8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following the same ethical code. Killing is an option. And when the Joker falls in the balance between the two, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened.
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, John DiMaggio, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason IsaacsComic book | 100% |
Action | 84% |
Sci-Fi | 68% |
Animation | 65% |
Fantasy | 64% |
Adventure | 62% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French, German SDH, Portuguese, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (as download)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Regardless of what anyone thinks of the films themselves, it's difficult to deny that Batman Begins and The Dark Knight lifted an ailing franchise off its deathbed. Director Christopher Nolan not only cast a towering shadow over Bat-cinema, he left his patented mark on the superhero genre at large, fundamentally altering the way moviegoers approach and respond to silver-screen caped crusaders. But the seeds of his darkly defined vision were first planted in 1992 by producer Bruce Timm with Batman: The Animated Series, a decidedly engrossing episodic epic of superheroic proportions. Never before had Batman, his allies or his rogues gallery been so fully realized on screen; never beyond the panels of a comicbook had Gotham City's denizens been paid such respect and afforded such care. The successful, award-winning television series even birthed one of the best theatrical Batman films of all time: the oft-overlooked Mask of the Phantasm. However, while Nolan was actively weaving Timm's animated noir into the fabric of his 21st Century, live-action reboot, Warner Bros. Animation had been drifting in the opposite direction for years, slowly diluting the Batman mythos in an effort to make it more accessible to a younger generation. What a difference five years and $1.4 billion makes. Returning to the richly developed characters and arresting storylines of its roots, and referencing the tone and tenor of Begins and Dark Knight, Warner Bros. Animation has finally produced an animated film that stands shoulder to shoulder with Timm's original animated Batman series: Under the Red Hood.
You guys are so in love...
Sadly, Under the Red Hood is stifled a bit by a scattershot 1080p/VC-1 transfer that doesn't quite live up to its full potential. As fierce and striking as its animation is, as impeccable as Abell and Suzuki's character designs may be, as vibrant and razor-sharp as its high definition presentation proves to be, a host of technical issues undermine the filmmakers' efforts. Moderate to severe banding frequently afflicts light sources, rooftops and stormy Gotham skies; faint artifacts disrupt pools of blood and the Red Hood's mask (among other things); minor aliasing, pixelation and mosquito noise haunts some of the film's finer lineart; and other compression anomalies skitter into view. Be that as it may, all is not lost. Colors are undeniably bold and beautiful, and blacks often look as if they've been lifted from a freshly inked comic. The animators' linework remains crisp and stable (without any overzealous edge enhancement), and clarity is both consistent and revealing. Viewers with smaller displays may even wonder how someone could criticize Warner's encode. But compared to the BD releases of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Wonder Woman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and Green Lantern: First Flight (the last of which features a near-perfect presentation), Batman: Under the Red Hood falls short.
Warner's bombastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is an entirely different matter. Fierce, nimble and explosive, it's as hard-hitting as Batman and as aggressive as the Red Hood himself. The voice actors' dialogue is intelligible and well-prioritized throughout, settling naturally overtop of the film's oft-times rambunctious soundscape. Effects are polished and potent, infusing gunfire with hearty cak cak caks and Batman's gadgets with finely tuned micro-mechanics. Better still, the LFE channel earns a hefty paycheck (and a chest-thumping third-act bonus to boot), and dynamics are both punchy and tactful. If anything, the rear speakers aren't as energetic as I expected, offering second-rate ambience whenever conversations dominate the stage. However, as evidenced by other DC Animation productions, the likely culprit is low-budget, two-dimensional sound design, not some mysterious deficiency in the track itself. That's not to say the soundfield doesn't have its moments. Whenever Batman, Nightwing or the Red Hood take on any one of Winick's presorted baddies, every channel effectively embraces the whirlwind action that unfolds, enveloping listeners in the hand-to-hand heat of battle. The experience is still a bit shallow, especially by Hollywood standards -- fight scenes focus on two contenders at a time, even when six combatants square off -- but again, the mix is exceedingly faithful, perhaps to a fault. All things considered, Under the Red Hood sounds fantastic, and handily bests the audio tracks minted for DC's other animated releases.
The Blu-ray edition of Batman: Under the Red Hood arrives with a fairly decent supplemental package, but its content is largely hit (a Jonah Hex DC Showcase animated short and two extensive Robin documentaries) or miss (a hollow Superman/Batman Apocalypse preview and a standard definition smattering of Bruce Timm-selected bonus episodes).
I expected an anticlimactic, melodramatic dud. I expected eye-rolling fan service, superficial villains and simplistic heroes. I expected... something else entirely. Batman: Under the Red Hood isn't just the best DC animated release to date, it's one of the finest Batman stories on the home video market, animated or otherwise. It isn't perfect -- of all the cameos to employ, Amazo? -- but I have similar quibbles with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, two films I absolutely adore. (For the record: Katie Holmes' pantomimed reaction to Crane's fear toxin and Nicky Katt's ceaselessly chatty SWAT driver.) Impressive animation and character designs, exceptional voice acting, a strong story, sharp dialogue, genuine thrills, psychological depth, fast-paced action, mature themes, a magnificent third act... it's all here, primed for your enjoyment. Warner's Blu-ray release isn't going to draw the same high praise -- while it boasts a strong DTS-HD Master Audio track, it's hindered by a problematic video transfer and a limited supplemental package -- but it's still well worth the price of admission. Whether you already know what secrets lie in wait or have no idea what Winick has in store, be sure to pick up Under the Red Hood. It's that rare, direct-to-video, animated superhero flick that doesn't disappoint.
Lithograph
2010
with Figurine
2010
2010
10th Anniversary | Commemorative Edition
2011
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #13
2012
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #7
2010
Commemorative Edition | DC Universe Animated Original Movie #4
2009
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #9
2010
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #3
2008
2011
Commemorative Edition | DC Universe Animated Original Movie #2
2008
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #6
2009
DC Comics Classic Collection
2003-2004
DC Showcase Animated Shorts
2010
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #18
2013
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #1
2007
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #17
2013
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #23
2015
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #30
2017
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #19
2014
Uncut
2000
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #5
2009
Season One / Warner Archive Collection
2011-2012