Batman: Gotham Knight is a 2008 animated direct-to-DVD anthology film of six animated short films set in-between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The shorts, or segments, are written by Josh Olson, David Goyer, Brian Azzarello, Greg Rucka, Jordan Goldberg and Alan Burnett. Each segment has its own writing and artistic style, just as the works from the DC Universe.[2][3] The six films all star Kevin Conroy, reprising his role as Batman from the DC Animated Universe.
It is similar to another tie-in, The Animatrix, as both are collections of short animated films relating to their respective series. It is the third in the line of DC Universe Original Animated Movies released by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation; with the first two releases being Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, and the next release following will be Wonder Woman. It is rated PG-13 for stylized violence, including some bloody images,[4], but it is not the first animated Batman film to be rated PG-13 (that claim goes to the uncut version of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker ). This film is notable for being the first DC Original Animated movie to have a connection with another Batman media. While Superman Doomsday and Justice League: New Frontier have been released in the United Kingdom with a 12 rating, Batman: Gotham Knight is being accompanied with a 15 certificate for "images of bloody violence and injury".
Segments
Have I Got A Story For You (Studio 4°C)
Plot
Written by Josh Olson. A street kid meets with three of his friends at a skate park. All three of them claim to have seen Batman earlier that day. Batman's battle with the Man in Black, a high-tech criminal, is told in reverse chronological order, with three very different interpretations of Batman's form and abilities: one describes him as a living shadow that can melt away and reappear at will, another describes him as a half-bat, half-man creature (similar to Man-Bat), and one describes him as a combat robot. At the end, Batman pursues the Man in Black to the skatepark, and captures him with the help of the fourth street kid. The fourth kid is able to see what Batman truly is: a warrior in a Batsuit. He proceed to tell his experience to his friends after Batman disappeared.
Voice cast
* Kevin Conroy ... Batman
* Jason Marsden ... Cop
* Scott Menville ... B-Devil
* George Newbern ... Man in Black
* Corey Padnos ... Porkchop
* Crystal Scales ... Meesh
* Alanna Ubach ... Dander
* Hynden Walch ... Woman
Crossfire (Production I.G.)
Written by Greg Rucka. Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez, partners and members of the Major Crimes Unit that have been hand-picked by James Gordon, are assigned to take the recently captured Man in Black, which is revealed as one of the Arkham Asylum's escaped inmates Jacob Feely who has an expertise with advance electronics, to the Narrows to be incarcerated. On their way, they argue over whether Batman can be trusted, Allen saying that they're just running errands for a vigilante, and Ramirez replying that Batman has changed Gotham for the better. As they are heading back, Allen declares his intention to leave the MCU, and Ramirez pulls into a vacant lot in order to focus on confronting Allen. However, the two get caught in a confrontation between gangs run by The Russian and Sal Maroni. Maroni's men are gunned down, and he takes refuge behind Allen and Ramirez's patrol car, which The Russian subsequently blows up with a rocket launcher. Ramirez and Maroni manage to get clear in time, and Allen is rescued by Batman, who proceeds to take out The Russian and his men. Maroni then threatens to kill Ramirez, but he, too, is dispatched by Batman. Batman recognizes Allen and Ramirez as Gordon's hand-picked officers, remarks that Gordon is a good judge of character, and disappears.
Voice cast
* Kevin Conroy ... Batman
* Corey Burton ... The Russian
* Gary Dourdan ... Crispus Allen
* Jason Marsden ... Doctor
* Scott Menville ... Cop
* Jim Meskimen ... James Gordon
* Pat Musick ... News Anchor
* Ana Ortiz ... Anna Ramirez
* Rob Paulsen ... Sal Maroni
* Andrea Romano ... Dispatcher
Field Test (Bee Train)
Written by Jordan Goldberg. An accident involving a satellite's electromagnetic guidance system gives Lucius Fox an idea for a device that will electromagnetically deflect small-arms fire. Bruce Wayne takes the device and attends a charity golf tournament being held by the developer Ronald Marshall, with whom he discusses the mysterious death of a woman, Teresa Williams, who was opposed to some of Marshall's plans. During the tournament, Bruce secretly took Marshall's PDA device. Later that night, as Batman, he hijacks a boat owned by Sal Maroni and drives it alongside a boat owned by rival gang leader The Russian and proceeds to take out both gangs at once, with assistance from his new device. He attempts to force a truce between the two gang leaders until he can get evidence against them, but one of Maroni's men fires at him. The bullet deflects and instead hits one of The Russian's men. Distressed, Batman takes the injured man to the hospital. Later, he returns the device to Fox, stating that the device works too well, and that he is willing to put his life on the line, but no one else's.
