Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: After a new crime lord enters the fray, Batman must come to terms with a failure from the past.
Review: The thing I like most about these standalone films is that they feel unique visually and story-wise. If, say, you didn't like one of these entries, that doesn't mean another won't be completely amazing. This movie, specifically, is one of the best that's been produced thus far. Based on the similarly titled story arc from the comics, this film delves deep into Batman lore and tells a surprisingly compelling story. We actually get to see Batman's morality in question and are provided more insight on what keeps him going. At the same time, the action is balanced well, showcasing many villains, while never distracting from the core plot. Essentially, this is everything a Batman fan could hope for.
The story gets rolling with a flashback to when the Joker killed the second Robin, Jason Todd, who had also been killed in the comics during the '80s. Batman obviously blames himself, but we all know that adds to the brooding nature of our beloved caped crusader. At this point, should there really be any mystery as to the identity of the Red Hood? Yes, it's Jason who was resurrected by Ra's al Ghul. Don't worry though, Batman figures it out fast enough, and it's not as though this revelation was central to the story as opposed to what was his goal. The other clue was that the Red Hood was an old alter ego for the Joker which Jason is using ironically as the Joker was the one who killed him. Jason, as the Red Hood, gathers various criminals to work for him knowing they will end up battling each other for control of Gotham. Along the way, Batman tries to fight the Red Hood as he continues to establish himself as the major crime lord in the city. This is when Batman realizes the truth as Red Hood's training is expertly designed to counter Batman's gadgets; Nightwing also helps and points out these abilities from Red Hood. But like I said, it's not a big secret as Red Hood refers to Batman as Bruce at one point, and Batman is more in denial than anything. After battling some assassins, Batman gets a DNA sample from Red Hood and confirms it is, indeed, Jason.
Batman reflects on the better times of Jason and finds it hard to believe he would disregard Batman's teaching and freely kill the criminals. The main kingpin of Gotham, Black Mask, resorts to freeing the Joker from Arkham to help him capture Red Hood as they know that was one of his identities. This is when Ra's al Ghul explains the process of resurrecting Jason. Ra's felt guilty for Jason's death as well since he had hired the Joker as a distraction that got out of hand. If you're wondering why Ra's, a villain, would care...eh, it has to do with the whole respect for Batman angle that is sort of understood and Ra's style. Anyway, the Joker betrays Black Mask, but this is what Red Hood has wanted all along--for the criminals to kill each other and for him to get payback on the Joker. After capturing and beating the Joker senseless, Red Hood and Batman fight once more and take off their masks. For a time, the two are evenly matched with each one disarming the other of their "toys" as they like to call them. But, big shock, Batman gains the upper hand and beats Jason. This leads Jason to reveal the endgame of his scheme: to force Batman to shoot Jason, in order to save the Joker, or let Jason shoot the Joker. The best part is how Jason wants to know why Batman wouldn't have sought revenge on his behalf since he didn't blame Batman for his death; he was only angry Batman allowed Joker to go on hurting people. Jason questions Batman's code and how he doesn't want to cross the line into killing, but Batman explains that it's not that it's too hard to cross that line but it's actually too easy. Batman knows if he ever started killing he'd never be able to stop and that everyday he struggles not to kill people like the Joker. When Batman must decide what outcome will happen, he drops the gun Jason gave him. Angered, Jason tries to shoot at Batman who throws a batarang into the muzzle of the gun, forcing it to backfire. Jason then activates explosives as the Joker tries to stop anyone from escaping the blast. Narrowly surviving, Batman finds Joker but the movie oddly says nothing about Jason; I'm assuming he lived. At the end, Batman reflects more, but he says nothing has changed. Cold as ice bats.
I just loved seeing this side of Batman and watching his enemies bring out the side he tries to bury. Speaking of which, most villains had a time to shine in this film which was impressive for the short running time. This was also a more brutal Joker usually only seen in the comics. Besides the strong story, the voice acting is pretty good despite not having my favorite voices. Most notable would probably be Dean, Jensen Ackles, playing Red Hood/Jason. SAAAMM! With all of this said, however, I can't deny some glaring flaws. My biggest gripe is the ridiculous abilities of everyone. Come on now, I know we all love Batman, but he's not physically capable of the shenanigans witnessed here nor was Red Hood. Amazo, appearing to have Superman's powers, should have killed Batman and Nightwing, and everyone was jumping around like they had Spider-man agility. Once more, the film is super short and only padded out with a bonus feature with Jonah Hex...which I don't care about. But don't get me wrong, the faults are more nuanced complaints and definitely won't detour casual or even hardcore fans. This was a faithful adaptation of the material, and what changes were made felt better to me. If you're a Batman fan I think you should thoroughly enjoy this little adventure.
Notable Moment: When Jason forces Batman to choose between killing him or letting the Joker die. Although they could have played up the tension longer, this is the kind of dilemma Batman needs to face more frequently rather than simply how will he overcome increasingly more goofball villains.
Final Rating: 7/10
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