Why so much hype?

The greatest movie ever made..!

Such a frustrating disappointment

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Without being my favourite animated Batman movie, I can see the appeal it generally has among fans of the comic book. I must admit that I haven't read it, but I hear many say that this two-part movie is a very faithful adaptation. Personally I like part 1 the most. You really know something is wrong in Gotham after a ten year absence of Batman with crime sprees all over the city by the mutant gang and the old menace of Two-face. The animation is really good and adds great detail to the dark, gritty and serious tone of the movie. And this is probably the most depressing state of Gotham you'll ever see in a Batman movie.The soundtrack is awesome too, for the same reasons as the animation. It really underlines the tone of every scene. Peter Weller as Batman was noticable, because I still think Kevin Conroy IS Batman's voice with Bruce Greenwood coming shortly after. But as an ageing Bruce Wayne, Weller is ideal. Comissioner Gordon was probably the weakest aspect of the voice acting here. A little monotonous for my taste. Ariel Winther was kind of okay. She plays off Bruce well, but I found her a little generic. Minor detail not affecting my overall judgement of the movie.I think my favourite thing about this movie as a whole is how it examines the controversy of Batman himself, because to be honest I have more than once questioned Bruce Wayne's way of dealing with crime by using the term "the law". Undeniably the most violent and bloody among the Batman animated movies, it doesn't shy away from showing disturbing images from time to time. And while it works most of the time and is faithful to the source material, I kind of missed the more elegant and dramatically intense scenes from my all time favourite animated Batman movie "Under The Red Hood".

People might not think much of DVD movies, but this is one you won't want to miss! It makes me sad that 2D animated superhero movies won't be popular in theaters. I'm glad we at least have some medium to witness how good they are. I admit that I'm not that familiar with the Frank Miller comic. Well, a ton of Frank Miller stuff has been reviewed by Linkara, who doesn't have a high opinion of him. Anyway, this is based on a Frank Miller comic that features Batman retiring and deciding to come back after ten years. Yeah, I admit that the plot isn't that great. It's a little too simple, but this is still a great movie.The best part is probably how you're blown away by how good the animation is. Animated shows are still 2D and it's gorgeous artwork like this that make you appreciate the technique. As far as I know, this isn't a direct sequel to any other animated DC movie so it's easy enough for me to understand. The best parts are probably the fights with the Mutant leader. They're realistic and they're extremely intense for an animated film. It was weird and cool to watch a PG-13 cartoon movie. It lives up to its rating. It seems like they could have just made it into one fairly long movie. It's great to have things build up so well. ***1/2

In preparation for the upcoming Batman V Superman film, I've decided to revisit a few of each of the heroes' feature films, especially those where they come in direct conflict with one another.When it comes to comic book adaptations, there is usually a split opinion among fans. Either the adaptation has strung too far from its source material, or it relied too heavily on it. Either way, it's rare that a comic book film or a TV show can come across an audience which is very clear in saying that it is a perfect adaptation. That's what The Dark Knight Returns films are. Part 1 effortlessly displays a mans' psychological turmoil after years of fighting crime in Gotham City, and then also regain his inner humanity and self-worth. The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 quite simply is one of the greatest comic book films of all time.We begin with watching Bruce Wayne drag race his life away. Taking place 10 years after Batman retired, we get a sense that he doesn't feel as though he has anything left to give. Or rather, he's so psychologically damaged by Jason Todd dying and the chaos that was unleashed on Gotham city, that he is trying to find ways for himself to cope. While I like Part 2 a tad better, this psychological side to the story of Batman is something that gives Part 1 its own edge. This is all complemented incredibly well by Christopher Drake's hauntingly eerie score. Drake has done numerous takes on the Dark Knight, but I've always felt like his score for these two parts perfectly encapsulates this particular graphic novel more so than any of his other scores.Peter Weller voices Batman, among the many talented voice actors here. It mainly focuses on the Mutant Gang who has taken control of Gotham City in this near-future story, but we also get appearances from Harvey Dent and Joker, who give it just the amount of nostalgia Batman needs to put that cape and cowl on again. Dent's tragic tale once again takes a left turn as he was sponsored by Wayne to get his face back to normal with surgery, only to still think of himself as Two-Face and resume his crime filled ways. Joker is only teased, but I love the way this story links Batman and Joker. They can't really go on without one another.Frank Miller also weaves in a Gordon side arc that effortlessly fits in with the rest of the story as he is both retiring and being pushed out for Ellen Yindel, a strong believer of taking down Batman, a much bigger story in the second part. Everything leads to the mud fight. Batman and newly hired Carrie Kelley as Robin, trap all of the mutants into thinking that the Mutant Leader set up a meeting at a sewer outlet. There, we get one of the great comic book fights ever with Batman calling himself the "surgeon at an operating table". With the music, stunned faces of hundreds of mutants, and the official return of the Batman, it may be my favorite scene of either of the two parts. In all, The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 displays all of the graphic novels greatest attributes, while also giving it a memorable score and incredible voice talents. I love everything about this film & story.+Voice talent, particularly Peter Weller+Psychological side+Haunting score+Weaves in Batman's best characters effortlessly+Final fight scene10/10

What can I say about this film that hasn't already been said? So often, great comics are adapted for the big or even small screen and random things are changed for whatever reason but not in this case. This film is like a love letter to the original comics it is based off of. And don't even get me started on the soundtrack, it is amazing. Part 2 gets most of the glory because of the Joker, and the Superman fight but this movie is just as good if you ask me. I literally have no complaints about this movie. This is in fact the only 10 out of 10 I've given on IMDb so far. And guess what? I'm going to review Part 2 right after this and that will be my second 10 out of 10. Part 1 and 2 need to be watched back to back.