StoryIt's one thing to watch a movie that's based on a timeless series of works, but another to find when that basis roots itself in collaboration efforts to interpret and give new routes and ideals to that story. The Animatrix did so a number of years ago with its lucid, segmented set of stories based around the environment of The Matrix.
Batman: Gotham Knight is a just over an hour of a series of stories built around the defender of Gotham City, interpreted by different Japanese animation studios such as BONES, GONZO, and Production I.G. Each of the segments bring to the table different adventures and perspectives in a brilliant display of animation emphasized storytelling. The reason I say it's animation emphasized because the animated sequences often help bring the mood of the story to light in certain cases.
Take one of the segments entitled "Have I Got a Story for You": the animation might be a complete put off to some people because the character designs are crude, base-level, and haphazard to watch on the screen...until you realize how well it couples with the mood of the story, as it focuses around a group of kids who tell their own unique encounters with Batman.
The movie does tend to bank on style versus extended story, so if you're looking for a movie with a cohesive plotline throughout, it doesn't show itself in this film, but one could argue that's not the beauty of, or the aim of, what this film chooses to explore.
However, each of the short stories are as engaging as they are well noted for their expansions of Batman/Bruce Wayne, some stories choosing to develop his character more intricately ("Working Through Pain" is a strong example of this) while others are interesting cases in which Batman finds himself saving the lives of Gotham City's occupants ("Deadshot" and "Field Test" are two examples that I particularly enjoyed).
The stories themselves never lose momentum and don't feel rushed despite the given format and content. I felt instep with each story for the most part, though I can only think of a couple where the ending point felt a little too sudden to give a conclusive note to the overall segment.
While not a cohesive set of stories, I would certainly recommend Gotham Knight to action anime fans and those who love the Batman franchise alike, as the stories are coupled with brilliant animation and nice character focus to engage throughout.AnimationVery nice use of animation from a visual and mechanistic perspective. The cel backgrounds for each individual story are very well done, and create the enriching environments down to a tee. I also loved how fluid the action and motion sequences were throughout, despite the difference in the production quality and studios/animators working on each story. Granted, there were many interpretations coming into this film, and some may strike favor for some audiences while others may make the viewer grimace at the sight of the characters.
Good example of this was when I watched "Have I Got a Story for You" initially. The crude character designs and rough textures coming into the sequence were among the lowest quality wise I had seen in all the stories offered in the film. However, you come to realize that the animation is quite intentional, as it depicts the perspectives of the inner-city kids and their respective interpretations of Batman. I think that's where the animation worked well in a mechanical way, and I couldn't take too much from that note.
Yet, this may strike some in different ways: either you love and see the animation as it relates to the story, or feel a bit uneasy because Batman/Bruce Wayne is interpreted so differently in each of the stories. In some he is chiseled, rough around the edges and takes no prisoners ("Deadshot") while others show a softer, and more domestic take on his day-to-day capades ("Field Test"), which lend into why the character designs, at times, stray away from the American interpretation of the comic.
I thought this aspect, however, worked very well in its translation and visual interpretations.SoundI watched this film in the English adaptation when it first debuted on Itunes, so it may be limited if there is a Japanese track included on the DVD set. I thought the English cast was brilliantly assigned, as Kevin Conroy makes a fine Batman/Bruce Wayne, and other veteran voice actors in the Batman franchise make guest appearances (some may also recognize Will Friedle and Jason Marsden, who had VA roles in the English adaptation of Batman Beyond). Even with the variant environments and interpretations presented, each character stays true to their respective actions and emotions given the situation.
Add to that the stellar instrumental pieces throughout the movie, key in respective scenes as well as pacing the overall mood of the movie.CharactersThere are indubitably a number of characters presented in this movie, despite the focus leveling on Batman/Bruce Wayne given the individual stories, but the movie does a decent job of bringing you into each character's momentary perspective. Granted, the only character development to be had is truly within the caped hero, as each individual story provides engaging pieces around him, featuring both external and internal perspectives over the character.
The limitations of the movie format prevent more extended connections with the characters, but it certainly provides a pleasant setting to watch them interact and engage each other.OverallI found Batman: Gotham Knight well worth the watch in retrospect. Definitely recommended for those who want to see interesting snapshots and interpretations of Batman's adventures in a momentary context. It's not as cohesive as it could have been, but those who love fluid action and animation will find something to enjoy within it, and each story has something that one can take with them for what its worth. I found it among the better offerings in the animated Batman franchise in recent years.
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