The other “Batman Begins”…
The H-Bomb: Okay, before you start throwing Batarangs at me, let me just say that calling this the other “Batman Begins” isn’t at all fair, since Frank Miller’s graphic novel predates the Christopher Nolan film by almost two decades. If anything, “Batman Begins” is the other “Batman: Year One”, since Nolan most definitely appropriated a number of elements from Miller’s book. Both tell the origin story of the Dark Knight: how Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered when he was a child; how he traveled the world for several years, then returned to Gotham City to wage a one man war on crime; and how he came to adopt the Bat as his symbol to strike fear in the hearts of criminals.
Both “Begins” and “Year One” are set in a more realistic world, far removed from the Gothic fantasy of Tim Burton’s take on the material, or the neon nightmare of Joel Schumacher’s (thank fucking Christ). The Gotham City of both is one overrun with crime, and home to a terminally corrupt police force that refuses to do a thing about it. So, it is very safe to say that, even though Nolan’s and Miller’s origin stories are ultimately different, without “Year One”, there would be no “Begins”.
The critical difference between them, at least as far as this animated film adaptation goes, is that “Year One” does not focus mainly on Batman, but rather on police Lieutenant Jim Gordon, an honest cop who has just transferred to Gotham with his pregnant wife. Upon his arrival, Gordon is forced to contend with not only street crime, but also with his dirty partner, his dirty police commissioner, and, last but not least, a vigilante who has been dressing up like a bat and beating the living guano out of bad guys at night.
Gordon also finds himself struggling with his own personal demons. He has serious misgivings about bringing a child into a world as bleak and violent as this one, and he finds himself attracted to a young female detective who is working the Batman task force with him. If all that wasn’t enough, there’s also a tough-as-nails street walker named Selina Kyle, who decides to make a career change and become, quite literally, a cat burglar.
Now, to be open and honest with all of you, I have never read the graphic novel upon which this is based, but seeing this film has actually made me want to. It has the dark, violent tone that’s often associated with Miller’s work down pat, as well as a number of suggestive themes that really push the boundaries of the film’s PG-13 rating. This ain’t Adam West’s Batman, nor is it a Batman for the kiddies, despite it being in animated form. I don’t think kids would even like it, anyway, as they would probably find it slow and hard to follow.
This, like “The Dark Knight”, is Batman for grown ups. The action takes a back seat to the story and character development. The whole thing has a kind of Noir-ish feel to it, with Batman and Gordon delivering most of their dialogue in voice over narration as the movie cuts back and forth between the two. This was an interesting approach that, for the most part, worked for me, as we see that Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon are two men fighting for the same cause. They just happen to be on opposite sides of the law.
While I can’t personally attest to this, I have heard that “Batman: Year One” is very faithful to the source material, which may be both a good and bad thing. Good in the sense that it is an intelligent, engaging take on the Batman character, and bad in the sense that it decided to make Batman a secondary character in what is supposed to be his own story.
Instead, our protagonist is Jim Gordon, a character who, until Gary Oldman took over the role in the Nolan films, was a one dimensional, ineffectual, incompetent oaf. Here, he’s fleshed out, complex, and deeply conflicted. A man constantly having to make personal sacrifices in order to do the right thing. This in itself is not a bad thing, it’s just that the title of the movie is “Batman: Year One”, not “Gordon Goes to Gotham”. This is the tale of Batman’s origins, thus one would assume that the story would be told from his perspective… but it’s not. This is why, for me, “Batman Begins” is the definitive Batman origin story.
The other big issue I have with “Batman: Year One” is the length. No, not that it’s too long, but that, at a scant 64 minutes, it’s too short. There are many things that this film just brushes over and rushes through, like when Bruce Wayne actually becomes Batman. As it works in the film, Wayne is trying to think of a symbol to scare criminals when a bat flies into the room, and the next time we see him, he’s in his bat costume, complete with his bat gadgets and everything. Considering how ambitious and multifaceted the narrative is, it really should have been at least a half hour longer, in order to flesh out the key elements of the story.
Another aspect that didn’t pay off was the inclusion of Catwoman. I know it was meant to set up the character for the future, but, aside from a fist fight she has with Wayne early on, she really has no impact on the story at all, and every scene with her just feels extraneous. I was, however, amused by how pissed she gets when the press identifies her as “Batman’s assistant.”
The vocal cast, for the most part, is quite strong. Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) makes a great Jim Gordon. I’d put him on par with Gary Oldman, and he does a more than adequate job carrying the film. Eliza Dushku is good and sassy as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, despite not getting a whole lot to work with. Hot fuckin’ damn I wish she was doing the live action version!
The only weak link in the voice ensemble is, sadly, Batman himself, as played by Ben Mackenzie (“The O.C.). He tries for the deep, strong voice, but he just sounds wooden for the most part, his line readings are weirdly stilted, and let’s be honest, Christian Bale he is not. Hell, he’s not even Kevin Conroy, who kicked ass as the Caped Crusader on the animated series. I understand why they would want a younger actor, since this is a 25 year old Batman, but… they should’ve found someone else. In fact, now that I think about it, maybe giving Gordon the most screen time wasn’t such a bad thing, after all.
But, all my pesky grievances aside, I really did enjoy this rendering of the Dark Knight legend. It’s a tough, mean take on the character and the world he inhabits, the kind that I’ll always prefer over the more kid friendly interpretations (fuck you and your bat-nipples, Schumacher). The animation is slick, beautiful to watch, and really eye popping on Blu-Ray. For fans of Miller’s graphic novel, and Batman fans in general, this is absolute essential viewing, and it should be enough to tide us over until “The Dark Knight Rises” hits theaters next summer.
