1001 Animations: Batman: The Killing Joke

Show: DCAU Film
Episode: Direct-to-Video film
Year: 2016

Writer(s): Bryan Azzarello, Bryan Bolland and Alan Moore (original authors)

I've heard stories of the greatness of the DC Animated Universe direct-to-video (DTV) movies; I own quite a few of them that I haven't even viewed yet, and yet plan to review in the future. These are the kinds of films that try to shed the bad reputation direct-to-video has had over the decades and for the most part, they do a good job. Each one able to adapt a story from DC's long illustrious history and do it very well (usually). This movie Batman: The Killing Joke, however, is of a significantly different degree than those other movies.

 

I knew that if I was ever going do these films, this was where I had to start. I just had to bide my time and wait as long as I could in the hopes it would come to reality. This is the film Mark Hamill himself stated would be the main reason for him to reprise his role as The Joker after 10 years (not counting the Batman: Arkham video games), and this film, not even a week into its release since San Diego Comic-Con 2016, is already coming under scrutiny because "it's not what the fans had hoped for" compared to the 1988 graphic novel.

 

While this comic isn't quite the magnum opus of comics, it is easily one of the most treasured and valued stories of the DC Universe to many a fan. It is on the same level as Batman: Under the Red Hood and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox for a reason. This is where we learn of a possibility of how The Joker came into being who he is. At least, that's how he sees it from his perspective anyways. I always wondered what kind of man The Joker was before his "transformation" not having read the novel myself, and while I've seen hints of it here and there, what this film gives me is a new sense of appreciation for The Clown Prince of Crime. Not simply as a villain, but as a living icon of Batman's history! The yin to Batman's yang, the chaos to his order! All it takes is one bad day to ruin your life...

 

Yes, the first 1/2 hour and change of this 76-minute film is dedicated more into the focus of Barbara Gordon and how she shed the title of Batgirl after Bats gives her the talk of what makes a crime fighter; it honestly doesn't bother me too much. A good story needs the right kind of buildup leading to the big moment after all; it ages like a fine wine and keeps you wanting more. Sure, this ain't exactly what we expected, but for what it's worth when we get to The Joker from this point, it hardens the impact of Barbara's "crippling blow", I should say. And yes, there's THAT SCENE that caused a large amount of uproar and is the only reason this film got an R-rating! I don't care... I really don't care because unlike in, say, Chemistry, I expected this to happen eventually despite the age difference. Babs is legal, right? But yeah, the way it’s written does suck. Anyways, moving on!

The actual half that focuses on The Joker is absolutely phenomenal, if not slightly wonky in terms of pacing. And compared to the comic's events, things are a bit livelier. The torment The Joker puts Commissioner Gordon through is one of the sickest things I've ever seen. It's like if those monsters who showed Zelda Williams those pictures of her father Robin after he hung himself were FORCING her to look under threat of death! Well, what other comparison would you make? It's like being shown pictures of a dead loved one when they were killed. And the song "I Go Looney" is absolutely PHENOMENAL! Mark Hamill really worked hard to get back into his prime to be able to sing so well! I personally would've gone for Voltaire's "When You're Evil", but I see that's what they were going for here. Needless to say, I'd expect nothing less from The Clown Prince of Crime!

 

And the flashbacks of The Joker's origins and how he came to be are truly heartbreaking. If you've seen Batman: Under the Red Hood, then you'll know what lead to his transformation… a bad day AND a chemical bath! And yeah, after seeing Suicide Squad, it definitely makes the scene all the cringeier. The moment where The Joker's face is first revealed is truly terrifying! This was once a man forced to do bad to try and make his family's lives better. But with the family taken from him, he had nothing to support, and thus ended up another common thug for hire. Of course, considering it's from The Joker's perspective, how much of it can really be taken as the truth?

 

I give props to the animation looking so great, giving everything the right amount of a gritty feel while still giving that spark of life. I'm not sure if it's going for The New 52 style here or not, but it looks damn good! In this movie, The Joker's circus troupe actually manages to fight pretty well against Batman, whereas in the comic, they fled at the sight of him. By the way, look carefully at Batman's computer screen, and you'll see images of a ton of famous Joker appearances. And if those whores are anything to go by, The Joker also raped Barbara after crippling her... Yeah.... 

 

I understand this is a very controversial and divisive film among the DC fandom, but for what it's worth, I actually really like this one, even with the first 30 minutes or so! Come at me! BRING IT ON! I'd end this review with a joke, but that would be giving away too much for those that didn’t read the comic, much like myself. Instead, I'll end with this:

youtu.be/tWYCS6k1IOA


The Killing Joke is owned by DC Comics, Warner Brothers and Turner Broadcasting.

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