Five years after the brutal murder of the second Robin, Jason Todd, by the insane and sadistic Joker, a still mourning Batman must discover the motives behind Gotham’s newest villain, his connections to an old alias of the Joker’s, and, ultimately, who is Under the Red Hood.
Adapted from the Batman series’ storylines “A Death in the Family” and “Under the Hood” by the writer of the latter arc, Judd Winick (Green Lantern, The Outsiders, Powergirl, The Exiles, and creator of Barry Ween), this direct-to-DVD film was released July 27, 2010.
Under the Red Hood features the talents of Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek [2009], Super 8) as Batman, Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, Smallville, My Bloody Valentine) as The Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog) as Nightwing and the incredible voice actor Joe DiMaggio (Princess Mononoke, Wonder Woman [2009]) as The Joker. The stellar lineup vaults the audience beyond any preconceptions they may have that this is merely a children’s cartoon and into the comfortable arms of a gratifying story.
Batman: Under the Red Hood does an outstanding job delving into the world and psyche of the Batman. On point is one of the main themes that weave through the franchise: Where is the line between Good and Evil? Each of the characters in this film explores the very nature of that question providing different facets, alternate answers and, in the end, leaving open the final verdict for the viewer.
This is not some heady deep philosophical ponderance of exposition though, Batman: Under the Red Hood moves from opening crisis to final close with clear, well-paced scenes containing plenty of action. The fights are acrobatic and choreographed in the kick-ass, gravity defying martial art style we have come to expect from animated features, beautiful to watch and overflowing with tension and power.
While comic book fans, especially those Batman fans that have not already seen it, will enjoy this movie immensely, Batman: Under the Red Hood remains accessible to the casual viewer and those who may not be completely familiar with the character and his back-story. For those who are, and are tired of hearing Batman’s origin story over-and-over again in every feature, this tale is devoid of those ruminations.
Yes true believers, you will not see Bruce Wayne’s parents murdered, again.
This is the story of a crime fighter with his own grownup successes, failures and regrets. Enough bite to be satisfying for adults while remaining appropriate for all but the very young.
If you love action and a strong, well-crafted story, do not let this one pass you by. As of this publication, Batman: Under the Red Hood is available from Netflix as an Instant watch, and the DVD and Blu-ray are readily available online and in your finer stores everywhere.
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