Sunday, May 16, 2010

Batman: Gotham Knight

Just before the arrival of Dark Knight on the big screen
Batman fever was sweeping the nation.
To tide over the masses
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
was released.

The anticipation was killing me!
Having been a fan of the Animatrix
I rejoiced at the fact that a similar idea was composed.
A variety of artistic talents crafting their own interpretations,
this time of the DC bat.
Unfortunately, not so much...
It seems the usual formula was followed:
Villain strikes, Hero saves... FIN!
Not too sure what I was expecting?
Where as the Animatrix had one theme but various obscure stories,
Gotham Knight didn't seem to stray from the typical Superhero baseline.

The 1st and by far greatest sketch:
"Have I Got a Story For You"
was excellently done,
the most creative of the bunch, it was similar to a fairytale.
Believe it was the work of the same people behind Tekkonkinkreet.
In "Crossfire"
Arkham Asylum is visited,
having been a fan of the video game, I was hoping there was a connection
but was stood up by a Joker who never showed.
Praise to "In Darkness Dwells"
for the Killer Croc, but sadly not much else.
"Working Thru Pain" was fairly original,
Batman is injured and experiences flashbacks of his introduction to crime fighting.
Featuring some martial arts and Buddhism.
"Deadshot" features the villain of the same name.
Loved this arch-enemy and hope to see more of him in the future.
The animation reminded me of Aeon Flux.

Aside from being a bit bland, Gotham Knight is none the less entertaining
& at just a little over an hour viewing time,
you aren't robbed of your time.
I recommend it to all fans of comics and anime.
6.5/10
Halo Legends seems to be on the same page as Knight & Animatrix,
review coming soon.

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