Ray Whitcher is a good friend, illustrator, and lecturer – he is also a tome of everything comics and animation…so it seems suitable to let him have his say here on In the Kan. Today he’ll be reviewing the straight to DVD animated DC title: Under the Red Hood, featuring everyone’s favourite bat man.
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“Are you gonna go through with it this time, or just put me in another body cast for 6 months again?” – The Joker to Batman.
Batman has always been a character diametrically opposed to himself – he fights criminals using violence and fear, yet refuses to kill and this refusal allows his enemies to constantly escape and commit atrocities over and over again. The question Red Hood asks is what would happen if someone had the same skill and methods as Batman, but wasn’t afraid to do what needed to be done to stop criminals once and for all?
It’s this premise that Warner Premier’s 2010 animated feature Under the Red Hood, based on the 2005 DC comic of the same name, introduces the world to a Gotham that is now patrolled by two vigilantes and pitches one of the most unforgettable battles in the Batman universe.
Right from the beginning of the film, the top-quality of the set and character design, endemic to Warner Bros. animation is pretty clear, but more importantly, as is the story-telling. We are introduced to a far more brutal, hard-hitting Batman story reminiscent of the acclaimed Hush story arc that preceded Red Hood, but also a story that’s laced with the emotions of with loss and regret.
The film cuts to five years after Robin’s death (the second one that is, Dick Grayson has long-since grown up and become Nightwing in this story); an older Batman (perfectly voiced by Bruce Greenwood) is hardened and disillusioned by his failure to save his protégé, but he’s still ever the butt-kicker, chasing down crooks and taking them down in style. He’s also assisted by Nightwing, surprisingly and extremely effectively voiced by Neil Patrick Harris (of How I Met Your Mother fame), who offers a chirpy (excuse the pun) and humoured light to Batman’s angry and stoic darkness.
Under the Red Hood is a genuine rollercoaster ride from beginning to end, with completely unexpected plot twists
The pair encounters a new vigilante calling himself
The Red Hood, a spectral allusion to one of The Joker’s old monikers that employs all of Batman’s methods and Joker’s merciless nonchalance – a truly dangerous foe. Red Hood and Batman’s battles escalate and a slew of familiar faces in the Batman universe appear, all with a unique and thrilling part to play.
Under the Red Hood is a genuine rollercoaster ride from beginning to end, with completely unexpected plot twists (if you haven’t read the comic that is), beautifully choreographed fight scenes and phenomenal music scores and sound. The climax and turning point of the film is truly unforgettable and forces Batman into an untenable situation that leaves him having to confront his deepest fears and question his moral choices. Running surprisingly long at 109 minutes, the film will keep you hooked from beginning to end, whether you’re a fan of animated films or not. This, to me is arguably one of WB’s greatest animated features ever created, especially of those based on DC comics property.
For the Comic Fans
It should be noted that there were some deviations from the original story: some of the events in the original story have been mixed around or omitted to better suit the film making process. Don’t worry though, because this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the film is still a near-perfect adaptation of the original material, keeping in tune with all of the major plot points and sequences.
Red Hood himself also looks slightly different, with the addition of eyes to his mask and slight changes to his outfit and to be frank, they actually improved on the original designs. Red Hood is far more expressive and devious than the original, and his trepidation is also far more evident in his animated incarnation. All in all, the adaptation from comic to film is near seamless and I could easily write a whole tome on just how well done it is, but for brevity’s sake, you can just take my word for it…
Design Geeks
Do yourselves a favour and play the title sequence on loop – US-based Sarofsky Corp. created sheer visual beauty, perfectly capturing the mood and essence of the film with simple silhouettes and typography. This little attention to detail really brings the film together and ties it into one pristine package.
Final Comments
If you haven’t already had the good fortune of seeing this film, I can highly recommend adding it to your DVD collection, you will not regret it! The standard DVD itself is nothing special though, and only offers a couple of trailers and language options, which is sad, because it would’ve been a perfect bonus to see the work that went in to this stellar production, especially due to its straight-to-DVD nature.
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Well there you have it, here’s hoping Ray will grace us with his expertise once again, until then you can find Ray’s awesome artwork HERE
