DVD Corner

Batman: Under The Red Hood Blu-ray Review

“Batman: Under The Red Hood” is not one of the best DC Universe animated original movies.

Grades:

Content: C

Picture: A

Audio: B+

Extras: A-

The plot: A new vigilante named the Red Hood has appeared in Gotham City and he appears to be both stopping crime and taking control of the city’s drug trade for reasons unknown. Is the Red Hood a figure from Batman’s past? Can Batman stop this skilled new foe? What is the Red Hood’s story exactly? All is revealed in the end.

When I heard the story of ‘Under The Red Hood’ would touch on the “Death In The Family” comic book story arc, I was naturally intrigued. ‘Death’ was a classic moment in comics because it not only allowed fans to vote on the fate of a character, but it also contained a unique character arc for Batman. Unfortunately, ‘Red Hood’ doesn’t have any of the intriguing elements of that story arc. Instead, the film is overstuffed with over-the-top acrobatic action sequences and overlong fight scenes with the Amaze-O android drone and 4 robotic suit warriors named “The Hand Of 4.” Additionally, ‘Hood’ boasts some poor voice acting especially by the miscast John DiMaggio as the Joker and Wade Williams as the Black Mask. About the only thing this movie has going for it is the story’s exploration of Batman’s moral code. Unfortunately, that’s only a small element of the story.

Summary: “Batman: Under The Red Hood” is simply a missed opportunity. The story had so much potential but it never really went where you wanted it to. I recommend checking out “Batman: The Animated Series” or “Baman Beyond” instead.

The 1.85:1 1080p picture quality is the best thing about the film. From the flame-filled explosions to the Batplane swooping through Gotham, the animation is flat-out gorgeous here.

The 5.1 DTS-HD is a bit of a disappointment. The track seemed to lack some oomph when it came to the action sequences.

Extras:

* Mattycollector.com ad and trailers for “Batman: Gotham Knight,” “Legend Of The Guardians,” “Jonah Hex Motion Comic,” “The Lord Of The Rings” (Animated), “Superman: Doomsday,” and “Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths.”
* 4 fantastic episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series/The New Adventures Of Batman” titled “Robin’s Recknoning Parts 1 and 2,” “Mad Love,” and “The Laughing Fish.”
* “Robin: The Story Of Dick Grayson”- A well-made featurette on the character of Robin in the DC comics world.
* “Robin’s Requiem: The Tale Of Jason Todd”- A featurette on the Jason Todd character that mainly talks about the infamous “Death In The Family” comic.
* “DC Showcase: Jonah Hex”- For those folks whose only exposure to the character of “Jonah Hex” is the horrendous theatrical film, don’t let that scare you away from the character. Not only are the comics superb (especially the recent Jimmy Palmiotti series), but this animated short is also a blast. In this short, bounty hunter Jonah Hex (voiced by Thomas Jane) is trying to track down a wanted dead man named Red. Between this and the awesome “The Spectre,” maybe Warner Premiere and DC should put out a DVD full of shorts instead of one full length film.

* A sneak peek at the upcoming “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” animated film featuring Supergirl and Darkseid. Looks like a fun flick.

* Digital copy.

July 26, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Batman: Under The Red Hood Blu-ray Review