this week. Under the Red Hood is the latest in a long and almost always awesome line-up of DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
So how was it? Amazing. One of the best DC Universe animated flicks yet.But be warned, it isn't for the feint of heart. Under the Red Hood is pretty damn brutal at times. Many times. But that certainly shouldn't surprise anyone even vaguely familiar with the comic book source material it's based on.
This ain't no Brave and the Bold!
I won't get all spoilery; I'll keep my review here general and brief. The voice talent is great, John DiMaggio (currently best known for his work as Aquaman on Batman: The Brave and the Bold) does an excellent Joker. Jensen Ackles does very well as Red Hood, Bruce Greenwood does a Batman that at times even sounds a bit like Kevin Conroy, and fan favorite Neil Patrick Harris steals the show with some great lines as Nightwing.
And if anyone from DC/WB is listening, based on his appearance here, I think a Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing animated feature length film would be pretty sweet! Just saying.
The animation and action are tops (although there were a few too many 20+ foot vertical backwards jumps and other push physics a little too far, even for a cartoon leaps for my liking,) and the story has some surprising depth and a few great cameos and flashback sequences.
The Jonah Hex Showcase Short before the feature is good too. Not great, but fun. I think the Spectre Showcase Short that appeared before Crisis on Two Earths sort of set the bar a little too high for JH to reach, but it's a nice add and probably seventeen hundred times better than the recent Jonah Hex movie.
I picked Under The Red Hood up at Best Buy, and was able to get the last exclusive copy, which comes with a Red Hood figurine (similar to Crisis' exclusive Owlman figurine.)
A fun little add-on; I wouldn't have worried about it if I didn't get it, but it cost the same as the 2 disc special edition DVD with or without it, so I'm all over the free toy angle!
The second disc includes a featurette called Robin: The Story of Dick Grayson. I'm pretty sure you can guess what that's about; and two episodes of Batman the animated series. I haven't popped that DVD in yet so I don't know which episodes.
Also included is a "First Look" at the next DC/WB animated offering: Superman/Batman Apocalypse. That one should be fun!
Buy stuff by me at Zazzle!
We loved it here. Thought it was fantastic. The Joker could have been more...well, Mark Hamilish, but otherwise he was great.
ReplyDeletethis is the first time I have seen the figure. Look really cool!
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm gonna be looking for the animation!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the fresh take on Joker. I think he was done in a very realistic tone, and seemed like a mix of Nicholson and Heath Ledger. What I didn't like is that they had Jason Todd in Tim Drake's Robin costume. I wasn't a fan of that. One person Twitter replied to me that it was just to show the passage of time, and I understand that, but the excitement surrounding Tim Drake becoming Robin and his new costume was a big event. It was on national news stations and they even made him into an action figure with the new costume for a movie he wasn't even in! I enjoyed the film but the story is too preposterous. I don't think Ra's should ever have resurrected Tim Drake. What is this a soap opera? Jason Todd DIED. He shouldn't have come back as a nondescript vigilante. I guess my gripes are with the story, not the film. Batman-Superman Apocolypse is gonna be AWESOME! Cannot wait for my favorite...SUPERGIRL!!!
ReplyDeleteI really need to start buying these! But i don't own a Blu-Ray player yet so i was kind of waiting until we get one of those.
ReplyDeleteAt risk of having my Team Batman Card taken away. I wasn't "wowed" by this movie, I didn't hate it, but I didn't think it was all that great, it was enjoyable I just wasn't as floored as I thought I would be.
ReplyDeleteI do dislike when they gloss over a key character (like Tim) when they could have easily included him with one line "Master Tim is on assignment" or something. Give that to the fans and let it be throwaway to newcomers, but don't pretend he doesn't exist.
ReplyDeleteI do like how they alluded to Batgirl though (Red Hood says something to the effect of the Joker "crippling friends" or something like that.)
All said and done, I loved it. Where else are we going to get something like this in our world today?
While I agree that "Learning makes a good man better and ill man worse" I still haven't had a chance to see this movie yet....I think I've got to rent it today....
ReplyDeleteGood one MOCK. I hate those spam f**ers so bad.
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