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One of the most beloved Batman tales finally gets the animation treatment. So influential was Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" that it inspired Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan when they were crafting their live action Batman movies, as well as the 1990s Batman animated series (which gave birth to an entire universe of DC animated shows). Warner decided to split the tale, originally spread over 4 issues, into 2 movies. Turns out that it was an excellent decision which not only successfully adapted the first half of Frank Miller's epic, but added layers to the story and characters that the limited page count of the graphic novel could not leave in.

Rarely does an adaptation surpass the original source material. But Dark Knight Returns part 1 is just such an example of an animated movie that is not only true to its source material, but expands upon it. The original was great; the animated adaptation makes it better. The story will sound familiar to anyone who watched Christopher Nolan's "The dark Knight Rises". It has been years since Batman went into retirement. Billionaire Bruce Wayne now drifts from day to day hoping that the people of Gotham can take care of themselves. But now, a new threat emerges: The Mutants. A vast gang of street thugs led by their grotesque but incredibly strong and savage leader. Despite his age, Bruce is forced to become Batman once again to save his city. But can the aging crime fighter stand up to a threat that is faster, stronger and more powerful than he has ever been? And what happens when Batman comes face to face with his old nemesis Two-Face? Beyond the narrative lies a thorough deconstruction of the Batman character, especially when played opposite the two main villains, Two Face and the Mutant Leader. Both villains serve as a dark reflection of Batman himself. Like Two Face, Bruce Wayne and Batman are presented as two separate personalities fighting for control. But is Batman truly just a mask Bruce wears? Or is it the other way around? And as for the mutant leader, both he and Batman operate as a symbol to inspire others to action. One a symbol of chaos and crime, the other a symbol of hope and justice. But if the mutant leader's extreme acts can rouse Batman to return to vigilantism, so too can Batman's actions rouse criminals to return to their old ways (as one character claims in the story).

The characters are brought to life by a fine voice cast who nail their roles perfectly. Peter Weller of Robocop fame takes the role of Batman; a role that may comes across as a monotone baritone at first. But Weller infuses Batman's voice with nuance and subtlety which fits the character well. The only downside is that despite wanting to show a dichotomy between Batman and Bruce Wayne, Weller uses the same tone of voice throughout the whole movie; Compared to previous voice actors, like Kevin Conroy, who used different speech patterns and tones for Wayne and Batman.

A lot of deep themes about the nature of heroism vs vigilantism abound in this tale, all of which were in the original comic but just expanded upon in the animation medium. On that note, the animation presented here is the perfect balance of fluidity and art detail. Iconic frames, memorable battles and atmospheric scenes are replicated faithfully. Movie goers will be able to see many scenes that Nolan's Batman trilogy lifted from THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, including a fight scene illuminated intermittently by a gun's muzzle flash. Its only downside is that Warner decided to use its generic color palate rather than replicate the muted tones and heavy grays colored by Lynn Varley in the original artwork.

Fans would be pleased at how true to the original this is and how it expands on the original, smoothening out the rough edges while adding a whole new dimension to the characters. The action is intense and beautifully animated, accompanied by an epic score by Christopher Drake. This is a true ADAPTATION that does not translate the comic wholesale but translates the comic while making full use of the animated movie medium.

After seeing Batman Year One, I was nervous about this one, but I was pleasantly surprised! The story is faithfully recreated here, with very little censorship of the violence, and most of the (included) dialogue straight from the pages of the comic, albeit with some forgivable changes. The pacing is excellent, and really captures that sense of "awesome" that the graphic novel had. The visual style is "close enough" to Millar's work to give you flashbacks, but of course it lacks the detailed nuances of the comic. And lastly, the music fits everything perfectly.

Some complaints, though. First and foremost, the acting lacks passion. Virtually all the main characters play "middle of the road" emotions well, but any extreme was unconvincing to me. It's almost like there was a "no shouting!" rule for the actors. Nobody gets really angry, or forceful, or upset. Even so, it's nowhere near as disappointing as the acting in Batman Year One.

Also missing is Batman's inner monologue- which I guess can be forgiven since movies are a visual medium, but ultimately we lose some of the comic's best lines because of it. Though they do try to force some of batman's narration into the movie as dialogue, it doesn't work that well at all.

One change I'm not sure about is the PG-13 censorship to the script. They maintain the political dichotomy that existed in the comics, but it's way toned down. They seem to want to avoid alienating people on either side of the political spectrum (perhaps wisely). Some of the humor is still there, but again, it's got kid gloves on.

In the end, though, this is a wonderful execution of a great story. I eagerly look forward to Part 2!!

