5.0 out of 5 stars The original "BATMAN BEGINS".

E.M.R. · October 11, 2012

After watching and enjoying the recently released "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" from DC Animated, I had to pick us this movie as well. I enjoyed this movie even more than the previous one, and definitely think that any Batman fan (casual or comic enthusiast) should give this movie a spin.Just like "The Dark Knight Returns", Batman Year One is based upon a graphic novel of the same name. Coincidentally this story was also written by Frank Miller, but drawn by someone else, and was created and released after The Dark Knight returns. Batman Year One is also viewed as one of the seminal Batman stories, which influenced comics to come, and even influenced Chris Nolan's "Batman Begins." Unfortunately, I have never read this book, with the exception of previews on Bolo. I really liked the art, and plan on buying it in the near future.I like to call this story the "Original Batman Begins." This story focuses on Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City, after 12 years of travelling the world. Unlike the Nolan film, this movie does not really allude to what Bruce has been doing in his absence, but he has come back with a purpose: to clean the streets of Gotham City. I really like this story because you get to see Batman struggling through his birthing pains, and finding his new identity as Batman. Initially, he is not the smooth polished and precise Batman; we have all come to know.This story also heavily focuses on the "New Cop in Town", LT James Gordon. Gordon comes to Gotham, and seeing the corruption, tries to make a difference. Inevitably, Gordon and Batman form an alliance that will define their relationship for many years to come.I do not want to give away too much, but in this story we do not see batman going up against the "Rogues Gallery." Instead, his enemy is the general corruption in Gotham, whether it be corrupt cops, crime bosses, or street criminals. In some ways this story has a more realistic feel than a lot of Batman stories, you don't have multitudes of costumed criminals or vigilantes causing mayhem, which really emphasizes the oddness of Batman.The animation style is keeping in line with the "America-anime'" influence seen in most DC Animated features. The animation is very different from the original artwork of the comics. I would have preferred a closer appearance to the original, but because of the impressionistic tone of the original, I assume that DC Animated did not find it marketable, and I cannot blame them. I will say though, that even if the animation seems different, the content was dead on, and I say frame by frame. Like I said, I have only seen parts of the graphic novel, but the parts that I did see, where depicted line by line, which is pretty awesome.I bought the two disc DVD version, and I must say it was worth it. Included with this set you get an extra Catwoman short movie (20 minutes or so), 2 Batman the Animated Series Cartoons (focused on Catwoman but still awesome, and a great Comic History of Batman documentary. The Catwoman movie was ok. I loved the Batman the Animated Series episodes, but I love them all. My favorite feature was the documentary. This documentary, which includes various comic book artists and writers, chronicles the publishing history of Batman, from dark beginnings (Bob Kane) to it's bizarre and Campy era (1950s-1960s and Adam West TV Show), to its return to darkness ( 1970s, Frank Miller, etc). This documentary was very imformative, but still very entertaining.For a Batman comics fan, this movie is definitely a must buy. For the casual Batman fan (like myself) I think this movie is a good springboard into a whole new world. After watching this movie I want to pick up a lot more Batman graphic novels, and catch up on what I have been missing out on all these years.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great film, great quality.

T. · February 8, 2013

I'm sure most people buying this blu-ray have already read the graphic novel, so I won't recap it. Instead, I'll focus on the blu-ray quality and extra features on the disc.As expected of any modern movie burned onto a blu-ray disc, the sound and image quality are superb. Not much to write here, since if you have watched a blu-ray movie on an HDTV before, you know what to expect. Crisp image quality, great sound clarity. No pixelation or artifacting to be found. Everything runs smoothly and is a delight for the senses.This disc comes with a bunch of extra goodies. The Catwoman extra is pretty entertaining. Year One isn't particularly action-packed, not that it's supposed to be. In contrast to the great character development in the main feature, the Catwoman featurette is packed with action. The animation is top notch and the directing is very well done. I was kind of skeptical since I was expecting a half-baked extra tacked on just to entice audiences, but it was actually very entertaining and I certainly plan to watch it again if I feel like watching some awesome Catwoman action. The disc also comes with several interviews, which is always great to get some insight from big names who have worked with the Caped Crusader. If you are one to enjoy getting into the minds of the artists behind The Batman, then this will be a treat indeed. Plus there are two episodes from two different versions of Batman animated series. One is from the classic Batman: The Animated Series, and I forget what the other series was. Still, a great bonus that DC was humble enough to allow on the disc.Overall, the I would highly recommend getting this film on blu-ray. You will want to see the art in as high a quality as possible. The art is beautiful and deserves the HD treatment. Plus, all of the bonus features will be enough to please any Batman fanboy/fangirl. And for the price you can get this on Bolo, it's well worth the 15-20ish dollars, depending on price fluctuations. Hell, this thing is worth more than that, if you ask me. This is a must for any collector or die-hard fan of Batman.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully animated adaptation

