I love all of the superhero movies, both animated and not...this
one is no different. It is a great Batman movie. It is so good that I was
disappointed when it was over so soon. That's the mark of any good movie.
This movie is based on a series of comics of the same name. It is very dark
compared to the earlier Batman comics. It starts with Commissioner Gordon coming
to Gotham, and Bruce Wayne returning to town for the first time after his
parents were killed there. He is in his 20's and has not yet invented Batman.
The story is narrated partly by Batman and partly by Gordon.
It has some similarities and/or overlap with the recent Batman movies that you
will probably recognize. Most of it is about Gordon fighting against police
corruption. I don't want to ruin too much of the plot for you. It's a really
good story.
They chose some great actors to play the voices in the movie. Ben McKenzie
(Southland, The O.C.), one of my favorite actors, stars as Batman. Gordon is
played by Emmy winner Brian Cranston (Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle).
Veteran character actors Jon Polito and Alex Rocco portray the big bad gangsters
that Gordon and Wayne fight against. Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire
Slayer) plays Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, CSI)
plays Detective Essen, who works very closely with Gordon.
The DVD has many sneak previews as well some great special features. There is a
behind-the-scenes feature all about the Batman comics, particularly "Year One"
and how it came about. There are also two bonus cartoons featuring Catwoman.
This was all very enjoyable to watch.
Any comic book fan should love this disc set (especially Batman fans).
More Information:
LEGENDARY TALE COMES TO ANIMATED LIFE
FRANK MILLER'S ORIGIN STORY OF THE DARK KNIGHT IS
AN ALL-NEW DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE
BATMAN: YEAR ONE
Coming OCTOBER 18, 2011 FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO
Three-time Emmy Award Winner Bryan Cranston and Southland Star
Ben McKenzie Joined by Fanboy Faves Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff in
Stellar Voice Cast; Available as Blu-rayTM Combo Pack & DVD
RELEASE ALSO INCLUDES DC SHOWCASE SHORT, cATWOMAN
BURBANK, CA, (July 14, 2011) - Comics legend Frank Miller's classic
retelling of Batman's gritty, formative days makes its full-length
animated debut in Batman: Year One, the next entry in the popular,
ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by
Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the
all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives October 18, 2011 from Warner Home
Video as a Blu-ray(tm) Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP), On
Demand and for Download.
Batman: Year One is based on the landmark 1987 DC Comics titles from
12-time Eisner Award winner Frank Miller and illustrator David
Mazzucchelli. The film depicts young Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City
in his first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante. The
playboy billionaire chooses the guise of a giant bat to combat crime,
creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon (who is already
battling corruption from inside the police department), inadvertently
plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a crooked
political system that infests Gotham.
Primetime television stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ben McKenzie
(Southland, The O.C.), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) provide the core voices for
Batman: Year One. Three-time Emmy(r) Award winner Cranston gives voice to
young Jim Gordon, while McKenzie makes his animated voiceover debut as
Bruce Wayne/Batman. Fanboy favorites Dushku and Sackhoff fill the roles of
Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Detective Sarah Essen, respectively. Alex Rocco
(The Godfather) is the voice of crime lord Carmine Falcone.
Animation master Bruce Timm is executive producer of Batman: Year One.
Directors are Lauren Montgomery (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) and Sam Liu
(All-Star Superman) from a script penned by Academy Award(r) nominee Tab
Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse).
"Batman: Year One offers fans and newcomers alike an animated
perspective on one of the true benchmark works in Batman comics
history," said Hersin Magante, Warner Home Video Marketing Manager,
Family &, Animation.. "Bruce Timm and the Warner Bros. Animation team have
gone to great lengths to realize Frank Miller's ground-breaking,
influential vision. Batman: Year One stands tall as the next DC Universe
Animated Original Movie."
Batman: Year One Blu-ray(tm) Combo Pack has almost 3 hours of exciting
content, including:
* Feature film
* Sneak Peek at Justice League: Doom, the next DC Universe
Animated Original Movie
* DC Showcase Animated Original Short - "Catwoman": This all-new
entry to the growing canon of DC Universe animated shorts features the
first first solo tale centered around Catwoman. The felonious feline's
adventure takes her through the seedy streets of Gotham City. Catwoman is
voiced by Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Tru Calling).
* Featurette -"Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots":
"The Dark Knight Returns" provided the denouement of Batman's life.
Frank Miller's next seminal work would provide his near-mythic origin in
"Batman: Year One." This documentary uncovers the contemporary genius of
Miller and the audience that was poised to appreciate the depths of his
work.
* Featurette -"Conversations with DC Comics": The Batman creative
team at DC Entertainment discusses the personal influence of "Batman: Year
One" on their careers. Batman producer Michael Uslan leads the chat
amongst well-known writers, editors and artists of the Batman lore,
focusing their dialogue on the darker, realistic interpretation of
Batman's origins by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
* Audio Commentary with Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin and
Andrea Romano
* "Batman: Year One, Chapter 1" Digital Comic Book
* Two bonus episodes from "Batman: The Animated Series,"
handpicked by Bruce Timm
* Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
* Digital copy on disc of the feature film compatible with iTunes
and Windows
About Warner Premiere:
Warner Premiere, part of Warner Bros. Entertainment, specializes in the
development and production of both features and digital content for home
entertainment platforms. Past projects include Another Cinderella Story,
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins and Batman: Under the Red Hood, as well as
the digital series Watchmen Motion Comics. Warner Premiere is at the
creative forefront in the made-for-home entertainment marketplace,
producing properties that exemplify the commitment to story, production
and brand equity for which Warner Bros. is known.
About Warner Home Video:
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a
Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, a division of the Warner Bros. Home
Entertainment Group, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in
the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the
largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from
the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle
Rock Entertainment, HBO Video and New Line Home Entertainment.
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group:
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros.
Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive
entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical operations
and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and
next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the
global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and
VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels,
and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third
party videogame titles.
About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to such iconic DC Comics properties as Superman,
Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash, MAD Magazine, and Fables, is
the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner
Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key
Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its superheroic characters across all
media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products,
home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing over 1,000 comic
books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Comics is the largest
English-language publisher of comics in the world.
BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and (c)
DC Comics. (s11)
About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of
animation in the entertainment industry, with an innovative and
talent-rich roster boasting some of the most accomplished writers,
producers and artists working today. The studio is on the cutting edge of
animation technology, and has both CG and traditionally animated projects
in current production and development. In 2010, WBA unveiled three new CG
cartoon shorts that feature iconic Looney Tunes characters Wile E. Coyote
and Road Runner, rendered in stereoscopic 3D. The films have been released
theatrically, attached to Warner Bros. Pictures releases. For television,
WBA currently produces Batman: The Brave and the Bold, The Looney Tunes
Show, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, MAD and Young Justice for Cartoon
Network, and will soon launch ThunderCats, Green Lantern: The Animated
Series and more. WBA also creates the highly successful series of DC
Universe Original Animated Movies for DVD. Producing for multiple
platforms including TV, digital and home entertainment both domestically
and internationally, WBA is highly respected for its creative and
technical excellence, as well as for maintaining the Studio's rich cartoon
heritage. It is also the home of the iconic animated characters from the
DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries. One of the
most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has been honored with six
Academy Awards(r), 35 Emmy(r) Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an
Environmental Media Award, a Parents' Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize,
two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).
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