PART 1 REVIEW: Ever since I watched Zack Snyder's Justice League, my housemate and I have been having many discussions about DC heroes. The one story that came up time and time again was The Dark Knight Returns (oh we had a lot of discussions on how Zack Snyder did a bad job of adapting Batman using this as the inspiration). My friend told me that if I wanted to watch the movie adaptation, I could just say the word. And here we are.
There are so many good things going on that aren't even the main story, or Batman himself. The news broadcasts that frequently show up to tell us plot developments are low-key hilarious in how they portray these caricatures of politicians giving satirical speeches and statements to quell the worries of the masses. The one-off lines of dialogue from some of the less important characters are great. The animation is good, as well, especially during the fight scenes!
And yes, the story of a grizzled old Bruce Wayne being forced into donning the Batsuit is excellent. His madness that haunts him is really on display and shows us a new characterization of the familiar face, while still retaining everything we love to see in Batman. From the cool gadgets and his physical prowess, to his superior intelligence and trickery. And even though the fight scenes can be bloody and brutal at times, Batman still retains his sense of morality (albeit, a more subdued version of that). The plot with Harvey Dent is okay, but the subplot with the Mutants is much better at setting up this Dark Knight for his revenge on the crime of Gotham City.
PART 2 REVIEW: This is where the plot ramps up, and for obvious reasons. We've got our classic Batman vs the Joker thing going on here, but this time, Batman is done playing games. And if Batman isn't going to pull any punches, neither will the Joker.
It's an intense series of events, each scene building upon the last, culminating in an excellent fight scene that can only be done justice in animated form (I'm looking at you, Zack Snyder). Also, the fact that there were realistic consequences for the nuke situation was a really nice touch.
I didn't mention it in my review for Part 1, but I really like this new version of Robin. She could have been fleshed out more, but the relationship between her and Batman captures a good father-daughter (or grandfather-daughter) dynamic.
I feel like I enjoyed this part a little more just because there's far less setup, but regardless, the two parts should be watched back-to-back if possible. The Dark Knight Returns really is as good as they say it is.
Review by JonTheMantisBlockedParent2021-10-23T21:14:53Z
PART 1 REVIEW:
Ever since I watched Zack Snyder's Justice League, my housemate and I have been having many discussions about DC heroes. The one story that came up time and time again was The Dark Knight Returns (oh we had a lot of discussions on how Zack Snyder did a bad job of adapting Batman using this as the inspiration). My friend told me that if I wanted to watch the movie adaptation, I could just say the word. And here we are.
There are so many good things going on that aren't even the main story, or Batman himself. The news broadcasts that frequently show up to tell us plot developments are low-key hilarious in how they portray these caricatures of politicians giving satirical speeches and statements to quell the worries of the masses. The one-off lines of dialogue from some of the less important characters are great. The animation is good, as well, especially during the fight scenes!
And yes, the story of a grizzled old Bruce Wayne being forced into donning the Batsuit is excellent. His madness that haunts him is really on display and shows us a new characterization of the familiar face, while still retaining everything we love to see in Batman. From the cool gadgets and his physical prowess, to his superior intelligence and trickery. And even though the fight scenes can be bloody and brutal at times, Batman still retains his sense of morality (albeit, a more subdued version of that). The plot with Harvey Dent is okay, but the subplot with the Mutants is much better at setting up this Dark Knight for his revenge on the crime of Gotham City.
PART 2 REVIEW:
This is where the plot ramps up, and for obvious reasons. We've got our classic Batman vs the Joker thing going on here, but this time, Batman is done playing games. And if Batman isn't going to pull any punches, neither will the Joker.
It's an intense series of events, each scene building upon the last, culminating in an excellent fight scene that can only be done justice in animated form (I'm looking at you, Zack Snyder). Also, the fact that there were realistic consequences for the nuke situation was a really nice touch.
I didn't mention it in my review for Part 1, but I really like this new version of Robin. She could have been fleshed out more, but the relationship between her and Batman captures a good father-daughter (or grandfather-daughter) dynamic.
I feel like I enjoyed this part a little more just because there's far less setup, but regardless, the two parts should be watched back-to-back if possible. The Dark Knight Returns really is as good as they say it is.