The Dark Knight returns to the animation stage for a big screen showdown with his biggest arch-nemesis, in “Batman: The Killing Joke”. Lifted from the pages of the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore, the movie takes us on a journey into the dark psyche of the Clown Prince of Crime. After an well-calculated escape from Gotham’s horrific Arkham Asylum, The Joker (Mark Hamill) sets out to prove that one bad day can make anyone just as insane as he is. With time being limited, the aging Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) must once again strap on the bat suit and fight crime against an enigmatic foe with a thirst for anarchy. Batman finds himself an ally in Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (Tara Strong) after the effects of a plot involving her father: Commissioner Gordon (Ray Wise). Witness the birth of a super villain, the fortitude of a hero and the punchline that will leave you speechless. “Batman: The Killing Joke” is directed by Sam Liu and Bruce Timm, and is rated R for bloody imagery and disturbing content involving adult themes.

The first ever R-rated Batman movie is full of animated delightfulness that fans of The Dark Knight will enjoy for its visual spectacle. The animation sketches of Alan Moore come to life beautifully, complete with a full-scale Gotham illustration that really sets the tone for the dark and gritty atmosphere of the movie. The rest of the sketches were enjoyable to the tee, as much of the inspiration for the animation stands along side that of the 90’s animated series. Despite its R-rating, the film’s material never feels forced or manipulated into being something that it’s not. The rating here is simply a thematic one, with some minor language thrown in from time to time, giving Batman and Joker that adult-like feel that we have always desired. Besides this, there are some real entertaining Easter eggs thrown in to always keep the audience’s attention on its toes. Several winks and nods to the graphic novel certainly make its presence felt here, and the thinly based novel doesn’t hinder our story too greatly for the audience, although it does certainly have some aspects that I would’ve felt better if they weren’t explored.

For one, the very love angle between Batman and Batgirl feels very forced here. Their romantic union really only serves as an engaging tactic later between the longtime arch-rivals, so the first thirty minutes feels very obvious to me. What I did enjoy is that they gave Barbara a lot more backstory and character development for this movie, and even made her the central protagonist for the first act of the movie. At times, it does make her out to be a lovesick teenager, but it’s very refreshing to watch a Batman film where the usual supporting cast gets more screen time. I would’ve also preferred Joker to make a visual appearance a lot earlier in the film. The Maniacal sociopath doesn’t show up until the 33 minute mark of the movie, but his arrival is a welcoming one at that. What I loved about his involvement in this story arc is that first time fans got to learn a little more about his tortured past that led to the lunatic that has made him famous today. The coloring for the flashback scenes are given a brownish tint on their outlining, and this goes a long way to relate the very difference not only in era, but in psychological tone for the Joker character as well. Nothing is white or black for him at this point, only foggy shades of brown, but we know that his time to be tested is right around the corner.

My favorite part of the entire film is definitely the carnival funhouse ride that an unfortunate character must endure to physically and mentally ride his rollercoaster of stability. There are lots of gorgeous beautiful interiors detailed for this dungeon of madness, and nothing ever feels expendable for an animated feature. This is accompanied by another terrific original song sung by Mark Hamill called “I Go Looney”. Hamill not only performs these songs in a couple Batman animated films, but has showcased these tracks live and in-person, so this certainly isn’t his first rodeo. The track is a hilariously lyrical gut-punch, but yet comfortable cool-down period for the audience about 80% through the fast-paced 73 minute run time.

The ending felt a little anti-climatic to me, as it ends in the most unlikely of places. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the final lines of the film, but it just kind of fades to black in a spot that lacks a lot of clarity for where the characters now stand. What did make up for this in a lot of ways was the credits scene involving Barbara that is just too good spoil here (wink wink).

No Batman animated film would be the same without two great voice actors, and the duo of Conroy and Hamill have certainly punched themselves a lifelong stamp of approval from this critic for their original takes on their respective characters. Conroy has always been my absolute favorite Bruce Wayne of all time, and a lot of that is because of the light change in vocal tones when he plays Batman as opposed to Wayne. He doesn’t get a lot of Bruce screen time here, but when he dons the cape, his voice always accompanies a cloud of rasp that really blanks out the identity for everyone else who doesn’t know his identity. It’s not as overdone as Christian Bale’s interpretation, so everything here feels genuine without being laughable. Hamill could do Joker in his sleep at this point, he is simple mesmerizing as this antagonist. With Hamill’s Joker, I’ve always felt that there is a sinister yet human side to Joker’s madness. There’s still that inch of humanity left inside of him that is being strangled by this monster who just wants to watch the world burn. Conroy and Hamill go together sensationally in these movies, and I couldn’t picture a movie without their involvement.

Overall, “Batman: The Killing Joke” has some storyline problems early on, but finds its creative voice by showcasing the two best vocal actors (In my opinion) in superhero history. With beautiful animations and perfectly paced carnage candy, this is one sweet treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth. Lose yourself one more time and openly go crazy for Liu’s big screen brilliance.

7/10