And that story too was also a better executed tale. Shame on you Josh Olsen. Avoid this DVD altogether or wait for it to end up as a bargin on Amazon market place. I have a feeling that it will be dirt cheap to get by Christmas. Incredible and Worth Every Penny *This does contain some minor spoilers. I tried not to spoil too much.* Batman: Gotham Knight is advertised as the missing link between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. There are six stories in total. Each story is by different artists, but they all link together and flow together nicely. The first story is untitled(that I know of) and envolves a boy waiting for his friends to arrive. Once they do, each one of them tells a story about what they saw today and they all saw Batman. Each story is farfetched in its own way as this story capitalizes on teenagers stretching the truth and/or having overactive imaginations. It seems their day isn't finished though as the fight they all witnessed makes its way to that very skate park. "Crossfire" is the story of Chris and Anna being apart of Lietenant Gordon's MCU(Major Crime Unit). Chris thinks Batman is a vigilante that takes the law into his own hands while Anna is still unsure about him and is just thankful that good cops that know how to do their job are actually being respected now that Batman has shown up. After taking a recent Arkham escapee back to the asylum, they soon realize they're stuck in the middle of a gang war between Sal Maroni and The Russian. "Field Test" begins with Lucius Fox showing Bruce Wayne some new gadgets. Amongst them is a harness equipped with an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to deflect bullets. Batman decides to test it out with Maroni, The Russian, and his goons. Everything is going Batman's way until a certain...glitch...happens. "In Darkness Dwells" has everyone looking for a monster. Killer Croc, to be exact. Apparently, he was the former patient of a certain Johnathan Crane. Coincidentally, one of the reasons he was admitted to Dr. Crane was for his fear of bats. Go figure. Batman is injured on what seems like any other night he puts on his mask in "Working Through Pain." We're basically shown how tenacious he really is as he struggles with his injuries. We're also shown a few flashbacks of his past and soon learn the difference between exterior and interior pain. There's a way to put pain in its place and this is how Bruce Wayne found out how. "Deadshot" has come back to Gotham and has set his sights on Jim Gordon, but it looks like he has alterior motives. Bruce Wayne also gives his views on guns. Gotham Knight is superb. There's really no other way to describe it. I had my doubts about it, but I think those were blown away during the first few minutes of the film. The animation is fantastic. Everything moves crisply and smoothly. It just seems to flow. And let me just say that it's amazing to hear Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman again. It's like a homecoming in so many ways. The biggest question you may be asking yourself is if all the stories actually flow together since they're all done by different artists. The truth is that other than the artistic style changing, you don't really notice anything. The voice cast stays the same throughout the entire film and while each individual story has its own story to tell, they're all connected in some way and flow together nicely. Gotham Knight is a feature that shouldn't be missed by anybody. Whether you're an anime fan, a Batman fan, or you're just looking for something new to catch your eye, I'd recommend Gotham Knight to anyone and everyone. The animation is beautiful and has a real crisp flow to it while the stories are written incredibly well and will keep you interested. The voice cast is also something worth mentioning. Other than seeing Kevin Conroy come back as Batman, the rest of the cast does a great job as well. My one complaint is that it doesn't really bridge the gap between anything. If you've seen Batman Begins, you'll be fine when you see The Dark Knight. This doesn't really seem to have anything that's a must see before TDK comes out in a few weeks. It is a nice bonus though and is highly recommended. Rating: 9/10 | |||||||||||||
