Gisa (or Review): Batman: Under the Red Hood

Another freaking Batman post in this blog! I know.. sorry. I've just recently, like a while ago type of recently, finished watching this new animated film that features Batman (so obvious) and a new character that starts to menace Gotham City and Batman himself: The Red Hood.

Released just this year! 2010!

Seriously, I'm going to convince you to see this movie and talk a little bit about Batman in the process so read on.

So you clicked. Okay. Batman: Under the Red Hood was released direct-to-video fairly recently this year. This was just last July 27, 2010. Like a month ago. Gives you an idea where I got my copy (but I will buy this once it hits our stores and I get the proper amount of fundings).

The story starts by giving the viewers a background. It shows an important event in Batman/Bruce Wayne's life as a crime fighter. That event that haunted him forever was when the Joker abducted, beaten to a pulp, and ultimately killed Jason Todd. The second Robin.

Robin's death (this is not a spoiler!)

And that drives the the whole story of the movie. Another masked vigilante that goes by the name of Red Hood starts to take control of the gangs, drug dealers and organized crimes of Gotham City. First he starts off bullying the low tier criminals and then he slowly works his way up the pyramid of crime.

Red Hood. Literally a masked vigilante.

Eventually, Red Hood starts acting all heroic but with a twist, he's the kind that questions the Batman's set of moral codes. For those of you who don't have any idea with what I'm talking about here, some of the major rules of Batman (well for himself) in fighting crimes are:

1.) No guns - If I remember correctly, this is because his parents got shot by a thief so he's not using any.
2.) No killing - This is why Batman's enemies are held up in an Asylum since they are mentally unstable.

"Fight to the death" never applies to Batman

It's a morality question that has always been presented to Batman and even Superman, and most of the superheroes. Why not kill the bad guys? Why be contented with them being locked up when you damn well know that they'll eventually break out and kill some more? Why risk the lives of others in the process? Very deep stuff for cartoons right?

The film had a pretty slow start in my opinion but the build up towards the end and the ending itself is nothing short of fantastic. The Red Hood persona was such a nice fit in this film since he's dwelling in that ambiguous area between good and evil.


TRIVIA: Before the Joker became the Joker, he also used the Red Hood persona (he was desperate for money), but Batman accidentally shoved him into a pit of chemicals, turning him into the Joker.

But Joker's Red Hood was really just a pushover

The voice acting was nicely done as well though I kinda wish that Mark Hamill did the Joker's voice here just to have that full on creepy Joker effect (watch/listen to this video). Not to take anything away from the Joker's voice actor in the film, but nothing tops Hamill's Joker voice. Anyway...

The scenes were all well directed and the action is pretty fluid. I remember those short animated films: Batman: Gotham Knight was it? Those that came with The Dark Knight? But you've got to condition yourself that this is an animated film and that it's not technically or technologically as grounded to reality as Christopher Nolan's versions.

Overall, this is a great superhero film and a good film in general. If ever you have the time, or you like these kinds of things, please do try and watch it. I'd say 4 out of 5.

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Sorry. Don't know how to add 'em little stars in the article.
And sorry about this review, I'm still trying to find my movie-review-writing-style again. I somehow lost it after all these years. Cheers!