Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

6/10

Starring the voice of

Kevin Conroy

Mark Hamill

Directed by Sam Liu

Sticking to the source material of a classic is key when you want to keep fans coming back for seconds. That’s one thing the writers of The Killing Joke movie adaptation missed. They decided to spend the first half of the animation building us up for the second half.

Now, if you’ve read the 1988 classic The Killing Joke by Alan Moore, you’ll find the second half of this movie true to the plot—and you might wish the first half was never included.

In Warner Bros.’ attempt to extend the movie to a full-length feature film, they added an intro. The intro focuses on Batgirl’s role as Batman’s sidekick. We see her struggle to find her footing while working with the already matured hero.

The Killing Joke comic was a very controversial issue due to many events and intentions not being thoroughly explained. So, when watching the R-rated animation about the origin of the Joker, it seemed to have been marred by an attempt to give another character a good backstory.

The emotional impact the movie tried to create for Batgirl—when the Joker shot her in the stomach, leaving her bedridden—went over my head. The long wait to see the actual story begin made it hard to connect.

The movie’s graphics aren’t half bad, and the voice acting had both icons, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, reprising their roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman and the Joker, respectively. If nothing else, having them both back to voice the main characters was a relief.

The movie starts with Batgirl narrating her ordeal as Batman’s sidekick. She talks about the distance he keeps between them—whether it’s to protect her from harm or to prevent her from harming others. This infuriates Batgirl, as she feels she constantly has to prove to Batman that she can handle herself. Her attempts to prove herself almost get her killed and kidnapped. To add the final nail to the coffin, she crosses a line with Batman, which ends their partnership.

Time passes, and Batman tries to reach out to the Joker by visiting him at the asylum. He wants them both to back off from their relentless pursuit of each other, fearing that death is inevitable if they continue. But the Joker has escaped and has plans of his own. He shoots Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) and kidnaps her father, Commissioner James Gordon. He then tortures James in an attempt to drive him insane.

The movie does include the final scene from the comic, where both characters stand before each other, and the Joker tells Batman a joke. They laugh together. For me, the wait was annoying, but I did enjoy it when the movie finally got back on track.