Last night, I watched what I can arguably recommend as the greatest superhero movie of all time...and its animated. The feature-film adaption of Frank Millers 80s graphic novel The Dark Night Returns. This is no half-hour cartoon, but a full-length 2+ hour movie that would have been a 200 million dollar event had it not been animated. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!! First off, there are some big names attached to this film, lending it automatic credence. Peter Weller (Robocop) as Batman, Ariel Winter (Modern Family) voicing the new female Robin, Carrie. Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds) as an aging Lana Lang, now the editor of the Daily Planet after the death of Perry White. In small roles are such names as Michael McKean, Conan Obrian...and a veritable Whos Who of famous voice actors such as Tara Strong, Tress Macneille, James Arnold Taylor, Maurice LaMarche, Dee Bradley Baker...and a special appearance by the legendary Frank Welker (best known as the voice of Freddy from Scooby-Doo, but having voiced over 100 characters in his career) as Gothams reluctant deputy mayor who steps into the role after the assassination of the current mayor. What makes this movie so very good and so very deep is Frank Millers deconstruction of the superhero and what it means to be one, much as he did with The Watchmen. The story takes place in a mythical 1980s (timing this to when it was written) including president Ronald Reagan in all of his dopey, senile glory. Bruce Wayne is 60 and retired after the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, at the hands of the Joker. It has been ten years since a much-alluded-to agreement that metahumans and heroes cease their activities. Diana (Wonder Woman) has returned to her people, Hal (Green Lantern) has left the planet, Aquaman returns to Atlantis completely removed from the surface world. Only Superman remains, but he is now in the employ of the US government and answers to the President. As a new and very dangerous gang takes over Gotham at a time when Commisioner Gordon is set to retire (his job going to a very anti-Batman female detective), the aging Bruce Wayne once again dons the cape and cowl to do what he can. I really dont want to go into great detail of the plot of the movie, lest no one choose to watch it, but suffice it to say...this movie is about as close to how the world would be if there actually were individuals like this...as you can get. There are so many questions, dialogs and immersions into social values, responsibilities, who may stand above the law...and the most pervasive theme; What Is Justice? Whos version of justice is the right one. What is the line between justice and vengeance? What is justice to normal people in a world of fantastic individuals? Another spoiler alert...but in this film Superman actually kills more people than Joker does upon his return into the fray from years in Arkham Asylum. Acting on the orders of the President, Superman becomes a weapon in the fight against Soviet forces on a small fictional island (no doubt a recreation of Grenada). Sinking ships, destroying tanks and using his heat vision to anihilate Soviet forces...Supermans destruction is completely advocated and supported. Batman, however, becomes a criminal once again for trying to clean up the streets. I wont give any spoilers on this, but the subplot of Batman facing down a newly-murderous Joker for the last time brings home the bacon in a big way. So many subtexts here between these two iconic characters who have, in reality, made each other. One could not exist without the other, and this is gone into in depth in the shocking scenes here. When Superman is sent by the US government to contain Batman...well, youll just have to see for yourself. With the help of a very bitter Oliver (Green Arrow), who has apparently lost an arm to Superman in some earlier attempt to retire him (Oliver wants nothing more than a piece of the schoolboy...a battle of epic proportions takes place in a way I really dont think you could accomplish in a non-animated film. Maybe the effects...but not the subtext of what this fight to appease the government really means to both men...and the world. Which created the much quoted line from Batman ever since Frank Miller wrote this in the 80s...I could have made it stronger, I could have ended this differently. I just want you to remember, to know...for all of your future and in all of your quite moments...the one man who beat you. Folks, if youre a comic fan, a superhero movie fan...or just a fan of very good movies that have so much to say about our condition as people and how we form our social groups, films with deep and relatable characters and films that leave you feeling a little something afterwards, I highly recommend The Dark Knight Returns, again perhaps the best superhero movie ever made. :)
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 17:18:41 +0000
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