Unintentional review is unintentional.
So. I have just watched Batman: Under the Red Hood. Here are my Thoughts:
Yes. Yes he is.
Any one who knows me knows that I am quite the Batman fan. But even more than that, I am a Robin fan. Doesn't matter which Robin, in fact I often have trouble deciding which one is my favorite. Dick, Jason, Tim, Steph... they all have things that I really love about them. That's not even mentioning other incarnations like TOON!Tim, or Pre-crisis!Jay, who is even more of an adorable little fairy than Dick Grayson. The only one I can't say anything about is Damien, and that's mostly because I haven't read anything with him in it and therefore have no real opinion. Sometimes I think that I just have to cut my losses and say: "Okay. My favorite Robin is that Girl!Robin, Rochelle Wayne." You know, from that Elseworld "Batman: Reign of Terror", I think.
...Actually I think she might be.
But anyhow, I've gotten of topic. The point is, I love Robin. But the problem with being a Robin fan is that you often don't see him (them) portrayed well. The cartoon series' do a pretty good job but in the movies... especially in live action...
Well, my philosophy is that he's like Dr John Watson. In the original source material they are competent, cool, and you can see why Sherlock and Batman need them, why they keep them around. But in live action movies and other adaptations, they are often changed into characters that are made to make the other look better, or just... I don't even know, but it seems like they take all of their good points and say, well we can't have that! Let's treat this character with complete lack of respect.
Even in the animated movies I've seen (though mostly excluding ones from the DCAU), many of them seem to brush Robin to the side, if he's in them at all. Even the ones that treat him with respect, it's usually a very small role. So to find out that there's a movie coming out that focuses on Robin, not only Robin but Jason Todd, I character I like, but is most peoples least favorite Robin, and the only one of them up till now who has never been animated? I was both exited and a bit worried. What if they completely messed it up? Thankfully though, this movie seems to have done it right.
...That introduction went a lot longer that I meant it to.
This movie made me go 'eeeee' a lot. Out loud. which would be very embarrassing if I hadn't been alone. Also, probably says quite a bit about the kind of person I am, because this is quite a dark movie and it mostly had me laughing my head of in amused glee. Especially the Joker. Take that as you will.
So, I haven't actually read all of the comic that it was based on, I've only seen bits and pieces of it online, but I already think I like this version a bit better. This may have something to do with Jensen Ackles' superb voice acting. Like I said, King of Daddy Issues. Many of his lines were genuinely painful, or made me go "Oh, Jason". He hit those lines dead on. I was very impressed, considering this was his first role for something animated, and not just live action. He just shined in this role.
Neil Patrick Harris was surprisingly good as Nightwing. Don't get me wrong, I love NPH, but he's not the first person I would think of for NW. I saw him more as a Flash type, whom he did play in "Justice League: New Frontier". Suffice to say, I was proven wrong. Nightwing here was competent and chatty and cute, everything that I see Dick Grayson as, and NPH brought a lot to the role. He wasn't as Dark and Broody as Nightwing can be from the cartoons, but I think that works here. I love happier Dick. He made me giggle. I think my favorite line of his was "I'm chatty. It's part of my charm." Dick Grayson in a nutshell.
They put him on a bus half way through, and I wish he could have stayed for longer, maybe gotten a revelation or reunion of his own, but I understand why they didn't do it. This movie is about Jason and Bruce. Or rather, Jason, Bruce and the Joker.
Speaking of which! Admittedly, I didn't quite like the Joker's voice at first. I didn't know what it was, It just felt jarring, made me uncomfortable. At first I thought that it was too deep, not 'Hammill-y' enough for me, but I got into it after a while. I couldn't quite find the words for it until I read this review, which said (and really, I couldn't put it better myself):
"The only real jarring portrayal was John DiMaggio as Joker, but I soon realized while watching the film that the reason it felt odd was because it actually makes you feel uncomfortable and in a creepy child molester kind of way-which I’m not sure how close to a compliment that is to DiMaggio, but it definitely got under your skin."
He's not my favorite Joker incarnation, but he's definitely creepy.
As for the other voices, Black Mask was quite hammy, which may not work for some people, but as I have no opinion on Black Mask one way or another it was fine with me. Batman sounded quite American to my Canadian ears, or should I say a bit southern. No offense meant to anyone, it's just that some of his lines had quite a drawl to them and I'm not used to that in my Batman. But other than that, he did an okay job. Better than the robot voice take on him from Justice league: New Frontier. So there's a plus.
The tension in this movie is really well done, and they make good use of flashbacks to give viewers who aren't comic-savvy backstory, without delving to much into wordy exposition. There aren't many "as you and I both know, this is blah blah..." moments. There a couple of things here and there, but they are rare and easy to pass over. The flashbacks themselves feel natural and flow well into the main timeline, It doesn't feel awkward at all.
But really, I think one of my favorite things is the ending. The very end. It's... I don't want to spoil to badly, but it's abrupt, but perfect. It's a complete punch to the solar plexus and I... it's quite hard to describe. But it's definitely a heart-wrenching moment. Brilliantly executed.
So all in all, I really liked it. It may be not to everyone's taste, it has a very Nolanverse vibe to it, and not everyone likes Jason, but I thought they handled the story and the characters quite well.
