• Tag Archives dark knight

  • Canister X Movie Review #13: Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)

    Batman Mystery of the Batwoman
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    Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
    Written by Michael Reaves
    Directed by Curt Geda
    Runtime 75 min.
    5 out of 5

    There’s a new superhero in Gotham, one who wears silver-gray tights and a cape.

    And she’s a woman, a bat-woman.

    At first it appears she’s here to help, but when she begins targeting the Penguin and Rupert Thorne’s secret arms operation, the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder step in to solve the mystery of the Batwoman.

    Who is she? What does she want? And why is it each time Batman thinks he’s solved her secret identity does he find himself back at square one?

    As Batman and Batwoman put the strain on the Penguin’s operation, the bird man calls in a deadly force to eliminate them: Bane.

    The Bruce Timm-designed Batman series is a staple on the animated superhero genre. The sleek yet angler style’s been used in Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. And in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, it’s delivered in spades. The art is just simply amazing straight through.

    The story is terrific, with twists and turns right up ’til the end, and no punches are pulled in giving each and every character a level of depth not usually achieved in animated features.

    Kevin Conroy is Batman and has the greatest Batman voice out of them all, both live action and animated. His line delivery as the Dark Knight forces you to respect the pointy-eared vigilante and take him seriously. The dude’s got major authority.

    Likewise, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred? Wow. Between him and Kevin, these two hold down the film and set the tone for the entire movie. The relationship Alfred and Bruce Wayne share is beyond close and is a stark contrast to the relationships the bat-women suspects have with their own family or loved ones.

    You know what? All the voices were terrific, not a one out of place. Each suited the character they portrayed, the acting and tone behind their voices never missing a beat.

    The stakes are high, the danger’s real and Batman is better than ever.

    Go. Watch. Enjoy.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #12: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

    Batman Mask of the Phantasm
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    Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
    Written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reaves
    Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm
    Runtime 76 min.
    5 out of 5

    A mysterious costumed phantasm haunts Gotham City, knocking off mob bosses thus drawing the Batman out from the shadows to stop him. Only when the Dark Knight starts to uncover clues as to who this person might be does he discover how deeply personal this phantasm’s crusade has become, not just to the phantasm himself, but to the Batman as well.

    Pulling out all the stops with top-notch storytelling, animation and direction, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a hallmark in Batman’s movie history that’s guaranteed not to disappoint!

    This movie is unbelievably amazing and rivals even the almighty Dark Knight Trilogy that would begin on the big screen twelve years later. Actually, Mask of the Phantasm was in theatres and I remember going there with a friend and being stunned start to finish at this masterpiece. I also remember being anxious for it to hit home video—and back then, flicks took a looong time to get to video—and the day it came out, I went to K-Mart straight after school, spent some big bucks for the VHS (over twenty, I’m sure), then biked home in the rain so I could watch it. It was totally worth that brutal and soaked-to-the-bone bike ride.

    This is a serious Bat-flick, both in tone and scope. Brought to life by the same team that managed Batman: The Animated Series—Bruce Timm and Paul Dini—I’m pretty sure this was the first animated superhero movie to ever hit the big screen. This was also at a time when animated superhero movies never happened. There were only half-hour shows—twenty-two minutes, technically—and that was it.

    The story is enthralling, right from the introduction of the mysterious phantasm through Bruce Wayne’s heartbreaking journey both in the present day and in the flashbacks that showcased his rise as the Dark Knight, all the way to the intense, sobering and heart-wrenching finish.

    To this day, Mask of the Phantasm stands as a benchmark of Batman storytelling in my book. It’s right up there with the Dark Knight Trilogy, Batman 1989, and the other recent animated efforts. Personally, it’s the finest superhero animated effort ever brought to screen.

    The storyline is mature and, probably due to it hitting theatres, was geared toward adults as it clearly contained those kinds of markings (i.e. a hinted-at sex scene between Bruce and Andrea, something that was never in superhero animation before). The violence level was also a notch above the animated series, complete with blood, hard-hitting brutality, and a glimpse into the kinds of real-life physical ordeals Batman would have to go through if he truly existed.

    The real strength of the story lies in the fact that as much as it’s Batman solving a mystery, it’s Bruce Wayne’s story, showing us a part of his journey to becoming Batman, what made him finally put on the cape and cowl, and how those events from his past had a direct and painful impact not just on his future, but on the future of Gotham City as well.

