Nice effects though.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part I (2012)' is the long-awaited, essentially panel-for-panel adaptation of Frank Miller's critically acclaimed, and since cinematically (and otherwise) influential, graphic novel. The story centres around an older, retired Bruce Wayne and the events that lead him to reclaiming the Batman mantle, as well as the events which ensue and the consequences they inevitably have. The picture does a fantastic job of realising Miller's gritty, unrefined art-style but grounding it within a believable world, using aesthetically pleasing animation to bring its dark story to life and recreating some key images from its source-material with a striking accuracy. The narrative itself is brooding, brutal and bleak, an uncompromising look at an iconic character and the consequences of his vigilante justice. There's an undeniable sense that this unflattering version of the hero is still seen with awe, viewed through a slightly glamorised lens despite all the deconstructive 'pretences' of the piece, but he is flawed, inside and out, and possibly at the weakest we have seen him in quite some time. The depth of character honestly rivals the live-action movies. Actually, it bests most of them. There is a sense that the protagonist is dark for dark's sake at moments, though, and the occasional feeling that the brooding exists simply because it must, not because it should. Yet, this is a minor complaint. As is the fact that Peter Weller, no matter how hard he tries and how decent his performance is, can never live up to the standard set by Kevin Conroy. It may be unfair to judge him by that standard, which is the gold standard for all Batman animated fare, but the voice-work for the hero has even been done better by other players and something feels slightly off. This is true of most actors here, though all are completely fine and sell their parts well. It's just that the extra mile isn't driven and something feels like it is missing; that intangible quality that makes a performer perfect for a role just isn't here in any of the characters. Still, this isn't a major issue. As I mentioned earlier, this version of 'the world's greatest detective' is brutal. Every battle is bone-crunching and you feel the weight behind each punch. This has been achieved in some of the other animated features, even those based around 'Batman: The Animated Series (1992)', but it is rarely as effective as it is here; I even cringed in a couple of sequences. The violence helps to amplify the key themes of the flick, those that examine the morality of vigilantism and violence on the whole, but it does seem like our hero is better at using his fists than his brains. Not to say he isn't smart, just to say he prefers to beat the bad-guys than out-wit them or do any actual 'detective' work - though this is due to the design of the narrative. The plot itself plays into a slightly repetitive structure that features one or two too many scenes of the Dark Knight battering a gang of baddies in similar fashion, probably because these moments were in the source graphic-novel and the creators didn't want to cut anything. There's some interesting ideas and the way old comic-book characters come into play in unexpected ways is engaging and shows an excellent understanding of the universe's diverse supporting cast. There's satisfaction in the arc at play, with our hero taking enough damage along the way that his possible redemption is both believable and holds all the more weight. The piece is also incredibly atmospheric, too. It's an entertaining experience, even when it slows down or becomes a tad repetitive, and it's unique approach to the universe is refreshing, as is the emotionally drained Batman. It feels like a full-out feature film despite not quite being so, in its structure or pacing or finality, even with the second part (which acts more as a sequel). It's an enjoyable watch throughout. 7/10

First part of the animated adaptation of Frank Miller's classic comic book miniseries, The Dark Knight Returns. The comic was highly influential on the direction of superhero comics over the last 30 years. It tells the story of how Bruce Wayne returning to being Batman after a ten year absence and how the world has changed without him. This first part deals with Batman return to battle a gang known as the Mutants that is terrorizing Gotham, as well as the release of Harvey Dent (aka Two Face) from Arkham Asylum.For the most part, it's faithful to the comic so no complaints there. The animation is decent but I can't help being disappointed it isn't more stylized. There was an episode of the 1990s Batman cartoon that featured different stories told by kids about Batman. One of them was an homage to The Dark Knight Returns. The animation in that tried, despite its television limitations, to match the style of the Frank Miller/Klaus Janson artwork from the comic. I think this would have been better served had it also tried to match that art. Instead it's fine for what it is but it isn't particularly impressive or stylish. Christopher Drake's music is very nice and at times evokes a John Carpenter vibe that I liked. The voice work is solid but I miss Kevin Conroy's Batman.It's hard to capture what made the comic work, particularly because so much of what worked was due to the time in which it came out. Translating it faithfully word for word or picture for picture doesn't necessarily mean you can make it click the same way it did in another medium made at another time. The sad reality is this story has been copied and ripped off in various mediums since its release. Batman as a character is now firmly established in the public consciousness as the grim & gritty Dark Knight, whereas at the time the source story was first released it was cutting edge stuff. So the impact is lessened is what I'm saying. That's not the fault of the people who worked hard on this; it's just that too much time has passed and this just can't have the same impact it would have had it been made 25 or 30 years ago. It's still a fun watch, particularly for comic fans, but it will likely leave some viewers wondering what the fuss is all about. Best seen as a whole with part 2.

Holy cow! Are you freaking serious? This is phenomenal! Absolutely incredible! I don't know if it's accurate at all to the graphic novel, and I really don't care. If anything, this puts the "graphic" in "graphic novel". This is the most brutal Batman movie I've ever seen. It pulls no punches, the gloves have come off and it's a bare-knuckle brawl that lasts 90 minutes. No joke, this movie will kick your ass, chew you up, and spit you out, and you will enjoy every freaking minute of it! There is not one negative thing I can say about this, not, one, thing! For the longest time "Under the Red Hood" was my favorite animated Batman movie, I think this might've beaten it. I can't tell right away, but it's certainly in the top three. When the Bat-a-thon comes to a close, I'll post a list of the "Top 10 Animated Batman Movies", this will no doubt be at least number three on that list.

This is a spoiler free review, so you don't have to worry xD. Batman is like one of the best superheroes in the DC universe, and this movie just proves the point!. This movie is very interesting without any unnecessary scenes/plot. Story is superb and well- written. The action scenes doesn't fail the expectations of Batman fans and the casual viewers themselves. Is it boring? NO! Violence and stuffs like that? YES! A lot of violence actually, and gore and stuff..I still haven't watched the second part yet, but I will write a review once I have seen the movie.Overall - It is a good movie, You can gladly spend 1 hour and 15 minutes of your life to watch this. Again, the only thing bugging me is the violence and It's PG-13.. So I'd give a solid 9.5 on 10...Hope this review helped, please check out my other reviews !!!! :)