The Dark Knight Returns, is for me, the best Batman film of the year. The animation is superb, especially when the action kicks off. It sees Bruce Wayne return to crime fighting after a 10 year absence. Unlike his Nolan counterpart however, he was Batman for a damn sight longer than just a year. His return is depicted as an obsession that finally grabs control and pulls him in. He barely even notices it when he shaves off his mustache as it just becomes a natural part of the process. A new threat, called The Mutants, rises in Gotham, and Batman has to sort them out. His age becomes his weakness as he must go up against the leader of The Mutants. he film is littered with cuts to TV shows and newscasts discussing whether or not Batman is a help or a hindrance. Peter Weller does a great job as the voice of Batman, and it's nice to see a Batman with a dark and dangerous sense of humour. As an adaptation it remains fairly close to the source material, but manages to capture the ferocity of the violence without being too graphic. Gotham looked and felt exactly how I remember it when I was growing up. This is great stuff, and is a huge tease for Part 2, where we will see The Joker once again.

I'll be short. I'm an 90-ties kid (now 21) and I watched a lot of batman cartoons and movies, and even read the comic on which this movie is based on. The movie shocked me how good it was made, the animation, the acting (even though batman isn't voiced by Kevin Conroy), even the sound is simply great.

If you are a batman fan, and watched the cartoon series, and movies, and even better if you read the comics you are absolutely going to LOVE this movie.

It's definitely worth watching it in theaters / or blue ray.

A+

1. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Hollywood picked this story for a major live action release. Message received.

2. Lots of talk about the best Batman voice. Weller nailed it. Oscar worthy and yes Virginia they do give Oscars for voice actors.

3. Omigawd. Whatta script. Seen this 2-parter three times, each time I find new social commentary in the dialog. After the Joker segment you think to yourself, this can't get any better. And then you get the "schoolboy" segment. And it does.

4. I am running out of adjectives. If you have not seen it already, see it now.

5. Finally a note for the IMDb archive. Hollywood loves to do films about getting old. Hundreds at least. Comedies, dramas, everything in-between. I believe that over the years to come, this gem will be recognized as the greatest film about getting old ever done. They took the iconic characters that an entire generation grew up with and then imagined what things would be like at the end of life's run. Watch it with that in mind and you will see things you did not see first time around.

There has been a few really good straight to DVD Batman animations, but this one takes the cake. Having watched the last installment of Christpher Nolans Batman on the big screen, this little piece just keeps the fire burning. Im so impressed by the attention to detail and story line that i wont even begin to give you the low-down/plot, you just need to see it for yourself. Any fans out there will be glad to know this is part one of a series and when you watch it, you'll see how the story drives you straight into the cliff hanger , all the elements are there ,even as we get to understand that Batman/Bruce Wayne has aged significantly it doesn't slow down the action, after all "Old Heroes never die , they just get Darker". i cant wait for part II . Well done and Respect to the Director and his crew for putting this together so well.

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.

Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns" comic book revolutionized not only Batman but comic books in general. The cartoon attempts to capture Frank Miller's classic but while watching it I found it curious that after all the money and talent attached to this project...it feels a little empty. I'm not saying it's not a good animation, because it is. It excels at capturing the brutal fight sequences that an older Batman faced in his return to the mean streets of Gotham, especially well. Many scenes are captured straight from the comic and animated as Miller had drawn them. However, in the end I felt this just isn't the treatment that the classic deserves. The animation, outside the action scenes is sometimes dull. Frank Miller kept the non action scenes in the comic visually dynamic by breaking up panels and using interesting page designs to keep us involved and turning the pages. In short, this movie just wasn't gritty enough. The animation is too clean. Yes there's blood, and mud, and broken limbs...but this sort of treatment needed layers of filth and sweat. We needed internal dialogue of a senior citizen Batman going through motions he hasn't committed in a decade. The voice work, lead by Peter Weller as Batman, also lacked the grit to convince us this is Frank Miller's original vision of a Batman who is old, in pain, fed up, and a Gotham City moving in to a new violent direction sans the old crowd. If you read the original and love it...you'll probably like this. If you never read the original, you'll most likely love it.

This goes for both part 1 and 2: Quite disappointing.

I really wanted to love this, but alas; they have changed too many of the epic moments, for no apparent reason - changing the dialogue, adding a lot of action that kind of goes against the story itself. This is most apparent in the two major showdowns that each episode end with, but also in the setup.

I also do not like Peter Weller's work here - he sounds like he is reading of a page, not talking.

The novel is epic in its setup and execution - this adaptation is anything but. I would hate for it to be anyone's introduction to this story...

I have given this a score of 3 - my standalone score would be 5, but when compared to the source material, the rating has to be lower.

