Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One – Film Review

It’s a dark time in Gotham City. Held hostage by the powerful Falcone crime family, the city is rife with crime and corruption. Adding to the chaos is the mysterious Holiday killer, who has been targeting the underworld and leaving a trail of terror… and body bags. Batman, Lieutenant Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent race against the calendar as it advances toward the next ill-fated holiday. Based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One begins a twisted chain of events that will forever change the Dark Knight.

Anybody that knows me knows that I love animated superhero films. There is just something so special about them that takes me back to my childhood each and every time. Not only are these stories sometimes even better than a live-action, big-budget version due to beautiful visions and a more refined story, but the filmmakers don’t have as many limitations as they would in live-action. With animation, you can practically do whatever you see fit as long as you have the money for it.

Chris Palmer‘s Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One is the wonderfully creepy and wisely bleak tale of one of the Caped Crusader’s darkest journies ever. The comic book of the same name is easily one of my favorite comics ever created and I have to say that this animated adaptation certainly does it justice, even if its two-part structure can make things a bit frustrating.

There were some story elements that I was really hoping would get included in Part One that ultimately didn’t. Although I know we will see them in the upcoming second part, it was still a little frustrating not to be able to see some of my favorite scenes from the comic adapted to this particular movie.

Still, though, screenwriter Tim Sheridan and director Chris Palmer did a remarkable job at crafting a tightly compacted eighty-five-minute movie that certainly packs a punch. A lot of Batman cartoons (especially The Animated Series) are typically quite kid-friendly, but The Long Halloween is significantly more disturbing and violent in all the best ways.

I love when a Batman story is not afraid to get gritty and not shy away from showing the brutality of Gotham City and how unhinged a lot of these criminals are. Of course with cartoons and other kid-friendly stories featuring the titular hero (such as The Brave and the Bold), we don’t really get a good understanding of the dangers of Gotham City’s inhabitants.

But The Long Halloween, Part One shows you very early on that the people that roam the streets of this place are completely void of remorse and do things for mainly two reasons – to get money and to get respect from their boss.

Kevin Conroy is, in my opinion, the best voice actor for Batman ever. As a matter of fact, he is my favorite Batman period. Live-action or otherwise. And although it was certainly disappointing that he didn’t return to voice the titular superhero for this movie, I have to admit that Jensen Ackles did a terrific job in the role and certainly sounded menacing. Not once did I watch this movie and think that it was a voice actor behind the character. All I heard while watching this film was the voice of Batman.

And honestly, the voice cast, in general, is magnificent. The late Naya Rivera does a wonderful job as Selina Kyle / Catwoman and brings an unmistakable sense of charm and wit to the character which is so important. A bad portrayal of Catwoman can often be extraordinarily cringe-worthy, but Rivera certainly knew how to do the character justice.

A plethora of hugely talented people worked on this film and it shows in every single scene. This is without a doubt one of the best animated movies I have seen in years, and I can’t wait to see what Part Two delivers. The chaos has only just begun.