You know, the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan Batman movies are some of the best Batman movies ever made, especially the first movies in either franchise. However, there are some real gems in the form of the animated Batman films which are released straight to DVD. Strange at it may seem, but the animated movies reflect the comic books more so than the life-action movies, and therefore if you a fan of the books, they are a no-brainer.
The voice actors in the animated Batman films are stars in their own right. Kevin Conroy is a practical shoe-in for the voice of Batman where as Luke Skywalker, I mean Mark Hamill is the quintessential Joker. That guy chews up every scene the Joker is in with his voice-acting and if you’ve seen several of the making-of featurettes for some of this movies, he’s just asking for some clown makeup to be slapped on him.
OK, back to the movies. As a big fan of the animated films, I’ve compiled a top-three list of my favourite animated Batman films. Check it out:
3. Batman: Year One (2011)
This is an adaptation of Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One comic book story-arc that appear in issues 404 to 407 of DC Comics’ Batman back in 1987. Like what the title implies, it depicts Bruce Wayne as the masked vigilante known as Batman and it appears to be a steep learning curve despite his travels. Both the book and the movie also depict Jim Gordon’s arrival to Gotham (from Chicago) and having said that, the movie is a brilliant adaptation of the comic book, and that, is a bang-up job!
One thing parents should note though, this animated movie is definitely not for children.
2. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
I actually just finished watching this earlier this evening (for the nth time) and it’s because of this film I got the idea to come up with a top 3 list of animated Batman films. Set in the future, this film features Terry McGinnis, a former delinquent youth as the new Batman, equipped with a high tech suit provided none other than Bruce Wayne. But what happens when he comes face to face with an enemy regarded as the other side of the coin to the old Batman?
Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are both in this film and they were brilliant! The movie was notorious for the fact that it had plenty of what was considered to be extreme violence (the Joker kill scene among other things) and was censored for TV. The original uncensored version was thankfully released on DVD, rated PG-13.
1. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 (2012)
This is another adapation of a classic Frank Miller Batman storyline, and this time it’s the limited series, The Dark Knight Returns. It tells of the story of a dystopian future where an old and broken Bruce Wayne decides to put on the mantle of the Bat again as he battles mutant gangs, a seemingly reformed Two-Face and…..public opinion. The movie captured plenty from the comic book series with some tweaks here and there, and as a fan of the limited series, this adaptation is a resulting success.
Peter Weller a.k.a Alex Murphy/Robocop (another favourite movie of mine) gives voice to Batman in this film. Just imagine Robo as the Cape Crusader, totally awesome.
So there you have it, three of my favourite animated Batman films. What about you? Share the list or the titles in the comments section!