M.P. · October 18, 2011

Modern animated movies are mostly 3D (often poorly done since majority of them are not done by Pixar) so it's really great to see a traditionally animated flick come out every now and then. The animation quality on this one was astounding, having seen Under The Red Hood an hour prior.This is a very dark cartoon in the same way that Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were very dark films. There are many mature scenes in it and I really liked it for that. I haven't read the graphic novel from which this movie was adapted but I did read Dark Knight Returns & 300 and I don't think I'm a big fan of Frank Miller. ...but I did really like this story.I haven't read every Detective Comic nor am I 100% familiar with all the stories surrounding the caped crusader, but I've read and seen enough to think that this is a great product.

An Awesome Origin for the Batman!

A.F.a.o.T.A.S. · December 30, 2013

4.5 out of 5After spending many years abroad, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City to fulfill the vow to rid it of crime that he made to his deceased parents when he was a boy. At the same time, Chicago cop James Gordon moves to Gotham to start with the GCPD. Soon, Bruce adopts the identity of the Batman and makes war on Gotham's crime families, with James Gordon hot on his tail as the cop tries to take down the vigilante crime fighter.I love origin stories. The mythology of characters, their history, their motivations, the events leading up to the creation of a super identity--all of it's gold in my book. Batman: Year One is such a story, giving you not only Batman's origin, but the chance to walk a mile in his shoes during his first year as a crime fighter. You get to see him test the waters, make mistakes, have some wins and losses, and watch as he earns the trust of Gotham's finest.This movie is a down-to-earth story about Batman and James Gordon, very much a crime story versus a superhero-vs-supervillain tale. Batman deals with real world criminals in real world ways. You also get a glimpse into the hard life he leads, what he gives up to be Batman, and how he balances life as a fool in the public eye so he could be a fear to the criminal underworld at night.You also get to see a different side of James Gordon, the marriage trouble, his humanity, and the plight of being a good cop in a bad town. His portrayal makes him every bit a hero as Batman in this story.This flick is based on the one-shot comic book by comics superstar Frank Millar and matches the book's style for the most part, really bringing it to life.This is a story of beginnings so the pacing is different than what most people are used to, and instead of having a beginning, middle, big lead up to a climax then end, it has--to me, anyway--more of a beginning, middle and then part of an end because it's really a prequel to all the other Batman stories that come after it. Which is fine. It works, but I remember going, "Is that it?" when it ended after I first watched it.I'm glad that Batman's first year was brought to the small screen and I hope more first year stories are made for other heroes. Superman next would be great.Recommended.

