There is an ad before the menu screen for “Batman: Year One” for a new video game called “Arkham City." An unnerving voiceover asks, “Have you ever considered this is all your fault?” The rest of the video game shows Batman trying to defeat a plethora of old villains in a city that seems unable to be saved.
"Batman: Year One" takes place before Gotham has sunk that low. It is still described as hell, but it still appears as a city not unlike any other major metropolitan center in the United States. Corruption plagues the police department and the politics. Violence and prostitution is routine after the sun goes down. Bruce Wayne (voice of Ben McKenzie) finally returns home with a new set of skills and a new goal.
His parallel is Jim Gordon (voice of Bryan Cranston), a police detective who also knows how to throw a punch. Gordon’s narration is just as dark as Wayne’s view of the city. The noir wording fits because they are both characters who refuse to stop fighting regardless of how defeated they feel.
As the months go on, both men realize how they can accomplish their goals. For Bruce Wayne, he recognizes the symbol he needs to strike fear. For Jim Gordon, he finds out he is not alone.
The consequences start to have effect. The more they attempt to stop the chaos, the more it evolves. A greedy man in a suit like Carmine Falcone is easier to understand, but the creation of Batman leads to a new form of villain. Selina Kyle (voice of Eliza Dushku) becomes so inspired by Batman's slickness and rogue attitude that she creates her own alter ego of Catwoman.
“Year One” is an origin story unlike any other because it’s not optimistic. The use of the word “hero” is always dismissed by the man being labeled. These are men setting out to do what they think must be done and perhaps creating a more dangerous world by doing so. There is no endgame in this story. Perhaps Gotham can never be saved.
The DC home videos always have a great set of bonus features. “Year One” only lasts an hour, but it’s a fantastic story to own. Another short starring Catwoman is included, which has plenty of seedy action but not much else. There are great sneak peaks at the upcoming “Justice League: Doom” and “Green Lantern: Emerald Knights,” which aren’t just trailers. The whole filmmaking team analyzes the characters and the comic’s history. I don’t even know these characters very well, and these snippets always make me want to watch their movies. There is also a solid documentary talking about the importance of the original comic “Year One” in the character’s history and how it affected the live-action films. Also, there are two full-animated episodes — "Batman: The Animated Series — Catwalk" and "The New Batman Adventures — Cult of the Cat" — handpicked by Bruce Timm, the man behind many an animated Batman TV series.
I only wish they had more footage of this cast talking about the movie because Cranston does some amazing work. I would love to hear him and McKenzie talk about how they saw this story.
Film: 4.5 Yaps Extras: 4 Yaps
Year One trailer
Arkham City trailer