The producers of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight teams up with three of the most respected animation studios in Japan to explore Bruce Wayne’s transition from tormented crime fighter to heroic icon of a crumbling metropolis. Separated into six distinct chapters but intended to be viewed as a whole. Here is a small plot outline of each short movie, which includes animation studio, producer and director.
* Have I Got a Story For You:
Studio: Studio 4ºC
Producers: Eiko Tanaka, Bruce Timm
Director: Shojiro Nishimi
Writer: Josh Olson
In “Have I Got a Story for You,” Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson (“A History of Violence”) tells the story of how chance encounters with Batman by a group of youngsters leave each kid with a very different impression of the Dark Knight.
* Crossfire:
Studio: Production I.G
Producers: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Bruce Timm
Director: Futoshi Higashide
Writer: Greg Rucka, story by Jonah Nolan
Acclaimed novelist/comics writer Greg Rucka tells the story of Gotham City police having to get over their distrust of Batman – while under fire from the mob.
* Field Test:
Studio: Production I.G
Producers: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Bruce Timm
Director: Hiroshi Morioka
Writer: Jordan Goldberg
Writer Jordan Goldberg showcases the incredible high-tech arsenal Batman commands and reveals that there are some things even Batman won’t do in his pursuit of justice.
* In Darkness Dwells:
Studio: Madhouse
Producers: Masao Maruyama, Bruce Timm
Director: Yasuhiro Aoki
Writer: David S. Goyer
“In Darkness Dwells” takes Batman into the Gotham sewers to face “Killer Croc,” a deformed thug who seems even more monstrous after the Scarecrow and his fear toxin makes a resurgence, in a story by David S. Goyer, co-screenwriter of “Batman Begins.”
* Working Through Pain:
Studio: Studio 4ºC
Producers: Eiko Tanaka, Bruce Timm
Director: Toshiyuki Kubooka
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Award-winning comics writer Brian Azzarello explores an early chapter of Bruce Wayne’s training, showing how a mysterious and exotic Indian woman named Cassandra introduced Batman to techniques that would help him to conquer the physical and spiritual consequences of what he does.
* Deadshot:
Studio: Madhouse
Producers: Masao Maruyama, Bruce Timm
Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Writer: Alan Burnett
Four-time Emmy Award-winning writer Alan Burnett ties together threads from all the Batman Gotham Knight chapters, as Batman must thwart an unerring assassin whose love of guns and disregard for human life lets him cross lines that even a Dark Knight shies away from.
Story:
By now I’m sure you all know the deal with Batman Gotham Knight is, right? Basically it is a animated movie divided into six separate, yet connected, episodes in the same vain as The Animatrix. Each short movie has a different creative team behind it. It is really hard to review each episode on its own merit, as each of them are well produced and written, and the fact that each person who watches Batman Gotham Knight will find a short movie he or she likes.
So instead of reviewing each and every short movie, which would take me ages I will take the lazy route and highlight my three favorite short movies out of the six, and why I enjoyed those three. My favorite short movie would be “Working through the Pain”, as it shows a side of Bruce we don’t see very often and only usually gets touched on during the movies and the animated series. What side you ask, well the spiritual side of The Dark Knight. How he deals with his emotional scars and how it affects him as a hero and a person as he searches for answers to his questions in the most unusual places of all, India.
Runner up and second place goes to “Field Test” . The animation contributed a big part to me liking this story as it gave Bruce Wayne that rich boy “Playboy” look. The story was very reminiscent of the old James Bond movies where Mr Q would demonstrate his newly created inventions to James Bond. But it puts a unique twist on the story showing that even Batman draws the line between being a super hero or becoming a vigilante.
And third place goes to “Have I Got a Story for you”. I absolutely loved the way each of the kids had a very different version and impression of the Dark Knight, and the way they over exaggerated their stories as kids always do. This short movie really reminded me of an episode of The New Batman Adventures entitled “Legends of the Dark Knight”, which also played on the same premise. Also, in issue 423 of the Batman comic we see three policeman sharing their experiences and views on The Dark Knight in the same manner.
Animation:
The 1st short movie ”Have I Got a Story for You” will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen Tekkonkinkreet as it is done by the same animation company Studio 4C. Their artwork gives the story an urban, gritty feel with incredible use of colours and animated sequences.
The 2nd short movie “Crossfire” is also superbly animated lending the city of Gotham and Batman a dark and gothic atmosphere. If you have watched any of Production I.G works, then you will instantly recognise the animation style that they used in this short movie.
The 3rd short movie ‘Field Test” is also done by Studio I.G. Most people disliked the animation in this short movie as it gave Batman a “bishi feel”; Japanese for pretty boy. I rather like the animation style as it looked well rounded and polished. It was very reminiscent of the animation used in the Ghost in the Shell TV series.
The 4th short movie “In Darkness Dwells” is animated by well-known company Madhouse, known for their work in Devil May Cry and Trigun. The animation used for this part of the movie was more conventional than the others, but still managed to deliver the goods and create the perfect atmosphere.
The 5th short movie “Working through the Pain” was also animated by Studio 4C. It takes on a more mature style of animation than the first short movie “Have I Got a Story for you”, and goes to show you the skill of Studio 4C as an animation studio in using different animation styles in a single movie.
The 6th and final short movie “Deadshot” was also animated by Madhouse and is a much better attempt than “In Darkness Dwells” . This last short movie is the most visually appealing out of the 6, and does the Batman franchise the closest justice.
Wow, where to begin the level of animation in each short movie is just jaw dropping. The way the animators integrated the CG into each of these short movies was just amazing from the fighting sequences to the rain effects and explosions. Each and every short movie was animated in a different style giving it a unique feel, breathing fresh air into an old franchise.
Sound/Music:
The one thing that is prevalent in all of the short movies was the use of high quality sound affects and voice acting. Kevin Conroy reprises his role as the voice actor — he does a fine job — of Batman, a title he has held for the past 10 years. Other voice actors from Batman: The Animated Series also make their appearance during the course of each short movie. The music also does not disappoint as expected from the Batman franchise, with epic orchestral pieces that set the atmosphere for each short movie.
Enjoyment:
I enjoyed the idea and the concept behind The Animatrix, but the actual execution of the stories that made up The Animatrix was lacking. But Batman Gotham Knight manages to avoid that pitfall, as each director tells their own unique story. Each of these directors explore Bruce Wayne’s transition from tormented crime fighter to heroic icon of a crumbling metropolis. The level of enjoyment for Batman Gotham Knight is also very high, and I can whole heartedly recommend it to any Batman fan or anyone who enjoys anime for that matter.
