I’m usually up and down with the DC animated films. Some have been pretty good, others less so. I know this one is based on a famous comic but I’m not a comic reader so I’m not sure how faithful it is. I suspect it’s fairly faithful since this feels like a labor of love. Maybe a little too much love, but love all the same.

The film follows Batman at an earlier stage in his career as he tries to deal with the corruption and crime in Gotham. A killer who uses a milk bottle nipple as a silencer (scientific accuracy in question. To the Bat Computer!) is offing various gangsters on holidays. It’s a mystery who is doing it and Batman, Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Catwoman are on the case.

This is a weirdly overstuffed movie given that it’s only part one of two films. At 90 minutes, it kind of feels stretched out. But I suspect that accuracy to the comic was to blame so I can’t get too mad at it. Especially since I was never actually bored, just a little antsy to get the story moving.

But the film is more interested in setting a mood and adhering to it and I respect that. It’s a quiet, almost somber noir-ish thriller/mystery. I especially liked a scene early on during a Halloween rain that followed Bats and Catwoman throughout the city accompanied only by the sound of the rain and thunder. Very moody stuff that didn’t feel beholden to an overwrough superhero soundtrack.

And the animation suits too. I’ve often been unimpressed by the art and animation of these DC movies, but this film is different. It kind of uses the same style but it feels more assured, as though maybe the artists had more time, more money, or more love for the source material.

I wanted to give this four stars but I can’t argue that it ultimately feels a little too stretched out for its own good. Again, I get that this is probably accurate to the comics and that’s cool… but I also can’t help but think they may be stretching things out to justify two movies. Hard to say.

But overall a pretty good Batman outing. I dig the look, I love the tone. It’s a good outing that shows more professionalism, assurance, and budget than some of these DC flicks. Looking forward to part 2 now.

Score: 84