If you were to ask someone what their favorite Batman film is, chances are the answer would be from the Christopher Nolan trilogy. You may have the odd fellow out who enjoys the campiness of ‘Batman and Robin’ (such as myself), or the ridiculousness of ‘Forever’ with Jim Carrey’s over-the-top performance as the Riddler (also myself). However, the animated films will almost never enter the conversation, despite the immense quality of storytelling and voice acting to be found. ‘The Killing Joke’, ‘Hush’, ‘Mask Of The Phantasm’, ‘Mystery Of The Batwoman’ almost have to be entered into a separate conversation. Ladies and gentlemen, in the conversation for best Batman film of all time, I vote for ‘The Dark Knight Returns’.
‘The Dark Knight Returns’ needs no introduction, its status as a story already cemented by its original comic, written by the legendary Frank Miller. A gritty tale about Bruce Wayne refusing to leave the cowl in the dust and re-emerging as his alter-ego at the mature age of 55. The dialogue is inspiring, the violence is brutal and the journey both down memory lane and towards a dark dystopian future is irresistible. If you’re looking for another ‘Logan’, this is it.
10 years after retiring as Batman, Bruce Wayne spends time as a racecar driver and sharing meals with old friend, Jim Gordon. After sitting by for so long, watching the world turn cold as a gang known as The Mutants take over Gotham City, and haunted by his superhero persona, Wayne becomes Batman once again and goes to war. However, as he begins battle with The Mutants, old foes and allies re-surface against him, determined to keep the world of vigilantes dead. Batman has one last journey, one last run. He can’t sit idly by and watch the world burn.
Batman is voiced by Peter Weller, the Robocop, in this adaptation and performs marvelously as a tired, disgruntled hero. Weller easily becomes one of my favorite Batmen with his voice-acting, whether he’s confronting his demons, trash-talking the Mutant leader or reminding Superman that he is not to be messed with. Micheal Emerson plays the Joker, in a criminally underrated performance. He’s no Mark Hamill, but he’s certainly creepier than John DiMaggio’s performances. His voice feels like he’s holding back, like the Joker is doing his very best to keep the murderous urges at bay and it works tremendously. Ariel Winter plays Carrie Kelley, the new Robin and does a nice job, however the simplicity of her character definitely holds her performance back. So much more could have been done. If I went through each important character, I’d be here all day. It’s a phenomenal piece of fiction with a passionate love for Batman’s history and almost every voice actor does an amazing job.
As I stated earlier, the dialogue is the real magic of this film, Bob Goodman does a perfect job mixing and adjusting Miller’s writing while also adding his own. Golden Miller lines like “This isn’t a mudhole, it’s an operating table. And I’m the surgeon” thankfully make the cut. Some of Goodman’s lines are astounding, of course, with the Joker’s chilling voice stating “It doesn’t matter, I made you lose control. And they’ll kill you for it” improving the original scene tenfold.
I can’t help but mention the score, Christopher Drake’s compositions for the film could stand on the shoulders of Zimmer. Some of my favorite tracks from the album include ‘You’re Never Finished With Me’, ‘The Dark Knight Triumphant’ and ‘I Want You To Remember The One Man Who Beat You’. Frightening drum beats, a bellowing brass section and soft teardrop piano keys make the animated film feel as cinematic as the Snyder Cut.
Mason’s Top 3 Reasons To Watch ‘The Dark Knight Returns’
- An epic ending to the Batman saga, with brutal battle sequences and tender character development for Bruce
- Some of the greatest voice-acting performances in the DC filmography
- A kick-*** soundtrack that will ring in your mind for days
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