Batman: The Killing Joke

The hype surrounding this adaptation persuaded me to see it. I even got to see it on the big screen. I usually don’t see R-rated films but it depends on why the film was rated thusly. Sometimes, filmmakers will aim for the R-rating by including too much swearing, violence or sexuality. The focus on the story is pushed aside in the unnecessary quest for offensiveness. “Batman: The Killing Joke” on the other hand is R-rated because the filmmakers wanted to stay true to the original source material: the graphic novel from 1988. I first got a taste of this comic by watching the documentary “Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight”, which used a lot of frames from the graphic novel. Unfortunately, the major parts of the plot of the novel were spoiled for me as the release date for “The Killing Joke” approached. Also, after seeing the movie, I could immediately tell that the film version had story structure problems that are inherent whenever a plot is stretched in order to fill time. Besides those flaws, the show wasn’t bad. I am sure it will please some fans.

I think I would have enjoyed this movie a lot more if I had gone in blind. I knew before the movie started about a possible romantic angle between Batman and Batgirl, the Joker’s attack on Barbara (even though I didn’t know what it resulted in) and the fact that the film had an opening not part of the original source material. It is this latter spoiler that was the biggest flaw of “The Killing Joke”. The film actually felt like two TV episodes shown back-to-back and there was no connection between the two parts. For one thing, Paris Franz is only in the start of the film. If you were to see only the second half of the movie, which was adapted from the source material, you wouldn’t miss anything. This kind of flaw is common such as in the adaptations of Dr. Seuss books, whether it is into live action or computer animation. It appear to be much easier to condense of book’s story into a feature film such as with the Harry Potter series than to extend a short story to feature length. I think the intercutting with the Joker’s back story was nice but this is where the film could have followed the original story structure of the source material and still incorporate the Batman/Batgirl side plot. I know I start to sound childish when I say “This is what I would have done” but I only wish to illustrate my point about poor narrative structure. The film could have started out just like the book with the Joker’s back story rather than intercut it with the “present day” scenes. After it is revealed that the Joker is no longer in Arkham, the hunt for him could have complicated by Paris Franz. Maybe Franz could have tricked our heroes by using the Joker’s disappearance as bait for Batgirl, even though the two villains are not actually in cahoots. This is where the film would not only portray the moments from the book when Batman visits those in the underworld in his search for the Joker but also his night with Batgirl. Then comes the attack on the Gordons and the Joker leaves a clue that leads Batman to the amusement park. These changes in the order of the plot would have allowed Batman to be more emotionally invested in the climax. I think the underlying reason why fans do not like the romantic angle between Batman and Batgirl is that it is not referenced in the film after Batgirl retires. This relationship does feel a little risqué considering that past-animated versions have had the two characters depicted as teacher and student. However, Batgirl is portrayed older than her animated counterpart in the 90’s and Batman in “The Killing Joke” with his mask off in the Batcave doesn’t look that much older. The mid-credit scene by the way is my introduction to Oracle.

I liked the animation and the film’s overall design. It felt like a combination between DC animation, anime and the source material. Although, when I see frames of the comic book, it feels like a work of art. The cinematic adaptation of “The Killing Joke” doesn’t look exactly like its source so the appeal of the graphic novel is somewhat lost in the translation from book to screen. I have seen R-rated movies that were a lot grittier and nastier than this. For example, I feel “South Park” is more extreme and that is a TV show. In terms of sensuality, “Family Guy” pushes the boundaries more than “The Killing Joke” did. Probably, the R-rating was an attempt to not offend anyone. I don’t condone the stuff you see in this film; what I’m saying is that DC animation exercised some restraint and I am thankful for that.

Mark Hamill in 2011 said he was going to retire from voicing the Joker unless they adapted “The Killing Joke”. It seems that got the ball rolling. It was great to see Kevin Conroy and Tara Strong also reprise their respective roles but Conroy’s choice of voice has changed a bit since the 90’s. Other names I recognized in this movie were John DiMaggio and Brian George. Another reason why this movie wasn’t perfect is that fans demanded it and the filmmakers complied. No one asked for a “Guardians of the Galaxy” or “Big Hero 6” adaptation but Marvel/Disney saw potential. When filmmakers are forced to make sequels or adaptations because of popular demand, their creative drive to make something special can be forfeited. “Batman: The Killing Joke” was entertaining but because of its narrative structure, it wasn’t perfect. Other factors ruined the experience but not completely.

3.5 Stars