DKR Part I

I really wanted to like The Dark Knight Returns Part 1. I wanted a movie that would satiate my geekiness as well as give me a tool that I could use to urge some of my friends to explore the world of comic books. However, The Dark Knight Returns Part 1, while not bad, certainly let me down.

I liked The Dark Knight Returns, the comic book miniseries, published in 1985 by Frank Miller, upon which the movie was based. Unfortunately, the movie veers too far from what made the comic book great to me and it is too out of touch with what many college students now expect Batman to be.

The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 tells the tale of an older and more bitter Bruce Wayne. At 55, Wayne has retired as Batman and is looking for a “good death.” However, increases in gang violence, particularly from a group calling itself “The Mutants” and the reappearance of Two Face draw Wayne back to crime-fighting as the Caped Crusader.

With a bevy of characters that seem to parody common archetypes of media personalities such as late-night talk show hosts, sensationalist newscasters and commentators, The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 also tries to spread the social commentary of original author Frank Miller.

However, while the movie animates almost every single panel from the first half of Miller’s tale and captures Miller’s artwork very well, it fails to have the same impact as the original comic book and can’t seem to find a solution to the problems of bringing the character of Batman from paper to film.

Batman, while he reigns as one of DC Comics’ best-known characters, is one of the most difficult to capture in a movie. He just doesn’t talk that much, and that’s the way most people know him.

In comic books, many writers have been able to get around this by writing internal dialogue. However, with no narration from Bruce Wayne, The Dark Knight Returns Part I would have had to show insecurity, fear and much of Wayne’s personality through animation or voice acting, but there seems to have been no attempt made to have done this. Consequently, the movie falls flat.

Still, although the film covers the much weaker half of Miller’s grim Batman tale, featuring a villain with no apparent plan and a ridiculous outfit, it offers an adequate introduction to the Dark Knight Returns tale.

DKR Part II

Part II finishes the job — sans stupid brute with giant metal spikes for nipples.

Although this horribly uninteresting villain was in an attempt to highlight just how weak, out-of-practice and bitter Wayne has become, the shark-toothed hulk just doesn’t seem threatening no matter how many people he kills.

However, with villains such as Joker and Superman, The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 does not suffer from a lack of compelling foils to the Caped Crusader.

Dark Knight Returns Part 2 begins where Part 1 left off. Bruce Wayne has returned to crime-fighting. Carrie Kelly accompanies him as his young sidekick, Robin. And the Mutants have splintered into various factions, some of which are calling themselves “The Sons of Batman.” 

In the second part of the story, the scope broadens. Audiences see outside of Gotham, revealing that the world is just as twisted and dark outside of the city’s borders as it is inside.

In the midst of a continued Cold War with the Soviet Union, President Ronald Reagan orders around the only government-ordained superhero, Superman. Clark Kent, swearing allegiance to the United States above all else, kills more people than the Joker in service to his country, which is saying a lot given  how bloodthirsty Dark Knight Returns Part 2 portrays Joker.

Although The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 suffers from the same problems as Part 1, in that the lack of access to Bruce Wayne’s internal thoughts prevents the audience from gaining a context for the superb action scenes, the villains help to make up for some of the flaws in storytelling.

With standout performances from Michael Emerson, who offers a portrayal of the Joker that almost rivals Mark Hamill’s quintessential voicing, and fluid animation, The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 is an acceptable addition to the Batman catalog. 

Overall, The Dark Knight Returns is a character study worth exploring for anyone interested in Batman.