Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One is the best DC animated movie in years, a dark, atmospheric and suspenseful crime drama. Jensen Ackles is a surprisingly great Batman, Troy Baker is reliably perfect as Joker and Naya Rivera, Josh Duhamel and Billy Burke are all great. The animation is excellent and Chris Palmer's direction is really good. The music by Michael Gatt is good. It's reasonably well paced although some of the time jumps are a little jarring.

The first part of a movie that is split into two parts, Batman: The Long Halloween Part One is the first half of the latest DC Animated Movie. Based on the critically acclaimed thirteen-issue limited series that lasted a year (from December of 1996 to December of 1997), this movie, set during Batman's early years as a crime fighter, as he was called in when the nephew of mob boss Carmine Falcone is found murdered after agreeing to aid Harvey Dent with taking him down, causing the caped crusader and district attorney to join forces to take down the Falcone crime family. However, things take a turn for the worst as a Holiday Killer is on the prowl, killing various gangsters on Falcone's side on holidays, and Harvey is showing a darker side in his war against Falcone.

Now this is a movie that feels like a Batman movie. The dark atmosphere it builds up fits with the caped crusader, and the mystery aspect of the plot is neat. Also, the voice cast is perfect, and we get a good selection of characters, with The Joker, Catwoman, Calendar Man, and even Solomon Grundy making appearances.

Fans have been disappointed by recent animated adaptations of Killing Joke and Hush. I've been more disappointed by the recent batch of animated films like the boring voice cast for Justice Society and the Batman-less Soul Of The Dragon. I'm pleased to say they've delivered an outstanding part one of the Long Halloween. I was thoroughly entertained. The voice cast is fantastic. Naya is quite possibly the best animated Catwoman for me. Troy Baker delivers a spot on Joker channelling Mark Hamill which adds to the atmosphere and style of the Batman animated series from 1992. All this adds up to a win win release.

The animation the tone the background music the cast everything is excellent in setting up the type of the batman animated movie we would like to see. It portrays batman in his early years so he has less of detective skill than we are used to which may be covered in part 2 but this movie is as satisfying as a batman movie could be. Do give it a watch.

"Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One" is a fine kickoff and jump start done in fine animation as it's take on the classic graphic novel is entertaining and interesting a mystery like feel of drama and twist. As the times in Gotham are dark as the power struggles with Captain Gordon, D. A. Dent, and the Falcone crime family all blend in with a new wild card subplot and that's the holiday killer who murders on every holiday! All this blends an underworld of corruption and terror, along the way as Batman becomes involved Catwoman and the Joker play key figures in the chain of events with twist! If you like D. C. comics then yes watch this.