#BATMAN UNDER THE RED HOOD MOVIE#

Of course, it helps that the animated movie pitches its mood somewhere between Batman: The Animated Series (note the use of police blimps) and The Dark KnightВ (particularly in the wonderfully moody soundtrack), given those are two of the stronger adaptations of the character. The story works a lot more effectively as an intimate portrayal of a flawed Batman than as a big вЂњeventвЂќ. Winick smartly exercises a lot of the fat from the story вЂ“ Superman no longer makes an appearance and the Black MaskвЂ™s role is greatly reduced вЂ“ but keeps the essential elements.

In fact, a lot of this movie flows a lot easier than it did in the original material (for example, the ridiculously convoluted explanation of who the Red Hood is in the comic books literally involved a superhero punching the walls of reality вЂ“ here itвЂ™s offered a lot more efficiently). Thankfully, Judd Winick вЂ“ who also wrote Under the Hood, the comic book arc upon which this is based вЂ“ offers a fairly effective distillation of his story ideas. However, this vigilante is more than willing to kill, and will allow the drugВ trade to continue, albeit under his supervision ( вЂњnoВ dealing to children!вЂќ).В Perhaps the Hood is вЂњa better BatmanвЂќ than Batman вЂ“В heвЂ™s certainly more effective.

Indeed, Batman notes that вЂ“ since the HoodвЂ™s arrival in Gotham and his strategy of controlling rather than eliminatingВ the mobВ вЂ“ вЂњcrime is downвЂќ. Possessing intimate knowledge of Batman, the Hood proceeds to offer an exploration ofВ BatmanвЂ™sВ biggest mistakes вЂ“ from the accident which created the Joker ( вЂњyour first great failure вЂ¦ but not your lastвЂќ)В to offering a more successful method of controlling organised crime. ThereвЂ™s just one catch: theВ Red Hood was a criminal alias originally used by the Joker. However, a mysterious vigilante, the Red Hood, has arrived on the scene and begins cleaningВ up the cityвЂ™s organised crime вЂ“ a Batman вЂњwho doesnвЂ™t mind the blood,вЂќ to quote aВ besieged mob boss. ThatвЂ™s what happens when you let a teenager fight a bunch of psychopathic mass-murderersвЂ¦ ThereвЂ™s an ironic flashback where Batman reprimands a young Robin for using excessive force ( вЂњyou broke his collarbone!вЂќ), shortly after weвЂ™ve seen the modern Batman threaten that being thrown through a window will be вЂњthe least painful thingвЂќto happen to a henchman if he doesnвЂ™t talk.

We jump five years forward in time to discover that Batman has become a grimmer, darker figure as a result of that loss (even dropping the bright yellow oval from his costume). The film opens with what Batman himself considers his вЂњgreatest failureвЂќ вЂ“ the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, at the hands of the Joker. However, itвЂ™s in tone that the movie is darkest. Although itвЂ™s clear at points that the movie itself has been cut down to avoid an вЂњRвЂќ rating for graphic content (and most of the violence is relatively bloodless), thereвЂ™s still an astonishing amount of violence on display вЂ“ from headshots to arson to brutality. ItвЂ™s a Batman movie where a child is killed before the opening credits. While IвЂ™d argue that Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is at least as dark, I can see where they are coming from. Bruce Timm and the team behind the adaptation of Judd WinnickвЂ™s controversial twelve-issue story arc have suggested that this is the darkest entry in the DC animated universe to date.

Batman under the red hood