Hi guys! I had the pleasure to see the film version of The Killing Joke today here in Australia, a film which (as I read the internet right this very moment) has divided audiences because of the bold additions. Let me start off by saying that I'm coming into this totally objective - I do not read comics, however I have read The Killing Joke in the run up to the film. I am a fan of Batman and The Joker (the Joker is one of my all time favourite villains). This is also a first for me, as I have never reviewed anything animated and I rarely watch animated films. That being said, is the animated adaptation of the Alan Moore classic any good?
The answer is...quite tricky. There certainly are elements which do the iconic comic justice, but there are a few letdowns. As usual, let's start off with the positives.
The performances were absolutely incredible - with Mark Hamill stealing the show as The Joker (was there any surprise?). Mark Hamill is The Joker to a whole generation and he delivers with one of the best performances not only of The Joker, but of his career. Hamill voices the character and you can literally hear the madness within him. As many of the comic fans would know, there is a segment which requires Hamill to sing, as The Joker, about madness and about losing touch with reality. Hamill delivers this in the best of ways, and makes you think that his "Joker voice" could be someone's natural voice. Additionally, Hamill also has the chance to play a straighter version of The Joker before he became The Joker during flashbacks. Again, Hamill is able to instill a sense of desperation within the character, providing a sense of dimension to the insane and soon to be mad clown.
Kevin Conroy also does a great job as Batman, he's never bad but he's certainly nothing to rave about. He gives Batman a stone cold feel to him - this is evident as he brushes off Batgirl's advances.
Tara Strong was surprising in this, as I wasn't expecting her character to play such a massive part. As the film begins, the first line is delivered by her via voiceover - "You didn't expect it to be me did you?" she asks. She's great in the role and adds vulnerability to Batgirl.
The music was also done every well and added to the already dark tone of the film.
There are a few negatives unfortunately. The main one being that they obviously had to stretch a 40 page comic book out - this left the entire first 20 minutes feeling "tacked on" and did not really leave much of an impression. During this segment, Batgirl is established as the primary character hunting down a thief who becomes "her Joker". This doesn't really land, as the thief is not much of a threat to begin with and seems a bit half-assed. Additionally, this segment also includes a sex scene (calm down gents, the camera pans away) between Batman and Batgirl, which also comes off as forced and you could actually feel the uncomfort within the audience. The scene is not needed and doesn't feel organic within the overarching storyline of the film - instead it comes off as filler.
I also had a bit of an issue with the animation style. I understand that they're attempting to pay homage to the original comic, but the dated feel of the animation is distracting from the heavy themes of the film and, in my opinion, is less detailed than the actual comic itself.
Overall, Batman: The Killing Joke is just an okay adaptation of one of the greatest comic books of all time. It was fighting a losing battle to begin with - having to adapt a 40 page story into a film and trying to live up to the legacy. While the comic is honoured very accurately and you defintiely do get to look into the eyes of madness, ultimately I came away from this a little disappointd. I give Batman: The Killing Joke 5/10.