This is my third review, so I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section! I'm thinking about doing more of these in the future.
The Killing Joke is known as the definitive Joker story to anyone who cares about the Clown Prince of Crime. The defining aspect of the Joker is how ambiguous his backstory is, and yet Alan Moore’s ‘88 novel struck a chord with fans of the character, especially in how it allowed for other origins to be created. “If I have to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice.”
It will be hard to review the “Killing Joke” portion of this film due to the direct interpretation of the source material, so you might find more meat in the review aspects of the Batgirl prequel.
Due to the lack of material, this movie would’ve been better as a short film, but the team of Bruce Timm and Brian Azzarello wanted to do more for fans of the story. The addition of the Batgirl backstory was a great idea, but how was the execution? I take a look at some key features of the film, and how they stacked up to each other, down below.
Again, SPOILERS ahead.
The Good
Mark Hamill - Mark Hamill, the voice of the Joker since the animated Batman series from the 90’s, has such a passion for the Joker that, despite trying to quit time after time, he cannot resist another opportunity to play the beloved character. The Killing Joke had a wonderful theater experience where you got to hear about Mark’s take on the Joker, and his evolution into the definitive voice of the Harlequin of Hate. The case used to be made, that if Mark Hamill were to quit playing the Joker, his grand exit would be the Killing Joke, and his performance here is no less than his best. His responsibility at taking on a different iteration of the Joker was not taken lightly, just as it wasn’t when he took on the Arkham series’ iteration. Bravo.
The Joker - There isn’t much to say about the Joker here. His characterization and backstory were executed perfectly, and even the aspects of the film that were added in weren’t unnecessary additions (look no further than his “I Go Looney” musical number to see this play out).
Lifting the Source Material - The creative team behind this film did a brilliant job letting the film play out like the comics. The additions to the film didn’t hinder it at all, and the changes were so subtle that it felt natural to the story. I applaud the team for allowing the film to breathe in a way that you don’t get from a graphic novel.; due to the fact that a movie has to flow, rather than the stopping of a comic/graphic novel, I expected it to be choppy in places, but I was wrong.
Paris Franz - This means the character as well as his involvement in the prequel. I think that his infatuation with Batgirl is a wonderful parallel to the Joker’s obsession with Batman, even though it is in the earlier stage. Paris is a great tool to show how the words that Batman says to Batgirl are not idle, he is a representation of what could go wrong with your nemesis. Nothing really crucial here, but it was a solid character entry into the DC Universe.
The Meh
Batman/Kevin Conroy - I’ve never been a huge fan of Kevin Conroy himself, but it undeniable that he created the Batman that we all love. His voice work is great, yet something felt off about his performance in this movie to me personally. The reason that I lumped the character and the actor together here is that I felt the same way about Batman. He never felt invested in anything that happened in the movie, and it didn’t feel like the definitive take on the character that I’ve grown to love since the 90s and through his multiple performances.
Batgirl/Tara Strong - This was tough. Tara has always been great as the character, so I wanted to put her in the good, but I think Batgirl should go in “the bad” so that’s how I just landed in “the meh.” Batgirl has some truly outstanding character moments, but unfortunately, they were just thrown away in the following scenes. In an attempt to create a compelling character and give you reason to feel her pain when she’s shot, the writers just totally blew this chance and made me care LESS about her being shot. I think that this was due to 2 things;
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Batgirl’s relationship with Batman, and
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The subsequent dropping of the Batgirl mantle due to the dysfunction.
Batman and Batgirl have, in my interpretation, always been more of a big brother/little sister. Where Batman was a father to the Robins, I always saw Batgirl as a respected partner, not an underling, due to how she could carry herself. Now, I could rant about why their romantic relationship doesn’t work as much as I want, but the fact of the matter is that, just like with Leto’s Joker, this is just a new interpretation of a character and I have to deal with it. What threw me off his how faithful the Killing Joke aspects are to the character history, and how off the characters were in the Batgirl sequences.
The Bad
The Animation - As with Batgirl, I was having a little trouble on where to place this. When the animation was good, it was good, but there were spots where it was just awful, and it really threw off some key moments of the film for me personally. I think that due to how it affected my viewing experience, it deserves a “bad.” One of the weakest entries into the DC Animated Universe in this regard. The coloration could’ve also been more faithful to the comic book, since that is something that we all love about the original work; while I appreciate the “real” look, it would’ve been cool.
The Ugly
None
Overall, The Killing Joke is a wonderful way to experience the comic that you love in a new light. While there are aspects of the movie that could’ve been executed better, I don’t think that there is anything that takes you out of the movie entirely. Even if you don’t enjoy the Batgirl aspects, once the Killing Joke story starts up, you’re right back into the fray, invested in every moment.
Out of the 4 ratings I give (good, meh, bad, ugly), The Killing Joke gets a GOOD.
Pick it up on bluray, whether on release day or Black Friday; I think that it’s a fun movie to have in your inventory, just as the graphic novel is.
What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts on the movie itself, or on my review. I know I missed some things, but with such a long system, I’m trying to find ways to cut it down. Maybe I’ll start recording videos?