BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS - PART 1 (ANIMATED FILM)
Summary
The first of a two-part animated superhero film based on the graphic novel of the same name, about an aged Batman coming out of retirement in a nightmarish, dystopian version of Gotham City. The story begins with Bruce Wayne in his mid-fifties and having foregone the Batman identity ten years ago, as he grows steadily more suicidal and alcoholic. Gotham City is infested with more crime than ever, especially at the hands of a large, powerful gang of teenagers calling themselves the Mutants wreaking havoc across the city with random acts of brutal violence. Bruce sits down to chat with Commissioner Gordon, whose retirement is imminent, and they reminisce on old times together. The Mutants have singled out Commissioner Gordon and make clear their plans to kill him. Commissioner Gordon knows that Bruce was once Batman, and remarks on the current situation in Gotham; Bruce leaves when he mentions the untimely death of Jason Todd, the former Robin. As Bruce walks down the street, he flashes back to the night his parents were killed. A pair of Mutants flank him, intent on stabbing him, but Bruce manages to scare them off. That night, Bruce cannot sleep, haunted by a childhood memory where he accidentally fell into a pit and was menaced by a large bat. He gets up and visits the long-abandoned Batcave to see Jason's old Robin costume, waking Alfred in the process. As he returns to sleep, Alfred notices that he shaved off his moustache, much to Bruce's surprise. At Arkham Asylum, the Joker has been catatonic ever since Batman's disappearance. Dr. Wolper, a psychiatrist, and Dr. Willing, a plastic surgeon, complete their rehabilitation of Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face, confident that they have not only repaired the damage to his face but also cured him of his split personality. Harvey holds a press conference expressing his desire to prove that he is now normal and deserves a second chance. Bruce watches this on the news; he was the one who funded Harvey's rehabilitation. Also on the news are reports of the Mutants escalating their attacks and other horrific events in Gotham. Bruce panics while flipping through the television channels, especially when he sees "The Mark of Zorro," the film he saw just before his parents were shot. He has a mental breakdown and his Batman persona seems to speak to him, urging him to return to crime-fighting once again. Finally Bruce can no longer resist and becomes Batman again, and he goes around Gotham brutally dispensing with criminals, such as a Mutant attempting to assault a woman and a pimp trying to slice the face of a prostitute in the back seat of a taxi. An adolescent girl named Carrie Kelley and her friend Michelle cut through an arcade and are immediately set upon by a cadre of Mutants. Batman attacks from the shadows and saves the two girls, leaving a particularly deep impression on Carrie. Next, Batman chases down bank robbers, witnessed by a pair of policemen. The young rookie cop tries to stop Batman from taking out the robbers, while the older policeman is glad that Batman has returned and allows him to continue. Although Batman is not as agile as he once was, he is able to incapacitate the robbers and finds a coin scratched on both sides in one of their pockets, indicating that Two-Face is in charge of the robbers. He tells the older policeman that he must speak with Commissioner Gordon before vanishing into the night. News of Batman's return is quickly picked up by the television news, with many witnesses describing Batman as an almost monstrous creature. The leader of the Mutants makes a televised death-threat against both Commissioner Gordon and Batman. One of the robbers stopped by Batman goes to the police with his lawyer; Batman inflicted such grievous injury on him that he is crippled, and wants to be released due to the circumstances of his capture. Commissioner Gordon grants his request and releases him. Batman follows the robber to a meeting-place where he was to meet with Two-Face, but Batman deduces that Two-Face changed locations so as not to be found. Batman gets information about Two-Face's plans from the robber. Commissioner Gordon learns that Batman has returned and wishes to speak