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Batman: Gotham Knight is the second Batman film in my DVD collection. It is an anime follow-up to Batman Begins, taking place before the events of The Dark Knight. The film runs a little over an hour and consists of six different animated shorts. Each short was written, produced, and animated by different people, but there are a considerable number of connections between them. In fact, having seen it a second time, I was actually surprised just how connected the six segments are. It could almost be one continuous story. Overall I liked the anime pretty well, but I’ll review each segment separately below.
“Have I Got a Story for You”
This segment has three kids telling about their encounters with the Batman in reverse-chronological order. Each story presents a different idea of what exactly Batman is in the eyes of those who witness him. This was an interesting idea, but I think it was an oversight to have the story take place in the daylight. It makes it harder to believe that the kids would mistake him for anything but what he is – a man in a suit – and besides, we know Bruce doesn’t operate as Batman during the day. The animation in this one wasn’t necessarily bad, but it was my least favorite. I just don’t care for the style.
“Crossfire”
This segment focuses on two detectives who are working closely under Gordon in Gotham PD’s new Major Crimes Unit. It connects with the previous segment by having these two cops take the bad guy that the kids witnessed Batman fight down to Arkham. It introduces Sal Maroni and The Russian, two rival mob bosses who will appear again in later segments. While dropping off the captured villain, the two cops argue about whether Batman is good for the city. One of them doesn’t trust Batman, the other does. On their way back from Arkham, they get caught in the crossfire of a street fight between the rival crime gangs and are rescued by Batman.
“Field Test”
Lucius Fox invents a new device for Batman’s arsenal. It generates an electro-magnetic pulse at the sound of a gunshot that will deflect bullets. Armed with this new tool, Batman forces Sal Maroni and The Russian together and then takes on both of them at once. This segment featured some of my favorite animation, including my favorite version of the bat-suit presented in this film. It was a unique and original design, without radically altering the basic concept. The story was also pretty interesting. It’s neat how Batman deals with the rival crime bosses, and the story also gives a good reason why Batman doesn’t have his “invincibility device” in future stories. Early in the segment, Bruce Wayne steals a PDA that will come into play in the last segment. Near the end of this segment a thug tosses his pistol into a gutter, which will come up again in the segment “Working Through Pain”.
“In Darkness Dwells”
The police respond to a riot in a cathedral where a cardinal was kidnapped by the villain Killer Croc. Batman meets with Gordon and the two cops from “Crossfire” before heading into the sewers in pursuit of the kidnapper. After a brief fight with Croc, he stumbles upon a cult of drugged lunatics following Scarecrow. Batman must prevent them from killing the cardinal. Nothing about this segment really stands out to me as note-worthy, though it wasn’t bad. It seemed a bit like a filler episode.
“Working Through Pain”
Picking up right after the last segment, Batman is still in the sewers trying to round up a few members of the Scarecrows cult. One of these shoots him in the stomach. As batman struggles against the pain of the injury, trying to get out of the sewers, he experiences flashbacks to previous experiences. Most of these revolve around his training under a woman named Cassanda, who taught Bruce a meditative technique for mastering pain. This segment has my favorite anime depiction of Bruce from this film. At the end, Batman discovers a cache of weapons in the sewers, a link to the earlier “Field Test” segment. Warning: This anime has some amount of blood throughout, but this particular segment has the goriest visuals, including an animated depiction of surgery being performed on a man without anesthesia. It’s probably not appropriate for children or those with weak stomachs.
“Deadshot”
A skilled assassin called Deadshot scores a contract to take out Gordon. Batman follows Gordon’s motorcade trying to intercept the killer. Early on, we see the cache of weapons Batman pulled out of the sewers in the last segment, and there are also several connections to the earlier “Field Test” segment. This story provides an interesting twist: Deadshot is really out to kill Batman and the threats against Gordon are just a means to flush him out. In my opinion, though, it fails to really address the significance of this. It’s the criminal underworld’s first direct counterstrike against the Batman, acknowledging him as their chief persecutor.
All together, I think Batman: Gotham Knight is a pretty entertaining watch. As an aspiring artist, and someone who watches a lot of animation, I enjoyed seeing the variety in the artwork. Most of it was very high-quality, even if all of it wasn’t to my taste. If you're interested, you can find a very good sampling of the artwork in this film here.
Roleplaying
Because of my obsession with roleplaying games, I tend to watch most movies and shows with an eye for what I could take from it and apply to gaming. Here are some ideas from Batman: Gotham Knight.
Making Connections: I liked how each segment of this film told its own story. But, they also made connections between the segments that an observant viewer could follow. This reminded me a lot of how RPG sessions can tend to be episodic sometimes, but even in that case a GM should try to make little connections here and there.
