Where to watch Batman: Gotham Knight
1 1/2 Stars
In this 6-story anthology collection, Batman faces new villains and old ones in a time-line after Batman Begins. In “Have I Got A Story For You”, 3 kids tell wildly different stories about Batman during a fight through Gotham. “Crossfire” focuses on two policemen who end up getting in the middle of a crime battle. “Field Test” has Lucius Fox creating a new technology for Batman, but is it too powerful? “In Darkness Dwells” features Killer Croc and Scarecrow, who have kidnapped a priest. “Working Through Pain” goes through flashbacks of Bruce Wayne’s training while Batman finds his way through the sewers. Finally, “Deadshot” focuses on the titular sniper, who has a new target in Gotham.
Batman: Gotham Knight is a step down from the highs of the previous two films released in the DCAU. This collection of six short stories compiled into a feature-length animated movie is unremarkable in visual design and narrative impact. BGK was a companion piece to Warner Bros.’s summer 2008 global release of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, so the project is essentially a cash grab for eager fans who couldn’t get enough Batman. In that respect, BGK reminds one of The Animatrix, another Warner Bros. cleverly timed animated tie-in to one of their storied motion picture franchises.
The lack of elegance in story and style cripples Batman: Gotham Knight, the majority of which has an undercooked feel. The entire enterprise comes off as rushed and unfocused, two negative attributes notably absent from previous DCAU entries. The most popular character in the DC canon deserves better.
Directed by: Yasuhiro Aoki, Futoshi Higashide, Toshiyuki Kubooka, Hiroshi Morioka, Jong-Sik Nam, Shôjirô Nishimi, Yûichirô Hayashi(co-director)
Written by: Bob Kane (creator: Batman), Jordan Goldberg (story), Josh Olson (screenplay)
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Jason Marsden, Scott Menville, George Newbern