with him, and to contact him lights the long-disused Bat-Signal, hoping that it will also strike fear in the hearts of the criminals of Gotham. Carrie witnesses the Bat-Signal in the sky. Batman meets with Commissioner Gordon, who informs him that Two-Face has stolen a pair of military helicopters to use in some sort of attack. Batman notes that Two-Face has wrapped his head in bandages, possibly indicating some sort of self-mutilation. The two of them deduce that Two-Face intends to attack the two towers of the Gotham Life building the following night, and Batman lies in wait armed with a spear-gun. At Arkham, the Joker sees news commentary on Batman's return and, unnoticed by any of the staff, stirs slightly. Two-Face and his men arrive and start attacking the buildings. He hijacks the airwaves and demands $22 million in 22 minutes, or he will blow up both buildings with a pair of powerful bombs. Batman defeats Two-Face's men and finds that the bomb is already counting down and has only two minutes remaining; Batman realizes that Two-Face wants to die and take everyone in the buildings with him. Batman disables one of the bombs and uses his spear-gun to traverse the distance between the towers. Two-Face shoots him off the side of the building, but he manages to use the spear-gun to knock Two-Face out of the helicopter and send it hurtling into the sky, where the bomb detonates harmlessly. Batman and Two-Face fight and Batman defeats him, uncovering the bandages to find that Two-Face's face is unharmed; he is still insane and only pretended to be rehabilitated, still believing that he is deformed. Television pundits continue to discuss Batman's return, some hailing him as a hero and others calling him a "fascist." Commissioner Gordon goes out to do some late-night shopping and a Mutant sneaks up behind him to try to assassinate him, but Gordon shoots and kills him first. Carrie purchases a Robin costume and goes out at night to fight crime on her own, inspired by Batman's example. A trio of Mutants kidnaps the infant heir to a chewing gum company and ransoms him back to his parents, planning to kill him even after they get the money. Batman arrives to stop them and is surprised to find them armed with military-grade weaponry. He defeats them and interrogates one of them to learn where they got their weapons. Meanwhile, Carrie goes out on the streets and manages to stop a purse-snatcher. Batman confronts the supplier of the Mutant's weapons, a disillusioned general who wanted money to pay for treatments to his wife's terminal illness. Batman notes that the Mutants have enough weapons to wage "a small war," and vows to oppose them. As Batman leaves, the general, overcome with guilt, commits suicide. Carrie discovers that the Mutants are holding a meeting at the dump to plan their "war" and follows them. Batman arrives inside his tank-like Batmobile and interrupts a speech from the bestial Mutant leader. He asks for the Mutants to surrender, but instead they attack the Batmobile with guns and explosives. Batman counters with riot weaponry such as rubber bullets, incapacitating large numbers of Mutants. Carrie arrives and runs alongside the Batmobile, taking out a few Mutants on her own. Finally the Mutant leader challenges Batman to come out of the Batmobile and face him, to which Batman complies. Carrie watches their struggle, and soon the monstrous Mutant leader overpowers Batman and brutally beats him. Carrie distracts the Mutant leader long enough for Batman to render him unconscious with a substance from his utility belt. Carrie manages to get him into the Batmobile and climbs in as it automatically drives back to the Batcave. Carrie expresses her interest in becoming the new Robin and Batman reveals his secret identity despite Alfred's pleading. They reach the Batcave and Batman wanders deep into the cavern, removing his costume. He experiences a bizarre vision involving his parents' funeral, and seemingly confronts a gigantic bat, proclaiming "you're never done with me." In the wake of Batman's attack dozens of Mutants are arrested and jailed, including the leader. The remaining Mutants vow to storm police headquarters to release their leader. The mayor blames the upcoming Mutant attack on Batman and announces that he has selected police Captain Ellen