An impressively loyal adaptation of one of comics' most important stories, complete with social commentary, nods at dark chapters of the character's history and a glut of wanton brutality. Despite being ripped violently into two pieces, the story still functions very well and reaches a natural climax in time for the credits to roll after a drawn-out 75 minutes. I fear the end result may be a less-dense arching plot line, especially as most of the political commentary was removed from this chapter (presumably as it won't be relevant until the second) but there's still more than enough pulp to go around. While the storyline is doggedly faithful (indeed, most of the dialog is copied verbatim from the source), the artwork is both influenced by and notably distanced from Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's amazing work on the printed page. And, while that does rob the story of some of its character, the result is suitable enough; fresh but also familiar. Peter Weller turns in some decent work as the voice of Bruce Wayne, but I couldn't help but daydream about how Kevin Conroy would have approached the material. Very good, if not perfect.

"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1" is by far the best DC animated film since "Batman: Under the Red Hood", the storyline stays true to the Frank Miller comic book limited series. It follows a dark & gritty telling of a 55 year old Bruce Wayne coming out of a 10 year retirement from being Batman, because Gotham City's crime rate is worse than ever, criminals now run free & the city is constantly under attack by a massive gang known as the mutants. You get to view an older Bruce Wayne who is way past his prime & struggling to see if he still has what it takes to be the Batman. The voice acting in this film is top notch, the animation is very detailed & the action scenes are superb. This film was very well done & I highly recommend it to any fan of Batman.

No one does it better than the Bat at any age he is still the same, too smart for those who what to get on his bad side.

This part1 is so good I can't wait to see the rest; I hope veterans like the joker will be there to make it all crazy like.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a two-part animated superhero film, an adaptation of the four-issue story arc The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, printed in 1986.

This animation is nowhere near the movies (i.e. story wise), and it focuses on the future, wrong choice of words it is about the future, Bruce Wayne is 55 and the bat has not been seen for 10 years.

The story arc curved around the bat after retirement. Gotham now seemed to be overrun by a group called Mutants. The Mutants weren't just any gang they were absolutely ruthless and in a way useless.

Also in this flick we get to see Harvey Dent/Two face after he has undergone plastic surgery to fix his face. Harvey now looked normal but he was so paranoid and out of it that he went back to his old ways.

Things weren't changing in Gotham and with the ongoing nightmares and Bruce sleep walking and sleep doing things in the night; it was obvious he could no longer cage the bat any more.

Bruce carved to the urges. In the dark is the "billionairelly" in sane Batman, is seen jumping over roof tops and doing things other billionaires could only dream that their bodyguards could do (because no sane billionaire jumps around in the dark. Imagine one day you look out the window only to see Bill Gates in his underwear and a cape on your roof…would you say Bill still got all his screws nicely tight?) I don't know what I liked better is it watching Bat being Bat again in his old age, or the bad guys not knowing in time to skip town when they found out he was out of retirement (you can't blame them though, some didn't know who he was).

Well, the directing of this wonderful flick was done by Jay Oliva, who worked as a storyboard artist on Man of Steel, Batman: Year One and Batman: Under the Red Hood.

The animation was well drawn, far better… sorry, far far far better than what we saw in Superman vs. the Elite.

The only downside to this wonderful movie is the news casting; it was boring and looked too much like child's play I hope you are not still reading this, because I expect by now that you have hit the stores to go grab your copy of The Dark Knight Returns Part 1.

www.lagsreviews.com

It's definitely one of the best Batman features I've watched in a while (not a big fan of Christopher Nolan's "Gotham's Jesus"). It's a different Batman, faithful to the character tailored by Frank Miller. This Batman is old, angry and not a bit soft. He knows what he needs to do and he does it.

The animation is dynamic and nicely drawn (not in the anime- influenced style of Flashpoint: Paradox). This is exactly how comic book adaptations should be made.

Sad thing is, best DC adaptations come in direct-to-video format. Recently I tried watching Flash and Arrow, huge letdowns, if you ask me. But "The Dark Knigh Returns" is the real deal. It isn't fake, it has the spirit and the atmosphere.

Now I'm off to my Batcave to watch the second part.

Few artists have ever captured the depth of character and dark soul of one of D.C's most popular characters like Frank Miller. Miller's version of Batman has always been strangely non-cannon, and using his unique style of storytelling to his advantage, he sets himself apart from the main events of the Dark Knight. He created his own world for these characters, and was given free reign to do so. So, for those of you who have never read 'The Dark Knight Returns' (ISBN 1-56389-342-8); please go out and read it before delving into this spectacular animation.

