Based on the prestigious comic book of the same name written by Frank Miller. The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of an aged batman, whose last appearance was 10 years ago. Though completely out of the game the nightmares of his parents death continue and Gotham begins its descent into darkness. The streets are now controlled by a gang known as The Mutants and some of the most notorious Batman characters are near the end of their glory days. Commissioner Gordon is retiring from the police force, and Harvey Dent/Two Face has received plastic surgery to fix his face. Batman's most admirable foe The Joker is nearly a vegetable in Arkham, and only the thought of Batman gets any reaction out of him. The biggest hit for Bruce was his former partner Robin's (The Jason Todd version) death, leaving his faithful butler Alfred as the only part of his life. Struggling with the loss of Jason and the state of Gotham, Bruce decides that he is nothing without Batman, and Gotham is doomed without him. Does Bruce have enough to take back Gotham even at his aged state? Or will The Dark Knight only return to fail?
This animated feature is what I would consider top tier entertainment. I am a firm believer that DC animated films are just as good as 90% of the animated features release in theaters. However, besides Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, they are all straight to DVD films. Which makes it easier for fans to pick them up as soon as they are released. With a pg-13 rating The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 focuses on telling a dark story with enough violence to please any comic book fan. It's twisted and gritty and offers the mature viewing experience that DC fans have come to love. Not to mention it still offers brutal fight sequences and beautiful animation, that reaches any standard set by the company. There was many times throughout the movie where a sequence made me smile from ear to ear. Hopefully one day someone considers using the action techniques used within this animated film. I love the way Batman snuck around the shadows, and used his grappling hook effectively, it is something that has never been done in a live action adaptation. Batman Begins definitely achieved it the best, and I hope to see that kind of Batman again soon. Not to mention the story had a brisk pace, and offered a series of character arcs for all the big players within the film. Though not every character struck home for me (Female Robin), the character who did made it a tremendous viewing experience.
I will admit, I miss Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill's Joker but isn't that to be expected? I love Batman Year One and Brian Cranston voicing Commissioner Gordon but I had to accept the other voice actors. While never reaching the untouchable bench mark set by the classic voice actors, each person did their character justice. Which is really all I can ask for in this situation. The mutants may not have been a strong villains, but they were the stepping stone for bigger and better things. This is indeed Part 1 and all the story and build up is certainly there. It leads me to believe that Part 2 will be no holds bar throw down, couple with many familiar faces. Other than minor gripes, this was a really good film and any fan of DC comics should check it out. In my opinion, The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 fits nicely at the bottom of the top 5 Best DC animated films. I can only assume Part 2 may knock it off.
Verdict: 4 out of 5
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