Voice cast
* Kevin Conroy ... Bruce Wayne / Batman
* Corey Burton ... The Russian, Ronald Marshall
* Will Friedle ... Anton
* George Newbern ... Guido
* Rob Paulsen ... Sal Maroni
* Kevin Michael Richardson ... Lucius Fox
In Darkness Dwells (Madhouse)
Written by David S. Goyer. The police respond to a riot in a cathedral where Cardinal O'Fallon was giving a sermon. According to eyewitness testimony, the Cardinal was abducted by a large lizard-monster and taken down into the crypts below the cathedral. Lieutenant Gordon, Crispus Allen, and Anna Ramirez investigate; Gordon has a brief conversation with Batman, who agrees with Gordon's theory that the Scarecrow's fear toxin is behind the riot. Batman gives Gordon an earpiece that will allow them to stay in contact and descends below ground, trying to find Cardinal O'Fallon and his abductor. A homeless man living in an abandoned subway station identifies the abductor as Killer Croc. Batman and Gordon briefly discuss the villain's past, but are cut off when Killer Croc himself shows up, under the influence of the fear toxin, and attacks Batman. Batman defeats him, but not before sustaining a bite that transfers some of the toxin to him. He then finds Cardinal O'Fallon being put on trial and sentenced to death by the Scarecrow, who is unhappy with O'Fallon's efforts to help the homeless. Batman leaps in to defend the Cardinal. Using the methane already present in the room, he sparks an explosion that destroys several water pipes, flooding the area and allowing him to escape with the Cardinal. Gordon appears in a helicopter to retrieve the Cardinal and offers to help Batman as well, but Batman refuses, saying, "Maybe next time."
Voice cast
* Kevin Conroy ... Batman
* Corey Burton ... The Scarecrow
* Gary Dourdan ... Crispus Allen
* Will Friedle ... Cultist
* Brian George ... O'Fallon
* Jim Meskimen ... James Gordon
* George Newbern ... Man
* Ana Ortiz ... Anna Ramirez
* Rob Paulsen ... Mole Man
Working Through Pain (Studio 4°C)
Written by Brian Azzarello. Batman confronts a criminal and is shot in the stomach. He cauterizes the wound and attempts to get out from underground, reflecting on his experiences with managing pain as he does so. First, he remembers volunteering with a relief effort and assisting a doctor in performing surgery without anesthesia. Next, he reflects on the lessons he learned from a woman named Cassandra, who was cast out of her community for disguising herself as a boy in an attempt to join a religious sect. Over several months, she teaches him to minimize his pain to the point where he can control it, sleeping on a bed of needles or standing on hot coals without reacting. One night, several young men appear to harass Cassandra, who takes their blows without seeming to feel them. Bruce steps in to defend her, not only demonstrating his ability to withstand their attacks, but defeating them all with his martial arts skills. Cassandra then tells him to leave, saying that he has learned what he came to learn. She then comments on how Bruce's pain was beyond her, or possibly even his, ability to handle, but how it also appeared to be leading him down a path he desired. Back in the present, Batman ends up in a gutter, where he discovers a cache of guns buried in the garbage. Alfred arrives to assist him and tells Batman to give him his hand so he can pull him out of the gutter, but Batman, arms full of guns, replies that he can't.
Voice cast
* Kevin Conroy ... Bruce Wayne / Batman
* Will Friedle ... Youth 1
* Brian George ... Arman, Scruffy Man
* Jason Marsden ... Youth 2
* David McCallum ... Alfred Pennyworth
* Parminder Nagra ... Cassandra
* George Newbern ... Youth 3
* Rob Paulsen ... Youth 4
* Kevin Michael Richardson ... Avery, Wounded Man
* Hynden Walch ... Young Cassandra
Deadshot (Madhouse)
Written by Alan Burnett. Bruce Wayne has a flashback to the murder of his parents. In his penhouse, examining the firearms he took from the tunnel which he's planning to turn them all in to the police, admitting to Alfred that even though he vowed never to use them in the memory of his parents, he has a temptation of using one. Meanwhile, in another city, Deadshot assassinates the mayor from a Ferris Wheel. He returns to his tropical base, where one of his associates hires him to carry out a hit in Gotham. It is revealed that The Russian has put out a hit on Lieutenant Gordon, and Batman is called in to protect him. Batman gives Crispus Allen a handheld PDA device, containing a link to encrypted e-mails proving that Ronald Marshall hired Deadshot in the past. He then follows Gordon's motorcade, with Alfred providing satellite-imagery assistance. Deadshot attempts to shoot Gordon from a moving train, but Batman deflects the bullet. Deadshot then gleefully reveals that Batman was his real target the entire time, and that the threat against Gordon was just a ruse to draw him out. He opens fire with a machine gun mounted on his wrist. The train enters a tunnel, and Batman attempts to charge Deadshot, only to be injured. Deadshot advances to the place where he saw Batman fall, gloating, but is ambushed from behind and disarmed. He and Ronald Marshall are arrested. Bruce confides to Alfred about how similar the fight in the tunnel seemed to the night his parents were murdered, and comments that "I've been trying to stop those two bullets all these years." He expresses discouragement, and Alfred agrees, but adds that he thinks Bruce has a higher purpose. Bruce looks up at the sky and sees the Bat-Signal.