The Dark Knight shows us an aged and heavily alcoholic Bruce Wayne, some years after he has given up the mantle of the Batman. He's in his mid fifties, still a strongly driven man, but without any purpose. After rounding up and beating down on Gotham's criminals for nearly three decades, he had to give up the fight for unknown reasons. Perhaps to let the city decide its own fate and let the people choose what is to become of Gotham. Maybe because they simply wouldn't stand for him anymore, nor would they let the Batman reign terror down on city streets at night, above the law of everyone else. But the time between then and now has weighed down on Bruce Wayne's shoulders, and the city is rife with even more corruption, crime, and violence than ever before. At the same time, the emergence of a new gang of criminals that go by the moniker 'The Mutants' only aggravates a city on the brink. Specifically violent, and always willing to sacrifice their own lives in the process, the Mutant's crimes are particularly heinous. Kidnapping, assault, and murder are their way of life. They have taken up a particular grudge with the now 70 year old Commissioner Gordon, and only a few short weeks before his retirement. Bruce is compelled by the Batman to once again don the cape and cowl, and seek out vengeance against those who would do harm to the innocent.

This is no children's story... not by any means. It is dark, perhaps only less so than Miller's more famous works in his 'Sin City' series. But this animation is not Miller's original comic. This is an interesting, if slightly more tame version of the comic released in 1986. The art itself is a wonderful rendition meant to emulate Miller's more contrastive style of art. Fortunately it is not too heavily altered, despite such heavy use of digital design. They keep the dialogue true to the original, if only for some slight altercations (Gordon's smoking habit for one). But Jay Oliva does a great job of approaching the theme of the original, which was such a violent and heavy theme in itself. The corruption and abuse of the innocent, and how good men and women are willing to do nothing to stop it. This movie shows us Batman at his oldest, perhaps weakest moments, and questions if he still has the will to continue the fight.

This film is not without the typical problems associated with comic to film renditions. There is heavy use of digital filler here in the framework, which leads to some repetitious use of the same scenes over and over again. Peter Weller did a good job overall with expressing that effort and exhaustion of Bruce Wayne through his voice. Several of the dialogue scenes between the mutant's and their way of talking seemed strangely dated and fairly silly or out of place. They also never quite seemed threatening enough in this version, to warrant the kind of media coverage they get, rather they seemed like Saturday morning cartoon goons, who await orders from their big boss, and never really get anything done. The saving point of the film however is the phenomenal soundtrack, which is reminiscent of the famous Christopher Nolan 'Dark Knight' series in which Hans Zimmer created some fantastic orchestral works. It keeps the pace of the film, and has some absolutely fantastic moments throughout which lends to that feeling that you are watching something of epic proportions.

It is a fantastic effort by the D.C animation crew. Something you don't want to miss if you are a Batman fan. Most importantly it is an excellent retelling of one of the best stories ever written about the Bat.

7/10

The Movie is the best adaptation of Batman so far most scariest of them all. Robin's part seemed a little confusing and unnecessary but it does not seem to matter muvh. Overal the movie rocks and loved Batman.

Despite sporting an unwieldy title (an unnecessary and clumsy modification of the seminal Frank Miller comic book), the end result stands far from what its moniker would suggest, providing a traditional but loyal adaptation that should easily satisfy fans while offering up something for the less initiated.

It's actually immensely interesting to prop up Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 – out on DVD and Blu-Ray today – alongside Christopher Nolan's trilogy and take a long hard look. Despite the obvious variance in medium, they couldn't be more different at heart either. Landing in a deteriorating Gotham City with a retired, 55-year-old Bruce Wayne (and a rising criminal organization known as The Mutants) the events that eventually thrust The Caped Crusader back into the cowl do not require the grounded procedure we've been experiencing since 2005's Batman Begins.

Despite laying low for the course of a decade, Wayne is still a chiselled, hulking and athletic presence – nearly inhuman in fact – and is able to return to his vigilante ways without a great deal of difficulty (no Rocky­-esque training montages to be found here). In a way it's a refreshing change of pace. Likewise is the arrival of a new incarnation of Robin (a teenaged girl by the name of Carrie Kelly) who takes to gravity-defying gymnastics and villain-dispatching at the flick of a switch. Again, it's loyal to the traditional roots of the genre, but it should still detract minimally from those who admire the more grounded superhero films of the last decade.

As you've likely surmised, I am one of the aforementioned uninitiated when it comes to DC's animated canon, having seen only the stellar Mask of the Phantasm from back in 1993 before venturing to this adaptation. Although far from my usual cup of tea, so to speak, "Part 1" makes it easy to see why Miller's comic is so revered and if ever adapted to live action would be an utterly bleak and fascinating endeavor. For now, this hand-drawn-GCI creation will do just wonderfully for those subconsciously begging Warner Bros. to go somewhere geeky with The Dark Knight when the inevitable reboot hits.

