Batman: Gotham Knight

With "The Dark Knight" performing beyond everyone's expectations - over $155 million in its first three days of release - now is as good a time as any to review the latest direct-to-DVD DC Universe title from Warner Home Video, "Batman: Gotham Knight". This new release has been served up in a single-disc release, a two-disc special edition, and a Blu-Ray version, the latter two of which include additional features including a biography of "Batman" creator Bob Kane and several episodes of the 1990's "Batman" animated series. Only the single-disc release was provided for review.

Set in between the events of "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight", "Gotham Knight" is a six-part story of Batman's pursuit of a Russian mob king while continuing to be seen by both the police and the citizens of Gotham City as either its hero or its worst nightmare come to life. What makes "Gotham Knight" unique is the combination of Japanese-style anime and the storytelling method employed to the film, whereby you can view each segment individually or in its complete feature-length form. Each installment stands on its own merit while contributing to the overall complete picture to form the larger story in hand. The anime approach, which I last saw employed in the "Animatrix" spinoff DVD release, far exceeds anything and everything employed in the animated Batman series of the 1990's, lending an added hand to the stories conveyed in this new film.

First off is "Have I Got a Story for You". In this tale, teenagers put their own different spins on how they each view Batman, from a mysterious spirit to a human-like bat to an automated machine, but only one sees the Batman for who he really is. Next up is "Crossfire", in which two of Gotham City's finest get caught in the middle of a gangland shootout gone wrong. This tale sets up the thread of the Russian mafia's involvement in organized crime that pays off in "The Dark Knight". In "Field Test", Bruce Wayne (who artfully looks a lot like Christian Bale) is given a new weapon that can render him invulnerable to enemy attack.

It then dovetails into "In Darkness Dwells". This tale, written by David Goyer (who also penned "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight"), sees Batman in pursuit of the mysterious Scarecrow who has kidnapped a city priest. Batman is injured in the process, and in "Working Through Pain" he carries that injury with him while awaiting rescue from his faithful butler Alfred, while recalling his early days of training in an Asian land. Finally, in "Deadshot", Batman must stop an assassin bent on taking out Lieutenant Jim Gordon while searching for the head of the Russian mafia.

The 76-minute film is presented in anamorphic widescreen format in 1.78:1 aspect ratio, with subtitles in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Thai. Unusually, the Dolby surround tracks are presented in your choice of English, Japanese, or Thai 5.1 mixes, as well as Spanish and Portuguese 2.0 mixes. The 5.1 mix is definitely the way to go, lending to the same ambience and mystery given the recent feature films. The print is crisp and vividly full of details. The film is rated PG-13 for stylized violence.

In addition, "Gotham Knight" carries with it several interesting bonus features. First off is a full-length audio commentary with DC Comics vice-president Gregory Noveck, longtime DC Comics editor and Batman writer Dennis O'Neil, and actor Kevin Conroy (who has voiced the character since the first animated incarnations of the 1990's). Each participant lends their thoughts on presenting Batman in an anime style while serving to bridge the events of the feature films.

Next up is a behind-the-scenes look (10:30) at the next DC Universe direct-to-DVD release, "Wonder Woman", coming in 2009. In this segment, DC president/publisher Paul Levitz, editor Dan DiDio, producer Bruce Timm, and actors Keri Russell, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, and Virginia Madsen provide their thoughts on putting a new animated spin to the character first created in 1940.

There is also a trailer gallery on this disc, which includes, naturally, a preview trailer for the just-released "Dark Knight" (which even in two-minute form gets me hyped up for the film for a second viewing, which I'll discuss later); a theatrical trailer for "Journey to the Center of the Earth"; a promo spot for the upcoming Lego "Batman" video game (from the creators of the Lego-themed "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" games) coming in September; and the DVD release of the second "Popeye the Sailor" collection. In addition, at the head of the disc there are preview spots for the DVD releases of "10,000 B.C." and "Appleseed: Ex Machina", as well as an anti-piracy spot utilizing clips from "The Wizard of Oz".

"Gotham Knight" is by far the best animated adaptation of the Batman character, far exceeding any other animated take I have seen over the years. While it's not required viewing prior to seeing "The Dark Knight", it sure helps understanding the opening moments of the new film.