GORDON: Year One

L. · October 31, 2011

Seht die Geburt einer Legende! Warner Animation präsentiert eine eins zu eins Comicverfilmung von Frank Millers Klassiker Batman: Year One. Und wenn ich sage eine eins zu eins Comicverfilmung, dann meine ich eine eins zu eins Comicverfilmung. Einer der erfolgreichsten Comics aller Zeiten wurde Wort für Wort, Bild für Bild von einer Comicebene in eine Animationsebene übersetzt.Zur Story:Wie der Titel schon verrät zeigt Batman: Year One das erste Jahr des Dunklen Ritters. Dabei ist das Augenmerk nicht nur auf Batman/Bruce Wayne gerichtet, sondern auch auf den heimlichen Star des Films James Gordon, wessen Charakter sich ebenfalls entscheidend entwickelt. Denn Gotham City brauch dringend Hilfe. Die Mafia kontrolliert die Stadt, es herrscht Gewalt und Prostitution auf den Straßen und gekaufte oder geschmierte Cops tun nichts dagegen. An dieser Stelle sei gesagt, der Film ist inhaltlich nicht unbedingt was für kleinere Kinder und die FSK16 Freigabe in Ordnung geht.Wer sich jetzt denkt, momentmal das hab ich doch schon alles in Christopher Nolans BATMAN BEGINS gesehen hat teilweise recht. Aber denkt dran den Comic gab es zuerst und BATMAN BEGINS hat sich unteranderem dieses Comic als Basis für den Film genommen.Zur Animation:Wie schon erwähnt wurden die Bilder aus dem Comic fast 'Strich für Strich' aus dem Comic entnommen. Die Charakterdarstellung und die Hintergründe wurden zwar ein wenig aktualisiert, verlieren aber nicht ihren Wiedererkennungswert. Gotham ist eine hässliche und gewalttätige Stadt und genau in diesen Farben und Charakterzügen wird sie auch gezeigt! Ein dickes Plus an den Film, in so einer Stadt will man wirklich nicht leben!Generell ist die Animation sehr sauber und flüssig. Man hat gute Kontraste und Farben. Die Actionszenen sind dabei besonders hervorzuheben. Auch besonders gut hat mir das Lichtspiel in diesem Film gefallen, wenn sich z.B. Gordons Brille weiß spiegelt und auch die Regenanimation an verschiedenen Fensterscheiben sind einen Blick wert.Die Sprecher wurden alle wieder sehr gut gecastet und auch hier wieder der Hinweis sich den Film mal auf Englisch anzuschauen. Viele (ich übrigens auch) sind nicht unbedingt von McKenzies (Batman) Stimme angetan. Ich verstehe ja dass ein junger Bruce Wayne gezeigt werden sollte und den kaufe ich ihm auch ab, aber Batman? Zugegeben mit viel Hall und düsterer Stimmung wirken zwei, drei Momente echt gut aber komplett hat es mich nicht überzeugt. Ist aber Geschmackssache :)Zu den Specials (Blu-Ray):-Batman kehrt zurück zu seinen Wurzeln:Eine kleine Diskussionsrunde über den Anfang von Batman, über die wilden 60er und sein heutiges düsteres auftreten. Sehr interessant und sehenswert.-Im Gespräch mit DC Comics:Wieder eine kleine Diskussionsrunde über den Einfluss von Frank Millers Arbeit (Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns) auf die heutigen Comics und Filme. Auch sehr sehenswert und interessant.-Das erste Kapitel von Batman: Year One in digitaler Form-Bruce Timm präsentiert 2 Folgen von Batman the animated series:Catwalk und Cult of the Cat (beide im 4:3 Format in englischer Sprache mit deutschen Untertiteln).-Eine Vorschau von DCs nächsten Film Justice League: Doom-DC Showcase präsentiert Catwoman (auf Englisch mit dt. Untertiteln). Ich muss leider sagen das Catwoman der für mich schwächste Teil ist. Zwar ist er nett anzuschauen aber mehr auch nicht :(Fazit:OK zugegeben, wer schon Batman: Year One gelesen hat, hat auch schon fast den ganzen Film gesehen. Ich kann die Frustration einiger Filmfreunde verstehen die sagen, warum wurden die Charaktere nicht weiter ausgebaut (z.B. Sarah Essen) oder warum hat man nicht mehr Catwoman gezeigt? Aber ich glaube auch das Fans sehr gerne was zum Nörgeln haben. Bei allen anderen Filmen war es ihnen viel zu viel Interpretation der Schöpfer und hier, wo man wirklich versucht hat jede Seite penibel genau zu verfilmen ist es auf einmal zu wenig Interpretation für neues Zeug und Lückenstopfer. Aber man kanns nicht jeden Recht machen!!!Batman Fans sollten glücklich sein einen der besten Klassiker in animierten Bildern sehen zu dürfen und alle die davon noch nie was gehört haben werden einen Gordon in einer Art und Weise erleben, die es so noch nicht in bewegten Bildern gab. Erweitert euer Wissen und erlebt die Rettung Gotham Citys mal aus der Perspektive und die Augen von Jim Gordon.

Very Batman Begins

G.M.A. · June 30, 2013

Very enjoyable for people who are disappointed Nolan's trilogy has ended. The Guy from the OC does the voice. Cheers.

Un bon résumé des débuts du chevalier noir

n. · April 7, 2013

Bon film d'animation qui nous fait découvrir les débuts de Bruce Wayne en tant que justicier de Gotham.Très bonne image avec un son qui vous met dans l'ambiance.A conseiller aux fans de Batman.

SIN DOBLAJE EN ESPAÑOL DE ESPAÑA

C. · August 16, 2016

Confirmo que a pesar de ser una muy buena edición pero no incluye doblaje en español de España. Sólo español latino.