Yindel replace James Gordon as Police Commissioner, in part due to her noted opposition towards Batman. Alfred is worried about Bruce endangering Carrie, but he calls her "perfect" for the job of being Robin, despite the circumstances of Jason's death. He has her disguise herself as a Mutant and spread word of a big meeting, collecting the entire Mutant gang in one place. Captain Yindel visits Commissioner Gordon; she says that Gordon has been an inspiration to her for years but cannot understand his alliance with Batman. He likens Batman to President Roosevelt just after Pearl Harbor, inspiring an unready and frightened public to take action against a powerful enemy, although Yindel doesn't grasp the analogy. Batman orders Carrie to return to the Batcave and shows Gordon the Mutant meeting he engineered, gathered around a large mud pit not far from police headquarters. The Mutant leader is "accidentally" released from his cell and escapes through an air duct, ending up at the mud pit. Batman ambushes him there and they fight again, but this time the heavy mud inhibits the Mutant leader's speed, making Batman more evenly matched for him. Batman uses martial arts techniques to impair the Mutant leader's vision and mobility, eventually defeating him by breaking his arms and legs as the awestruck Mutants look on. In the wake of the leader's defeat the Mutants disband; half of them are arrested while the other half splinter into various independent groups, including one band of crime-fighting vigilantes calling themselves the "Sons of Batman." Commissioner Gordon finally retires, leaving Yindel as the new police commissioner. The film ends as the Joker finally rises from his vegetative state with Batman's name on his lips.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 2012
- RUNNING TIME: 1:16:11
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 108326
- GENRE: Animation
- SUBJECT HEADING: Animation
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sam Register … Executive Producer
- Bruce Timm … Executive Producer
- Benjamin Melinker … Executive Producer
- Michael Uslan … Executive Producer
- Alan Burnett … Co-Producer
- Michael Macasero … Associate Producer
- Jay Oliva … Director
- Andrea Romano … Voice Director
- Ho Se-Il … Animation Director
- Choi Gyeong-Ho … Animation Director
- Yoo Seung-Hun … Animation Director
- Lee Jong-Hwa … Animation
- Lee Geon-Sik … Animation
- Lee Jae-Beom … Animation
- Houng Gyeong-Pyo … Animation
- Kang Seon-Gi … Animation
- Kim Jae-Hyeong … Animation
- Yeong Il-Park … Animation
- Kim Yeong-Su … Animation
- Chang Hyeong-Seok … Animation
- Sohn Seong-Deuk … Animation
- Hahn Yo-Han … Animation
- Shim Yeong-Hui … Animation
- Park Chang-O … Animation
- Lee Jin-Hae … Animation
- Park Yeong-Il … Animation
- Ko Yun-Jae … Animation
- Bob Goodman … Writer
- Frank Miller … Based on the graphic novel "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" by
- Klaus Janson … Based on the graphic novel "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" by
- Christopher Drake … Music by
- Peter Weller … Voice, Batman/Bruce Wayne
- Ariel Winter … Voice, Carrie Kelley/Robin
- David Selby … Voice, Commissioner James Gordon
- Wade Williams … Voice, Two-Face/Harvey Dent
- Carlos Alazraqui … Voice, Hernando
- Dee Bradley Baker … Voice, Don
- Paget Brewster … Voice, Lana Lang
- Maria Canals (See also: Maria Canals-Barrera) … Voice, Ellen Yindel
- Catherine Cavadini … Voice, Joanie
- Townsend Coleman … Voice, Morrie
- Grey DeLisle … Voice, Anchor Carla
- Richard Doyle … Voice, The Mayor
- Greg Eagles … Voice, Mackie
- Michael Emerson … Voice, The Joker
- Michael Jackson … Voice, Alfred Pennyworth
- Danny Jacobs … Voice, Merkel
- Maurice LaMarche … Voice, Dr. Willing
- Yuri Lowenthal … Voice, Son of Batman
- Michael McKean … Voice, Dr. Wolper
- Sam McMurray … Voice, Anchor Ted
- Jim Meskimen … Voice, General Briggs
- Rob Paulsen … Voice, Rob
- Andrea Romano … Voice, Woman
- Tara Strong … Voice, Michelle
- James Patrick Stuart … Voice, Murray
- Gary Sturgis … Voice, Silk
- James Arnold Taylor … Voice, Mr. Hudson
- Bruce Timm … Voice, Thomas Wayne
- Jim Ward … Voice, Femur's Lawyer
- Frank Welker … Voice, Mayor Stevenson
- Gary Anthony Williams … Voice, Mutant Leader
- Jim Wise … Voice, Femur
- Gwendoline Yeo … Voice, Lola Chong