...And most of all, I love Jensen Ackles' Daddy Issues voice. It bears repeating.
Yes. Yes he is.
Any one who knows me knows that I am quite the Batman fan. But even more than that, I am a Robin fan. Doesn't matter which Robin, in fact I often have trouble deciding which one is my favorite. Dick, Jason, Tim, Steph... they all have things that I really love about them. That's not even mentioning other incarnations like TOON!Tim, or Pre-crisis!Jay, who is even more of an adorable little fairy than Dick Grayson. The only one I can't say anything about is Damien, and that's mostly because I haven't read anything with him in it and therefore have no real opinion. Sometimes I think that I just have to cut my losses and say: "Okay. My favorite Robin is that Girl!Robin, Rochelle Wayne." You know, from that Elseworld "Batman: Reign of Terror", I think.
...Actually I think she might be.
But anyhow, I've gotten of topic. The point is, I love Robin. But the problem with being a Robin fan is that you often don't see him (them) portrayed well. The cartoon series' do a pretty good job but in the movies... especially in live action...
Well, my philosophy is that he's like Dr John Watson. In the original source material they are competent, cool, and you can see why Sherlock and Batman need them, why they keep them around. But in live action movies and other adaptations, they are often changed into characters that are made to make the other look better, or just... I don't even know, but it seems like they take all of their good points and say, well we can't have that! Let's treat this character with complete lack of respect.
Even in the animated movies I've seen (though mostly excluding ones from the DCAU), many of them seem to brush Robin to the side, if he's in them at all. Even the ones that treat him with respect, it's usually a very small role. So to find out that there's a movie coming out that focuses on Robin, not only Robin but Jason Todd, I character I like, but is most peoples least favorite Robin, and the only one of them up till now who has never been animated? I was both exited and a bit worried. What if they completely messed it up? Thankfully though, this movie seems to have done it right.
...That introduction went a lot longer that I meant it to.
This movie made me go 'eeeee' a lot. Out loud. which would be very embarrassing if I hadn't been alone. Also, probably says quite a bit about the kind of person I am, because this is quite a dark movie and it mostly had me laughing my head of in amused glee. Especially the Joker. Take that as you will.
So, I haven't actually read all of the comic that it was based on, I've only seen bits and pieces of it online, but I already think I like this version a bit better. This may have something to do with Jensen Ackles' superb voice acting. Like I said, King of Daddy Issues. Many of his lines were genuinely painful, or made me go "Oh, Jason". He hit those lines dead on. I was very impressed, considering this was his first role for something animated, and not just live action. He just shined in this role.
Neil Patrick Harris was surprisingly good as Nightwing. Don't get me wrong, I love NPH, but he's not the first person I would think of for NW. I saw him more as a Flash type, whom he did play in "Justice League: New Frontier". Suffice to say, I was proven wrong. Nightwing here was competent and chatty and cute, everything that I see Dick Grayson as, and NPH brought a lot to the role. He wasn't as Dark and Broody as Nightwing can be from the cartoons, but I think that works here. I love happier Dick. He made me giggle. I think my favorite line of his was "I'm chatty. It's part of my charm." Dick Grayson in a nutshell.
They put him on a bus half way through, and I wish he could have stayed for longer, maybe gotten a revelation or reunion of his own, but I understand why they didn't do it. This movie is about Jason and Bruce. Or rather, Jason, Bruce and the Joker.
Speaking of which! Admittedly, I didn't quite like the Joker's voice at first. I didn't know what it was, It just felt jarring, made me uncomfortable. At first I thought that it was too deep, not 'Hammill-y' enough for me, but I got into it after a while. I couldn't quite find the words for it until I read this review, which said (and really, I couldn't put it better myself):
"The only real jarring portrayal was John DiMaggio as Joker, but I soon realized while watching the film that the reason it felt odd was because it actually makes you feel uncomfortable and in a creepy child molester kind of way-which I’m not sure how close to a compliment that is to DiMaggio, but it definitely got under your skin."
He's not my favorite Joker incarnation, but he's definitely creepy.
As for the other voices, Black Mask was quite hammy, which may not work for some people, but as I have no opinion on Black Mask one way or another it was fine with me. Batman sounded quite American to my Canadian ears, or should I say a bit southern. No offense meant to anyone, it's just that some of his lines had quite a drawl to them and I'm not used to that in my Batman. But other than that, he did an okay job. Better than the robot voice take on him from Justice league: New Frontier. So there's a plus.
The tension in this movie is really well done, and they make good use of flashbacks to give viewers who aren't comic-savvy backstory, without delving to much into wordy exposition. There aren't many "as you and I both know, this is blah blah..." moments. There a couple of things here and there, but they are rare and easy to pass over. The flashbacks themselves feel natural and flow well into the main timeline, It doesn't feel awkward at all.
But really, I think one of my favorite things is the ending. The very end. It's... I don't want to spoil to badly, but it's abrupt, but perfect. It's a complete punch to the solar plexus and I... it's quite hard to describe. But it's definitely a heart-wrenching moment. Brilliantly executed.
So all in all, I really liked it. It may be not to everyone's taste, it has a very Nolanverse vibe to it, and not everyone likes Jason, but I thought they handled the story and the characters quite well.
...And most of all, I love Jensen Ackles' Daddy Issues voice. It bears repeating.