Still technically animation, but I watched Batman: The Killing Joke.
I have kind of mixed feelings about it. I enjoyed it overall and it's better than most of the DC Animations we've had recently (though that's not saying too much) but it's somewhat inconsistent and feels like much of the content could have been cut without losing the main point.
I haven't actually read the original comic but I've heard a fair bit about it and it's probably been quite influential on a lot of the material I'm familiar with. The fact that the original comic was quite short is probably a factor in why the film feels padded. I'm curious as to the differences between the original comic and the film but I suppose it doesn't necessarily matter in terms of judging the film itself.
The Batgirl story at the beginning was decent enough and kind of works as a stand-alone story (which it basically is). It does make comment on some interesting points about the different motivations for fighting crime and the dangers of constantly dealing with "bad" people. It's not entirely original but it gets the job done.
I have to admit, one of my issues with the film in general is it has a tendency to try to make things about sex in a way that doesn't seem to actually contribute anything to the film or really say anything. At most, sex seems to be used as shorthand for certain emotions but it doesn't really work and it ends up feeling completely unnecessary. I suppose it does fill some time but that's more of a problem than an excuse. It also seems to dangerously oversimplify sexual violence, which only stands to make the sex related content feel more awkward.
The core point of the film, regarding the way that people react to tragic events, works fairly well. I also liked the theme of Batman still trying to avert a tragic conclusion to his relationship with the Joker despite how inevitable a bad ending seems to be. The film is generally quite strong when it's saying something about Batman or the Joker and comparing the two, although this ultimately only makes up a small portion of the running time. Still, those parts do probably just about make the film worthwhile but the padding makes it harder to recommend to anyone who isn't already interested in the characters. That's a bit of a shame too, because the themes could appeal to a wider audience and even get people interested in the characters if they were more accessible.
On the plus side, the film does end on a strong note prior to the credits. There's a mid-credits scene that has a somewhat different tone, which may not be appreciated by some but makes for a decent alternative end point for those who find the ending unsatisfying (and helps tie together the different parts of the film).
It's pretty clear the film was made with fanservice in mind, it's adapting a fairly famous comic and it uses the popular animated series actors for the voices of Batman and the Joker (Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, respectively). That's not a bad thing really, especially since the actors are quite good at their roles. Still, it is perhaps telling that they've had to use such methods to make for a stronger animation while the other animated films have been quite weak of late. It doesn't really inspire confidence for their future animations but at least they're willing to try something different and hopefully that will work out.
Overall, Batman: The Killing Joke is a pretty good film and worth watching if you're interested in the characters. It doesn't really offer as much story for the running time as it could but what little we get is fairly strong and has the potential to make it feel worth sitting through the padding. I don't know if that would work for everyone though and, either way, it's still a little disappointing to have all of that wasted time.