Eyewitnesses: In the first segment it was interesting how three different people give very different accounts of the same person. I think I ought to use that in a game sometime where the PCs are investigating an NPC that none of them have encountered yet.
Flashbacks: The segment “Working Through Pain” makes good use of flashbacks. In fact, most of the story in that segment takes place in the flashbacks. I’ve never tried incorporating flashbacks into an RPG, but I think it could be cool if it were done well.
I suppose I could have folded this article in with my review of Batman Begins, but the movie has so many good lines that I wanted to write a separate article.
"There are those without decency who must be fought without hesitation, without pity." "The training is nothing! Will is everything! The will to act."-Ducard
These sentiments really strike a cord with me. They fit well with the honor codes of Chivalry and Bushido that I admire. Ducard is one of my favorite characters in Batman Begins and I like how his philosophy, tempered with the kindheartedness of Bruce's father, really have a profound impact on Bruce's character. You can very easily see Ducard and Batman becoming allies if their methods were just a little more compatible. While I won't endorse literally fighting evil, there are times when we must do the right thing without hesitation. That's why Phinehas (Numbers 25:7-11) is one of my biggest Biblical heroes.
Alfred: Why do we fall, Master Wayne? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.
Bruce: You still haven't given up on me, have you?
Alfred: Never.
This exchange says a lot about how we should view our own failings and those of others. Don't be discouraged, learn from your mistakes, and never give up on your friends.
"It's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you."-Rachel Dawes
I know, probably one of the cheesiest lines in the movie, but it still holds a grain of truth (or is that the truth about grains?). I also like how Batman later turns the line around on her. There are quite a few lines that get turned around in this movie, actually, including Thomas Wayne's last words being repeated later by Ducard. It's rather clever.
"Does it come in black?"-Bruce Wayne
Bruce Wayne's response to test driving the Tumbler. It's never a mistake to ask this about anything you like. Clothes, cars, anything. It kind of reminds me of Roger Smith (from The Big O).
What about you? Are there any lines from Batman Begins, or other movies, that really strike a cord with you?
I've begun watching all of my Batman DVDs in "chronological order". I watched Batman Begins last night, next I'll watch Gotham Knight, then I'll move on to Batman: The Animated Series, and finally Batman Beyond. Batman is my favorite superhero by far, and Batman Begins is an awesome portrayal of the character and his origin.
What I really like about Batman Begins is that it is a deep, character-driven story about one man's determination to become more than just a man - to become an elemental force of justice - and how he masters his own fear and anger to turn those against the criminal element that made him a victim. As Bruce Wayne puts it himself: "I seek the means to fight injustice. To turn fear against those who prey on the fearful." Unlike the majority of superheroes who are either born with their powers or obtain them by accident, Batman is a man who chooses the path of the superhero, and puts forth a tremendous amount of effort to become what he is.
Another thing I like about the movie is it's great writing and casting. Some of the dialog is just so fundamental to the image I have of the Batman character and mythos - it's cool to see how Alfred, Ducard, and even Rachel all helped shape Bruce Wayne’s identity. The acting in this film is superb, and I think they definitely hit the mark with their casting choices. Christian Bale makes a great Batman. He portrays the character and his personal struggles superbly. Michael Caine and Gary Oldman were perfect in their roles as Alfred Pennyworth and Jim Gordon. Gary Oldman is to Jim Gordon as J. K. Simmons is to J. Jonah Jameson (a better match could not be found in both character portrayal and physical appearance). Liam Neeson is also an actor I enjoy watching, and he was well cast for the role of Ducard. Katie Holmes did a fine job as Rachel Dawes, though the film's sequel showed that another actress could do just as well. Rachel Dawes was actually one of the things I like about the film. In what seems to be a continuing trend in superhero films, Rachel is more than just a love interest for Batman, but is an interesting character herself and plays an important role in Batman's fight against crime.
I think Batman Begins did a good job of making Batman believable. We could see how someone with Bruce Wayne's history and resources could become a crime-fighter. I liked how they even gave a convincing explanation for why such a character would choose to don a very theatrical costume with a bat motif. The "Tumbler" is the single most awesome and believable version of the Batmobile. As cool as it would be to play Batman in a movie, I think the best job in the production of this film went to the stunt driver who got to drive that sports-tank.
Roleplaying
Because of my obsession with roleplaying games, I tend to watch most movies and shows with an eye for what I could take from it and apply to gaming. Here are some ideas from Batman Begins.