Voice cast
* Kevin Conroy ... Bruce Wayne / Batman
* Gary Dourdan ... Crispus Allen
* Jason Marsden ... Thomas Wayne, Doctor
* Jim Meskimen ... James Gordon, Deadshot
* David McCallum ... Alfred Pennyworth
* Pat Musick ... News Anchor
* Kevin Michael Richardson ... Bulky Man
* Andrea Romano ... Martha Wayne
* Hynden Walch ... Young Bruce, Female Campaign Worker
Reaction
Three months prior to the release, the first review for Batman: Gotham Knight appeared on The World's Finest website. The review gave the movie a generally favorable response, stating, "it’s something new and entirely fresh for the Dark Knight and that alone is worth checking it out if you’re a DC Animation fan."[5]
DVD
Batman: Gotham Knight was released on both single and two-disc DVD editions, as well as a Blu-Ray version on July 8, 2008.[6]
The special features on the single-disc edition contain an audio commentary of the film by Gregory Noveck, Dennis O'Neil and Kevin Conroy, as well as a sneak peek at the next movie of the DC Universe Original Animated Movies line: Wonder Woman.[7] The Target edition also includes the first two episodes of Batman Beyond.
The two-disc and Blu-Ray editions of the film contain the above mentioned special features as well as a documentary titled Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story, a featurette exploring Batman and the Gotham villains he faces titled A Mirror for the Bat and four episodes of Batman: The Animated Series (see below), presented by Bruce Timm. WalMart and Target both released special exclusives both with different box covers. WalMart's is a holographic cover and Target's is a holographic cover that can be hidden or shown.
The four episodes of Batman: The Animated Series that are attached are[8]:
* Heart of Ice
* I Am the Night
* Legends of the Dark Knight
* Over The Edge
Novelization
Comic book veteran Louise Simonson wrote a novel adaptation of the feature, published by Ace Books. It was released on May 27, 2008. ISBN-10: 0441016138 ISBN-13: 978-0441016136. Reviews for the novelization have been positive [9].
[edit] Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Batman: Gotham Knight will be released on July 22nd, 2008 by La La Land Records. [10]The music for Gotham Knight, while being an original score, contains samples of earlier and notable Batman themes from past media. For example, in "Crossfire", when Batman saves Crispus Allen from an explosion by launching him onto a rooftop, his appearance (for the first time in the short) is marked by the distinctive choral Batman theme introduced in Danny Elfman's 1989 score to the film Batman.
Batman: Gotham Knight
Film score by Christopher Drake, Robert J. Kral, Kevin Manthei
Released July 22nd, 2008
Label La La Land Records
1. Main Titles / Intro / Interlude / Punk Skater / Trouble At The Dock (2:2 2. Living Shadow / Living Shadow Finale (1:45)
3. Skater Girl / Trouble In the City (0:50)
4. Batmonster Appears / Batmonster Do-Over / Batmonster Finale (2:1 5. Rooftop Robbery / Robobat (1:44)
6. Have I Got A Story For You Finale (1:35)
7. Crossfire (4:49)
8. Inferno (5:4 9. New Device (1:22)
10. Trigger A Device / As Good As Your Drive (1:10)
11. A Russian In His Grave / It Works Too Well (3:53)
12. In Darkness Dwells Intro (1:00)
13. Gordon's Cannibal / Ghost Station (3:00)
14. Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis (0:43)
15. Killer Croc / Hallucinations / Scarecrow Interrupted (3:19)
16. Escape And End (1:45)
17. Working Through Pain / The Fall (1:46)
18. Bazaar (0:26)
19. There Is Another / Training (2:46)
20. Rejected And Despised (1:30)
21. Painless Fight/ I Can?t (3:23)
22. Parents Killed (0:54)
23. Gun Attraction / Park Killing (1:26)
24. Gordon / Batman / The Train (6:14)
25. His Life's Quest (0:56)
26. End Credits Suite (5:02)
An interesting fact for Batman the animated series fans, Kevin Conroy came back to do the voice of Batman for this one.
