Genre: Superhero/Cartoon
Distributor: Warner Bros Animation (2010)
Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
My Rating: 9/10
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Summary: A new figure known as the Red Hood has arrived in Gotham and is targeting the Black Mask, a druglord with a very hot temper. The Red Hood is actually Jason Todd, the second Robin. There’s just one problem: Jason Todd is supposed to be dead! The Joker killed him five years ago!
Review: For those who don’t know who Jason Todd is, allow me to provide some background. During the 80’s, DC decided it was time for Dick Grayson, the first Robin, to grow up. This led to the creation of Nightwing. But fans still like the Batman and Robin team, so they created a new Robin, Jason Todd. That plan backfired, and the fans hated Jason Todd. So DC killed him. But this is American comics, they love to bring back dead characters. I wasn’t too fond of Jason Todd myself. I felt that he was too headstrong to be Batman’s partner.
What I really thought was great was that the movie showed us the dichotomy between Batman and the Red Hood. The Red Hood is almost like a villain himself. He actually creates his own drug ring and even convinces some of the Black Mask’s “associates” to join it. What’s more–he uses guns. This is never Batman’s way. He never does things that underhanded, nor would he use guns.
We’re also shown Jason’s evolution. As a kid, he was wide-eyed and enjoyed every minute of being Robin. But as he got older, he began to realize there was no way they could completely stop crime. Every time they put someone in jail, they’d eventually be back out on the streets. This frustrated him, causing him to resort to more drastic tactics, frustrating Batman. It was great to see the seeds of what created The Red Hood.
My main problem is minor. Nightwing is barely in this. Once he gets sidelined, he’s written out of the story. I wanted him in for the whole movie. At least we got a very funny moment. After several years, someone finally called Batman on his infamous “disappearing act”. If you’re a fan of Batman, you know the drill. Batman will be talking to someone. Then that person will say something and Batman will have already left, leaving the person talking to himself. Nightwing complained about this at one point, saying “Could you just once say ‘Let’s get in the car? Would that be so hard?'”
As a final analysis, I really think this is one of the best Batman direct-to-video cartoons, and I would recommend it to any Batman fan.
Review:
Aspie Catholic 