Superhero Origins: Previously, when I played a superheroes game, we simply jumped right into the action at the point where the heroes were coming together to form a team, and skipped their individual origins. If I ever run a superheroes RPG again, I think it would be cool to tell character-driven origin stories for the superheroes involved.
What Makes a Character: In this movie we see various people and events that shaped Bruce Wayne's character. I think it is cool to play an RPG where characters experience considerable changes as the story unfolds. Dogs in the Vineyard's conflict resolution system makes this kind of character growth a built in function of the rules mechanics, but I think the same kind of character development can be accomplished in any game system, so long as the players make a conscious effort to produce it.
I was just reviewing my posts on this blog up to this point. I’m a bit disappointed that I haven’t written very many new articles lately. I wanted to try to post at least once a week, but it’s been a lot more hit-and-miss than that. I’d like to write about, and post some pictures of, the Kingdom Hall building site in Oviedo. I’d also like to write some more “Words to Live By” articles. I just haven’t taken the time to do either yet.
Well, in case anyone is wondering, I’ve been very busy with a lot of exciting stuff; I simply haven’t blogged about any of it. I’m doing good to keep up with writing my reviews! I’d like to share some recent experiences with people here, and there’s some other projects, etc. I’d like to write about. I’ll try to get back into regular blogging as soon as possible. ^_^
In the meantime, is there anything YOU would like to see me write about?
I recently finished watching the anime series Full Metal Panic!, so here's my review:
The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of the covert anti-terrorist mercenary group Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl.
Unbeknownst to Chidori, she is a specially gifted person called a "Whispered", and has highly sensitive technological secrets locked away inside her brain. This is what makes her a prime target for certain terrorist organizations.
In order to protect her, Sagara infiltrates Chidori's high school, posing as a transfer student. He is only 17 himself, but is an accomplished soldier. He was born in the fictional, war-torn country of Helmajistan, and has been fighting on battlefields since he was 8 years old. For this reason he finds it very difficult to integrate into normal high school life. That's where a lot of the comedy in the show comes from.
The story starts out rather light-hearted with Sagara receiving his assignment and struggling to fit in to high school society while keeping a watchful eye on Chidori. The action comes in fairly quickly though when a group of terrorists manage to kidnap Chidori and her entire class. Sagara springs into action, with the aid of his fellow agents, to rescue her and the class. I like that right from this first encounter they establish pretty clearly that Chidori is not a damsel in distress, but is a brave and competent young woman. While she doesn't have the skills that Sagara has, she keeps a cool head under pressure and helps devise a plan to enable their escape. The series progresses with three major plot arcs, each raising the stakes for both of the main characters.
This struck me as a very well developed and balanced anime. The main plot was very serious in tone, with daring heroics and tragic consequences, while they still managed to insert a fair amount of humor throughout. There was also a good balance of action, plot, and character development. The supporting cast, including Sagara's fellow mercenaries and Chidori's classmates, were very colorful and interesting in their own right and did much to enhance the show. There are two continuations to this series, so obviously the ending couldn't wrap up the story entirely, but it was a satisfying conclusion nonetheless.
This anime was produced by a studio called Gonzo which does some of my favorite modern animation. The animation is very crisp, vibrant, and dynamic. They make use of CGI effects for some scenes, including the outside shots of Mithril's submarine. The character designs also have a very fresh, flashy style that I prefer. The soundtrack was fine, but not outstanding. The Japanese voice acting seemed to fit the characters well, but I didn't listen to any of the English dubs.
Now, in spite of the various good things this show has going for it, and even with the absence of anything I really disliked about it, I don't feel particularly compelled to buy it like I do with most of my favorite anime. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because, with two continuations to the series that I still haven't seen, I just haven't got the whole story yet. After I see the follow-up series maybe I can make a better judgment of the entire franchise.
Roleplaying
Because of my obsession with roleplaying games, I tend to watch most movies and shows with an eye for what I could take from it and apply to gaming. Here are some ideas from Full Metal Panic!.
A Soldier in Civilian Clothing: This series wasn't actually one of my inspirations for the "Freshmen Agents" RPG I thought of running with the BESM system, but I did find myself mining it for ideas for that game. Sagara's awkward position as an agent undercover in a normal high school produced a lot of plot ideas I'll probably twist, reconfigure, and reuse in "Freshmen Agents".
Recurring Villain: I don't think it's giving too much away to say that, yep, that bad guy from the first story arc is going to show up again. I don't believe I've ever really used a recurring villain in an RPG before, at least not to good effect. I think I should give that a try, as recurring villains can be powerful motivators for protagonists, especially if the villain is tied in with the hero personally some how.