FILM: Batman Year One
I wasn’t a big fan of Batman Begins. Not sure why, just didn’t buy into the origin story with all the ninjas, Liam Neeson etc. The Scarecrow was a bit of a crap villain. Casting Tom Wilkinson, a British actor as Carmine Falcone the Italian Mafia boss was also pretty dumb, especially when THIS guy was available.
If you want a good Batman origin story, then Batman: Year One is the one to watch. Based on the classic graphic novel by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli, it replicates a lot of the famous compositions of the original but adds a sheen of modern and very slick animation. It’s all about honest cop Jim Gordon finding his feet in Gotham’s corrupt police department, as returning prodigal orphan Bruce Wayne searches for a purpose and meaning to his life… etc etc.
You can guess the rest, but it’s executed with some style, some unpredictable plot twists, and a cracking voice cast: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Drive) as Jim Gordon? Eliza Dushku as Catwoman? That dude from The OC as Batman/Bruce Wayne?
You had me at hello.
Download Batman Year One (closed captioned) on iTunes here.
