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Info:

• Title: Batman: Under the Red Hood Two-Disc Special Edition DVD Review
• Rated: PG-13
• Cast:: Bruce Greenwood, Neil Patrick Harris, John DiMaggio, Jensen Ackles
• Writer: Judd Winick
• Director: Brandon Vietti
• Distributor: Warner Bros Home Entertainment
• Original Year of Release: 2010
• Extras: See Below
• Series: Batman: Under the Red Hood

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD Review

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD Review
© Mania

The latest DC Comics Direct-to-video Animated film is an adaptation of the “Under the Hood” storyline that ran in issues of Batman in 2005 – 2006. The film is a mostly faithful adaptation of the comic arc with some minor changes in the cast of characters and story elements. The story begins with the 1988 “Death in the Family” storyline as the second Robin, Jason Todd, is being beaten to a bloody pulp with a crowbar by the Joker. He’s locked in a warehouse with a time bomb that explodes just as Batman arrives to attempt to save him.

Five years later, a new vigilante is on the scene posing as an upstart crime lord looking to take over the drug trade in Gotham City. He takes the guise of “The Red Hood” who Batman fans will recall is what the Joker called himself before becoming the Clown Prince of Crime. The Red Hood begins muscling in on Black Mask’s territory and its clear he doesn’t hold to Batman’s moral code about killing. When Batman, along with Nightwing, pursue Red Hood across the rooftops of Gotham, Batman recognizes the movements, skill, and mannerisms of someone who should be dead…Jason Todd.

Now this is no spoiler as the Hood’s identity is revealed early into the film and will of course be known if you’ve been following Batman in the comics in recent years. To be certain, Batman exhumes Jason’s grave to find a fake body. Somehow, Jason is back, and he wants revenge on the Joker. When Black Mask busts Joker out of Arkham Asylum, Jason has retribution in his reach and Batman now has to protect his archenemy from his former partner.

Under the Red Hood is easily the most violent DC animated film yet. The Red Hood’s first appearance finds him carrying the severed heads of several crime boss underlings in a duffel bag, just to show he is serious about taking over. Later, the Joker guns down several of Black Mask’s henchman in cold blood. The violence was surprising given the fact that DC still likes to partly target kids, but this one is amped up for adult comic book fans.

As mentioned, there are a few differences between film and comic…generic henchman take the place of more well-known villains like Deathstroke, and Count Vertigo, as supporting characters. In the film, Jason’s body is clumsily explained as Batman being too distraught to recognize a fake body whereas in the comic, Clayface posed as Jason’s corpse.

“Under the Red Hood” has a terrific cast of voice actors; probably the best of any DC animated film yet. Bruce Greenwood is fantastic as Batman but it is John DiMaggio who steals the show as a terrifyingly psychotic Joker. With Mark Hamill hanging up the reins as the Joker’s voice, DiMaggio will hopefully be the heir apparent. Others include Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) as Jason Todd/Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing, Wade Williams as Black Mask, and Jason Isaacs as Ra’s al Ghul. Hopefully Marvel Comics will some day realize the value of using top talent for the voice acting in their animated features.

As good as the film is, you can’t help but think that the whole idea of bringing Jason Todd back was simply a bad idea. I realize that deaths in comic books are rarely for good but this is one that should have been permanent. There was no good reason to bring him back other than as a gimmick storyline. But, since Jason’s death was a gimmick in the first place, complete with a 900 number fans could call to vote for if he lived or died, its not surprising. Still, the fans spoke in 1988 and Jason should have been left to rest in peace.

Extras

DC Showcase Presents Jonah Hex(12:00). This is the second in the DC Showcase series of shortfilms, the first of which featured the Spectre. Jonah Hex would not be in my top 20 characters I’d like to see in these Showcase films but I understand why he is, given the release of the big screen film (however terrible it may have been). The film is better than expected thanks to the screenplay by Joe R. Lansdale, master of the weird western. Jonah is on the trail of a wanted criminal and ends up in a town where a local Madame lures strangers to their death with a couple of accomplices. A good cast featuring Thomas Jane as Jonah Hex, Linda Hamilton as the Madame, and Michelle Trachtenberg as a barfly makes this one fun to watch.

First Look: Superman/Batman Apocalypse. A look at the next DC animated film which will tell the tale of Supergirl arriving on Earth and being caught between Batman, Superman, and Apocalypse. This will debut on DVD in September.

Robin: The Story of Dick Grayson (24:00). This documentary looks at the history of the first Robin, Dick Grayson. It seems that Robin was created for no other reason than to give Batman someone to talk to rather than to just talk out loud to no one while solving crimes. Features interviews with numerous comic professionals including Paul Levitz, Marv Wolfman, and longtime Batman writer Denny O’Neil. Well-made documentary!

Bruce Timm presents two episodes from Batman: The Animated Series featuring Robin.