One of the reasons I enjoyed the comic book was the story. Jeph Loeb does a fantastic job of showing Batman as the world's greatest detective as well as delving into his relationship problems and issues. This Batman is an intricate character. Though Batman isn't the only complicated thing in the story. Loeb keeps the reader turning the page by constructing a complex and interesting epic.
What the film does is stick to the basics of the story - well it does have to fit into an hour and twenty-one minutes. It also appears that writer, Ernie Altbacker was given instructions to bring this into the DC Universe at this time. So to tie it in with the Tim King story run on Batman a few scenes have been altered. The major trouble with this is that the Batman King writes isn't the world's greatest detective. Removing the deductive elements from the story hurts it. It might not have been too bad if it had been replaced by the logical-minded combat statistician Batman that King writes. Though it wasn't. He just kinda stumbles onto the solution.
The alterations to relate the story to what's happening in today's DC Universe is particularly evident in the changes to the characters in the story... though this doesn't always work. Killer Croc becomes Bane, the relationship between Batman and Catwoman is expanded upon (in the build-up to the Batwedding), But Clayface, as a bad guy, is a major element to this story, as is Ivy and Harley - though all of these appear to be wearing a white stetson these days. Batman, himself, even has a change of costume as he does in the ongoing King story arc. Though it's the ending I disliked the most and this is because I do not like the new version of...
Well I can't spoil it for you can I(?)
I will also warn you that there are a few expletives, though these are not required when an "Oh, Crap!" or a "Damn!" would have done. I could understand it in the Suicide Squad flick, but here it feels like a cheap gimmick just to say, "Look we're adult!"
I cannot fault the animation. This is done to the same standard of recent DC animation movies. Which, unfortunately, doesn't have the same power as Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair. The director does a good job of giving the audience a fast action-packed kick-ass face-pounding slice of entertainment.
Where it does fall a little flat is in the acting. For me, the actors and actresses who voiced Damien Wayne, Richard Greyson, Harley Quinn / Batgirl, and Joker stood out. This is a shame as, apart from Richard Greyson, the rest were bit-players. Both the leads Jason O'Mara (Batman) and Jennifer Morrison (Catwoman) sounded unemotional and bored for the most part, The rest of the cast glided through on the plane of averageness.
This is not the best of the DC Animation films but if you like what's happening at DC today then you should enjoy this film. However, I would highly recommend you buying the HUSH graphic novel and see how the story really should be told.
