Batman: The Killing Joke Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Batman: The Killing Joke Blu-ray Movie Review

The Joke's on Us

Reviewed by Michael Reuben August 2, 2016

The Joker grins from the cover of Batman: The Killing Joke (or "B:TKJ"), the twenty-seventh animated DCU feature, but the character himself gets short shrift in this much-anticipated adaptation of the influential 1988 Alan Moore/Brian Bolland graphic novel. The filmmakers have padded out the original story with poorly conceived filler that sours the whole enterprise.

B:TKJ counterpoints the tragic origin of the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill) with his present-day efforts to destroy both Commissioner Gordon (Ray Wise) and Batman (Kevin Conroy) after accomplishing yet another escape from Arkham Asylum. Sadistically attacking Gordon through his daughter, Barbara a/k/a Batgirl (Tara Strang), the Joker aims to prove that the heroes of law and order are "just one bad day away" from descending to his level. Moore's re-invention is widely credited with transforming the Joker from a comic figure (immortalized by Cesar Romero in the 1960s Batman TV show) into the murderous psychopath subsequently played by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger.

Had B:TKJ stuck to this story, it could have been an effective entry in the DCU's animated canon. Unfortunately, Brian Azzarello's screenplay grafts onto the original an extended account of Batgirl's frustrated efforts to be taken seriously by Batman, featuring an entirely unrelated villain, an ambitious gangster's son nicknamed "Paris Franz" (Maury Sterling). The many questionable elements in this new first act can't be discussed without spoilers, but for the curious, my Blu-ray.com colleague Josh Katz has catalogued them in his weekly column, to which I would add one more: The new material has literally nothing to do with the Joker. Watching the first third of B:TKJ, with Batgirl's lengthy voiceover, her arguments with Batman and her romantic tribulations, you might reasonably wonder whether you've inserted the wrong disc.

Batman: The Killing Joke Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray of Batman: The Killing Joke hews to the "old school" look established in previous DCU animated entries, with clean lines and a palette ranging from desaturated to brightly colored. The average bitrate of 15 Mbps is typical of Warner's animation department, but no significant artifacts were observed.

Batman: The Killing Joke Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The disc's DTS-HD MA 5.1 provides good surround ambiance for Gotham City and rises effectively to major fight scenes with broad dynamic range and respectable bass extension. Composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion and Lolita Ritmanis discuss their scoring in the extras.

Batman: The Killing Joke Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers (1080p)
• Batman: Bad Blood
• Suicide Squad
• DC All Access App



• From the DC Comics Vault
• Batman: The Animated Series: "Christmas with the Joker" (480i; 1.33:1; 22:26).
• The New Batman Adventures: "Old Wounds" (480i; 1.33:1; 21:11).



• A Sneak Peek at DC Universe's Next Animated Movie (1080p; 1.78:1; 8:14): Justice League Dark.



• A Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part One (1080p; 1.78:1; 12:36).



• A Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part Two (1080p; 1.78:1; 6:52).



• A Sneak Peak at DCU Batman: Assault on Arkham (1080i; 1.78:1; 7:29).



• Madness Set to Music (1080p; 1.78:1; 11:54).



• Batman: The Killing Joke: The Many Sides of the Joker (1080p; 1.78:1; 17:43).

Batman: The Killing Joke Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The original graphic novel may be a classic, but the animated film is a disappointment. Unless you want the extras, rent or stream.