    The animation is perfect, moody, stylized and has become the benchmark even all these years later of what superhero animation can be.

    This isn’t a kids movie. This is a serious Bat-movie for the serious Bat-fan who wants to take their Bat-flick experience to the next level.

    Highly recommended.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #10: Batman Forever (1995)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Batman Forever (1995)

    Batman Forever
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    Batman Forever (1995)
    Written by Lee Batchler, Janet Scott-Batchler and Akiva Goldsman
    Directed by Joel Schumacher
    Runtime 121 min.
    3 out of 5

    Two Face has been terrorizing Gotham for a while and after executing a terrible sentence at Gotham Circus, he inadvertently changes the life of the Dark Knight forever by setting in motion a chain of events that lead to the birth of Batman’s legendary partner, Robin.

    Continuing in the “double villain” trend as established by Batman Returns, a disgruntled—and stalker-ish—employee of Wayne Industries, Edward Nigma, gets revenge on his boss by becoming the Riddler, and steals his way to the top of the technology enterprise game.

    It’s two-on-two in this third installment of the Batman franchise.

    Riddle me this: what do you get when you cross Adam West and Michael Keaton? You get Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Batman, one who is part serious and part humorous. This is the film that I’ve always viewed as the “transition piece” between the dark Bat-flicks done by Tim Burton and the all-out camp-fest that is Batman & Robin.

    Though a bit over the top, the story of Batman Forever is a good one and if you watch it just for that, you’ll highly enjoy it.

    It was the humor that brought this film down.

    First, Batman ain’t funny. He’s so serious and dry he makes Al Gore look like Superman.

    Second, Two Face isn’t funny. Tommy Lee Jones, as much as I enjoy him as an actor, got the character wrong. Two Face is a gangster not another version of the Joker.

    Third, Riddler isn’t all whacky and zany, though by director Joel Schumacher’s choice to cast Jim Carrey in the role, it’s evident he was after Frank Gorshin’s Riddler from the ’60s instead of the comic book Riddler. Jim also got this part shortly after he became super famous so obviously this role was playing to his strength of being a rubber-faced whack job.

    Fourth, though it was a neat thing to add Robin to the mix, Chris O’Donnell was too old, but, I suppose, having a kid running around in an anatomically-correct rubber suit would have raised too many questions.

    This film was 50/50 for me. Had its pluses and minuses. I’m going to leave this in the “decide for yourself” category.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #5: Batman (1989)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Batman (1989)

    Batman 1989
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    Batman (1989)
    Written by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren
    Directed by Tim Burton
    Runtime 126 min.
    4 out of 5

    There are rumors of a six-foot bat in Gotham City. Whispers. Suggestions. Nothing concrete. But all that changes after the Batman confronts Carl Grissom’s men at Axis Chemicals and Grissom’s top hood, Jack Napier, gets dropped into a vat of chemicals, transforming him into the maniacal Joker. Discovering he had been set up by his boss to take the fall at Axis, Joker takes over Grissom’s operation, in turn allowing him to try and take over Gotham City itself, with only the Dark Knight to stop him.

    This was the film that gave us the “movie Batman” we know today: dark and armored. If it wasn’t for director Tim Burton’s gothic and grim vision of crime-ridden Gotham City and its brooding protector, I suspect the edgy superhero movies of today wouldn’t exist.

    Michael Keaton takes on the title role as billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his rubber-clad alter ego Batman, delivering one of the greatest Batman performances that many, at the time, hadn’t expected from “Mr. Mom.” And after his memorable line during the opening rooftop scene, “I’m Batman,” from that moment on he had you sold that his version of the Dark Knight meant business and quenches any lingering thought that Batman, thanks to the 1960s TV series, is a campy superhero.

    Stealing the stage is Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Basically take the Jack from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and crank it up to a hundred and you have the Joker. Nicholson does a brilliant job of blending the serious and twisted Joker while also playing the crazy, laughing, psycho killer. I’m sure when Batman: The Animated Series came along, Nicholson’s Joker was the template for Mark Hamill’s performance when he voiced the character. Awesome.

    Danny Elfman’s haunting and lonely score only adds to the movie’s eeriness.

    My only problem with the film was there wasn’t enough Batman. I remember that bothering me as a kid. Batman shows up all of four times in the film, the first being something, like, only for a minute. Each subsequent time gets progressively longer, thankfully.

    Bold, atmospheric and downright fun, Batman is one for the ages. It was where the modern dark superhero movie started.


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