Knightfall is probably the strongest example of the 90s comic trend of "retiring" the main character in favour of a new mantle bearer. For Batman fans, it's almost a greatest hits collection of villains, too and it's impact has trickled down into various media since it's initial publication- which, including preludes and epilogues, spanned some 120 issues of Batman and adjacent titles, taking nearly two years to reach its end. It is a seminal epic that holds up today (minus some questionable haircuts) that really only meanders slightly during Bruce Wayne's search for Dr. Shondra Kinsolving but introduces a compelling new villain in Bane, and perhaps an even more compelling character in Jean Paul Valley's conflicted vigilante, Azrael. There is A LOT to work through.
When adapting any story for film- be it animated or otherwise- decisions have to be made about what needs to be cut, what needs to be moved, and what needs to be the focus. Sometimes, it might well be worth considering what medium is the best vehicle for this- and perhaps Knightfall would be better committed to an 8-10 episode, 3 season show rather than three animated movies.
In terms of quality, the title should be a red flag: "Batman Knightfall Part 1- Knightfall" when there are available subtitles from the comic itself "Broken Bat"? "Who Rules the Night"? Or just leave it at "Part 1".
While committing four hours to a single story is significant investment of time for both production and audience, if this first installment is anything to go by, it's simply not enough.
Reframing Bane's motivations allows the film to excise his supporting team of Trogg, Bird and Zombie, but also undercuts his tragic origin, and his rivalry with Batman significantly- it almost feels like an afterthought. The impact of his violence against Film Freak from the comic (originally giving the reader a view of just how brutal this new villain was) is completely absent as Bane's brutality is displayed at every opportunity. Bane also looks ridiculous when the venom kicks in, as if the visual references for him were merely taken from the exaggerated covers from the Knightfall run. It might be that the writers skimmed a bit, too. Mando also doesn't really have the grit or presence as a voice actor to carry this character off, which is impactful as Bane takes to monologing his motivations due to narrative weakness.
Azrael is rushed, seems meek and gives absolutely zero indication he is suitable to be given the mantle of the Bat. On the contrary, Robin is probably the strongest character in the film, given a real chance to shine and coming off as more than ready to become Batman himself- although he has no stakes with his father and Ariana also absent from proceedings.
The film takes some liberties with the source material (it would have to given the sheer scale of it), but completely removing the actual Arkham breakout is bewildering, and really does nothing to heighten the stakes. Villains are speedrun through via a montage- with the exception of Mad Hatter's tea party and Zsasz. Scarecrow's Joker team up is gone (as is Joker), throwing in Mr Freeze and Catman while eliminating Killer Croc, Amygdala (the Ventriloquist is very minor here too), and not really adequately explaining why Batman is so tired, apart from his run in with a juiced up Riddler, moved from a prelude in the source material to a second act conclusion here.
On the positive side, Batman's look is greatly inspired by Kelly Jones' monstrous cover work- right down to the pointy shoulders and the animation is fantastic thanks to Studio Mir.
Ultimately, Knightfall had to be streamlined to fit this format- but in doing so, the slow decline of Batman, the psychology of Azrael, the ambition of Bane and the drama of the situation of a city under siege from it's greatest threats is toothless and disappointing. As an adaptation, it's very weak, as a movie in its own right, it's subpar.
Perhaps further installments will flesh out what's missing here, but that would likely be at the expense of other elements.
With Tim's personal life sidelined, it's likely that "Knightquest: The Search" will be almost completely excised.
Verdict: 2/5