My one big complaint that doesn't have to do with basic execution would be the lack of depth in the Bruce Wayne character. With a two-film arc at play, more time could have been used to explore this troubled and emotionally broken individual who is one of the most tormented incarnations of Batman's human alter-ego.

Although starting out rather choppy, the animation gradually improves as the fight scenes escalate, eventually barely calling to attention that it is in fact not real-life actors and sets we're witnessing. The two principle battles between Batman and the brute known simply as Mutant Leader are stellar, unafraid to highlight snap bones and spatter those involved in crimson. Additionally the voices behind these characters are excellent across the board, particularly RoboCop's Peter Weller as Batman and David Selby as a retiring James Gordon. Modern Family's Ariel Winter also lends her pipes as Robin. With this being part one of the full adaptation, we've so far got but a tease of Lost's Michael Emerson as The Joker, which will no doubt turn out to be a treat to behold.

It's nothing we haven't seen before in terms of execution (the days of watching Superman on Saturday morning cartoons when I was but a youngun' spring immediately and vividly to mind) it's Miller's original vision and a dedicated cast that knock Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 up a peg in terms of what one would expect from a direct-to-DVD product. When viewing the entire adaptation when "Part 2" arrives in 2013, it will no doubt be a favorite among fans of all Batman comics and is worth a look for those who deem these types of films as strictly nerd fare.

7.5/10

playeraffinity.com

This film nails the look and feel of a Batman who is coming out of retirement to clean up a once again "dirty" Gotham. The animation is amazing, and the actions scenes are amazing. It keeps a dark and gritty tone while remaining hopeful, as an aged Bruce dons the cowl once again....

I watched this with low expectations. I love the graphic novel (even if I don't like Miller's drawing style) for its unique and dynamic story. Besides, this story changed Bataman's icon making him the badass we now nowadays.

The truth is, I Totally loved this animated movie! Everything is so well made! The characters, the music which by the way fits perfectly, the fight scenes... The models are better than the ones in the graphic novel while the voice acting is superb! Peter Weller does an astonishing job as the voice of the Bat! I totally recommend this animated movie!

Don't try to compare this with the graphic novel! You'll lose everything of importance! Try to enjoy the film and, believe me, you will! ;)

Batman The Dark Knight Returns part 1 is the triumphant return of the now retired dark knight Batman who is now older and wiser but also slow and downbeaten being forced to watch society continue to crumble from the weight of crime disorder and fear bringing Gotham to a new low that views violent criminals as victims of misfortune negative influences and psychological conditions that in some criminals the Batman only made worse by beating them into a corner to where there minds went to extreme measures to cope.

Now a tired and old Bruce Wayne has reached his limit of sitting and waiting for society to step up and deal with it's problems instead of running in fear and blaming others for the out of control crime that plagues Gotham City and now after ten years of being institutionalised Harvey Dent AKA Two Face has been released after having facial reconstruction surgery and therapy is now deemed cured and is Harvey Dent again but soon after Bruce sees on the news that Two face is back up to his old tricks and the only one who can put a stop to him and a violent new gang known as the mutants is for the Batman to come out of retirement this time with a vengeance that sees the city blame Batman for the city's violence.

Batman won't be alone in his crusade as for the time we get an all new girl Robin a young girl who after seeing the Bats Signal in the sky once again sets out to become the new Robin and show the city of Gotham that not everyone is ruled by fear and that some are willing to fight the crime infested streets of Gotham.

The animation style is breathtaking and is done in a modernised Batman the animated series kind of way really making use of unique dark atmosphere of Batman dark and mysterious while also being bright and colourful at the right times.

Batman is voiced by Peter Weller who played and voiced Robocop in the first two Robocop movies his voice is perfect for an older Batman and Bruce Wayne older and wiser but also a lower tone of voice that makes this older Batman feel more confident calmer and tired mentally and physically a great performance in my opinion.

I recommend this movie to any Batman fan it's adapted from the comic book The Dark Knight Returns first released in the 90s and is a very good interpretation the classic storyline but with it's own unique style worth watching for any Batman or Comic book fan.

What I mean is I thought people had confused this title with one of Nolan's Dark Knight films or something. This movie (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1) really isn't that good. There's better animated Batman films, such as 'Under the Red Hood' and 'Assault on Arkham'. This one is a 6/10 at best.

Great really great movie best animation.

I've never seen such a good movie before Wonderfull.