Batman: The Killing Joke is probably the most important Batman comics of all time. It establishes The Joker’s origin, tears down characters so they can rebuild themselves, and raises some interesting themes and questions for not only Batman, but most of society.
When it was revealed last year that DC was working on an animated feature film based on theKilling Joke comic that would star Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as The Dark Knight and Clown Prince of Crime respectively, I knew we were going to be in for a real treat. This is the film fans have been dying to see since DC started making animated films.
A few nights ago I got the lucky chance to go see the movie I have been waiting years to see on the big screen with a bucket of popcorn and ice cold Coke in my hands. The theater was filled to the brim with Batman fans wearing their Batman apparel. Fans chatted with other moviegoers about the upcoming Suicide Squad film, Batman comics, and much more. There was not one person in this theater that was not fully invested in the characters in the Batman universe. It was an atmosphere unlike any other.
The lights dimmed and we were greeted with a clip from a DC executive who introduced Mark Hamill, who then began to talk about the story of The Killing Joke. He spoke on how his career as The Joker has slowly escalated from a somewhat edgy character in a children’s show in Batman: The Animated Series to a full blown R-rated film that brings out the darkest side of the character. It was clear he was passionate about not only The Joker himself, but the iconic story that is The Killing Joke.
You’re probably wondering, how badly did they screw it up? It’s hard to adapt something iconic and not mess it up. There are exceptions to this, but rarely is an adaptation on this scale pulled off to perfection. Let me just say, DC almost did it. Almost.
If you enjoy a good movie, I have no problem recommending this to you. This is an excellent movie if you have no prior knowledge of this story, however, if you have read the comic, there's a different dynamic to the adaptation that can only be fleshed out through conversation.
As you may have heard by now, to extend the runtime and put a little twist on it, DC added a Batgirl-centric prologue that is roughly 20-30 minutes. I personally didn’t mind this for the most part. The prologue does an excellent job of establishing Batgirl for viewers who are unfamiliar with the character. We see her fighting alongside Batman, taking initiative to prove to Batman that she is strong enough to fight alongside him. Of course, her cockiness gets her into trouble and she ends up needing Batman to give her a helping hand most of the time.
There’s an excellent scene between Batgirl and Batman, when he tells her she can’t keep going out to take down a criminal who has grown a personal attachment to her. It shows that this Batman has lost all hope in humanity, he doesn’t 'know' fun and fighting crime isn’t a thrill anymore. In fact, it seems like Batman really just hates being Batman. He is cold and does it because Batman has taken over Bruce Wayne. Bruce is gone, it’s just Batman now.
We barely see Bruce without the cowl over his head, in fact it’s limited to one scene and even then he’s still being Batman because he’s in the Batcave working at his computer.
Now, here’s where my problem with this prologue comes in. Batgirl is in love with Batman in this story, which doesn’t particularly bother me too much until you can tell Batman is in love with her too. Batman shouldn’t show feelings for Batgirl, she’s like a daughter to him! He doesn’t want her to go down the same dark path he has had to go down. Sure, one could argue this connection is supposed to make the big event from The Killing Joke have a bigger impact on the audience and Batman, but wouldn’t a father/daughter element be emotionally stronger than a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship?
The relationship didn’t stop at just having mutual feelings though, the two straight up have sex on a rooftop. We see Batgirl kiss Batman, and then Batman moves his hand on to Batgirl’s rear and then next thing you know Batgirl’s shirt is off and all you can see is her breasts. It felt like one of those creepy drawings that people on Tumblr make of two characters who really shouldn’t have a sexual relationship, but they are doing it anyway. Although Batman does clearly regret doing it, it still felt bizarre and out of place. People in my theater actually commented on the scene angrily as it happened. It was a key talking point around the crowd once the credits rolled as well, it clearly hit a nerver for many people.
After the prologue, we kick into high gear and go straight into one of the best adaptations I have ever seen. The Killing Joke has some of the most iconic and memorable illustrations and this film almost perfectly replicates every single one of them. It was as if they ripped the pages straight out of the graphic novel and added animations to it. Everything looked exactly as I remembered it from when I read it many years ago. It was perfection. Everything down to that final shot between Joker and Batman standing in the rain was exactly how you remember it in your head. You could read the graphic novel as you watched the movie and probably be able to point out only a few details that are slightly different in the movie. I can’t even imagine how much time they spent perfecting each shot in this movie. For that, I tip my non-existent hat to the animators.
The performances in The Killing Joke are excellent, Hamill is instantly recognizable as The Joker and Conroy still brings that gruff voice to The Caped Crusader and boy would I be lying if I told you it didn’t bring a tear to my eye when I heard the two start laughing together in those final seconds of the film.
Hamill steals the show as always, but not just as The Joker. When we see him before his descent into madness as a comedian down on his luck, I asked myself “Wait, is that still Hamill?” because it sounds nothing like him at first! You can still hear a little bit of The Joker we know and love in his voice but he sounds like a normal person. His performance is absolutely brilliant and he pulls off two almost completely different characters with nothing but success. I must admit, he made me feel really sympathetic for The Joker for the second time in a little over a year after his portrayal of the character in Batman: Arkham Knight. He also adds some much needed humor to the incredibly dark story, making you laugh at even the darkest of times. That final joke that he tells Batman at the end really got a laugh out of me and many others even though we knew it was coming.
The final 10-15 minutes of this movie where Batman and The Joker finally come face to face is absolutely riveting and brilliant. The Joker provides excellent dialogue that show how dark and somewhat philosophical the character is all while testing Batman’s physical abilities in battle in a one to one recreation of The Joker’s kitchen which is flipped upside down, where his world is literally flipped upside down. The music alongside The Joker’s insane ranting gave me goosebumps right up to the moment the two enemies fly right outside the window.
Is this the perfect movie many fans were waiting for? Just barely. It could have been slightly better, but that doesn’t stop me from recommending this film to every Batman fan I know. It remains incredibly faithful to the original Alan Moore graphic novel, for the most part, while having the benefit of being a film allowing it to add excellent sound effects and music. It even enhanced sequences that don’t read very well without the added sound effects and music.
Batman: The Killing Joke is as close to a perfect adaptation we will ever get and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys not only Batman, but a good story of good vs evil, morality, and tragedy.
