Batman: Knightfall - Part I premiered at the Annecy Animation Festival yesterday afternoon, and the first reactions and reviews for the Warner Bros./DC Studios movie have just hit.
Early word is overwhelmingly positive, suggesting this animated adaptation is a return to form for these movies after the tepid response to some of the "Tomorrowverse" era features. Moving forward, it seems less may be more for what were previously direct-to-DVD or Digital titles.
IGN's review concludes by writing, "Batman: Knightfall Part 1 - Knightfall is a real treat for Bat-fans, as it cuts through the fat of a sprawling DC Comics storyline to deliver a focused, harrowing account of Batman and Bane’s bloody first battle."
On X, Nexus Point News weighed in by calling the movie "a masterpiece in comparison [to] the last 5 years of DC Animated Movies." The outlet says it "delivers brutal, visceral, fast-paced and gruesome action," but cautions that, "for every great aspect this movie delivers, it also brings several bad things with it."
Variety has published a full review, but shared impressions from the premiere, confirming it was screened to "thunderous applause," with audiences "responding to the humour, the gnarly action and the prominent role of the third Robin, Tim Drake."
Elaborating on the Boy Wonder's impact, it's said, "He’s witty and a rather good detective who also understands the pain Bruce has gone through recently with the death of Jason, and wants nothing but to help his idol. His witty remarks got big reactions from the festival crowd, while his brutal fight with Bane earned several gasps from the audience."
In related news, Bane actor Michael Mando (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) has shared a behind-the-scenes photo from his recording sessions, and inadvertently spoils the moment that Bane "Breaks the Bat." Of course, for anyone who has read the comics—or watched The Dark Knight Rises, for that matter—this is hardly a surprise.
Batman: Knightfall - Part I also stars Anson Mount as Batman and Pablo Schreiber as Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael. South Korean Studio Mir Co. (X-Men '97, My Adventures with Superman) is animating the movie, with Jeff Wamester directing the movie from a script by Jeremy Adams.
In the movie, Arkham Asylum has been destroyed, and all its inmates have been unleashed upon Gotham City. As Batman races to round up some of his greatest enemies, he is pushed to his physical and mental limits and into a final confrontation with a new threat: the man called Bane!