Batman: Hush (4K Ultra HD)

I like who HUSH is in this one. The original story was ruined for me during the reveal or sooner as in when I figured it all out in the first issue (you know that feeling when you go--that would be stupid if it's....). Jim Lee's artwork was incredible but Jeph Loeb (who had written two of my favorite Batman tales) delivered something that was just too easy to predict. For those holding the HUSH comics as precious, I will shrug. I loved Jim Lee's art. That's the best thing I can say about Hush. It was so so very pretty. And I loved Loeb's Long Halloween and Dark Victory (but well, ya see, Tim Sale is my favorite artist). While Jim Lee's art doesn't make the transition, thankfully neither does Loeb's strained effort to give Lee a chance to draw every possible awesome Batman related scenario. Don't get me wrong, if someone wasn't well versed in batman or storytelling I'd have no problem giving them my copy of Hush (comic). The up the Bat/Cat angle which would irk me if it wasn't full of the best moments this flick has to offer The animation and voice acting is often embarrassingly stilted, but given the budget and comparison to most anime and Marvel's animated offerings it's all acceptable. But I do wish they'd step up their game at least in the editing department where a couple of cut frames would avoid the awkwardness of some of the voice direction. Other than that my only real complaint is replacing Croc with Bane. It works fine in the story and for newcomers who won't miss it, but I really, really wanted to see Lee's Croc animated. Oh well. I like oMara's Batman and this animated universe has really grown on me, they make a real effort to connect the films, and the recent Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen at least gets a reference. I look forward to more of the films connected to this universe as it makes it easier to accept the changes to these adaptation. So if you've enjoyed the run of Son of Batman on this is more than a worthy addition. as for the Blu, the SGT ROCK SHORT WAS AWESOME and is worth at least $10 of the purchase cost. They'd stopped doing animated shorts many years ago which was a shame, and this one reminds me how crappy of a decision it was to not continue giving the non-trinity characters a chance to be animated. It is better animated than the feature and cinematically superior as well. I never knew I wanted Karl Urban to be Sgt. Rock. Get on it live action gods!

Great movie with almost all of Batmans rogues gallery.

Batman Hush is my favorite comic book of all time. I loved Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's work. I knew going into this that the animation was unlikely to be able to capture the story of the book, mostly because the most powerful moments work on a foundation of character history that doesn't exist in the DCAU. The dynamic between Batman - Gordon - Twoface, between Batman - Jason Todd and also the dynamic between Batman - Joker - Gordon just isn't there. And be realistic, people, an hour and a half movie won't be able to build up the emotional stakes and empathy Jeph Loeb and other Batman writers created over decades and several stories. With this in mind, I was actually pretty impressed with how the movie handled things. They didn't try to capture something that was way out of their reach and while they did completely changed the ending and the overall tone and genre, they still shaped it into a pretty good plot and story. It recreated a lot of the best scenes and character drama from the book and fit in quite a lot of characters and action in for its length. I think the Metropolis and Opera House sections were particularly stand out. The book was defiantly a mystery with lots of "who dun' its," red-herrings and multiple plot twists. The move is much more straight forward and focuses on the action and on the love story between Selina and Bruce, which I think they did very well. I actually liked how their relationship developed and played out in the movie better than the book and even the different ending for the villain Hush was pretty good, if you can accept that it's "not the same as the book." It was less contrived, neater and more simple, if less impactful and dramatic. I think it was the best they could realistically pull off. The most disappointing thing for me was the lackluster animation and voice acting. Jim Lee's art was dramatic and breathtaking and I don't get why the studio can't put in the money an effort to really make their visuals shine and come to life with dramatic angles, expressions and movement. The best shots were the ones taken right out of the book. You would think animation and voice acting should be what elevates a comic turned into a movie, not what drags it down. My imagination and Lee's art was more engaging than this. So boo to the animation artists. Overall, I say Batman Hush is worth watching, but if you're a big fan of the book, have your expectations set at a realistic level and be mindful of the hurtles adaptations face. Be prepared to appreciate what's there despite what isn't there and be open minded for the positive changes the made. If you haven't read the book, the movie is probably one of the best DC animations to come out in several years and the story between Batman and Catwoman is great. The good news is this won't spoil the ending of the book, so after watching this, you should totally read the book too and discover why those of us who read it are whining our asses off over a movie isn't that bad all.

If you take a look at my other reviews, you'll see that I'm a pretty die hard Batman fan. And having read the legendary comic book this movie is based on, I can confidently say they did an extremely respectable and entertaining adaptation. Batman is confronted by a new and dangerous enemy that seems to be pulling the strings behind every recent crime in Gotham City. At the same time, he is starting to realize that he has pretty serious feelings towards Selina Kyle, AKA Catwoman. So the movie decides to frame the plot around the romance angle and take quite a few liberties with the murder mystery angle, deviating from the comic significantly. This includes changing the ending, which I of course will not spoil here. This really angered plenty of Batman fans, but I liked the change. To me, it was much more of a twist than it was in the comic, and made more sense within the currently existing DC animated universe. The art style is really great, and the animation is top notch, it also includes several of the most memorable set pieces from the comics. And to top it all off, Batman's standard suit is changed early on in the movie to match the iconic art of Jim Lee. Although I didn't like it quite as much as The Dark Knight Returns or Under the Red Hood, this is still a great Batman movie and worthy to have in any Batman fans collection.

First and foremost, it's only fair of me to say that if you're looking to see the Hush animated movie frame for frame from the original comic, this movie takes a slightly different spin on climax of the story, but I really loved it, and I usually get really annoyed when the movie is not exactly as the comic and/or book. Moving on, I'll start with how I absolutely adored Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne's relationship in this. The writers did a fantastic job scripting the entire film. Selina's personality was outstanding, Bruce's self sabotaging tendencies were on point, just all of the characters were in character and it made the movie very fun to watch. ...... SPOILERS ........ ......... ............ I love anything with The Riddler in it, and this was no exception. His design when he first appeared was Absolutely stellar, and though the twist at the end was not exactly like the comics, I still thought it was fitting and very Riddler-esque. His lines and motives in the plot were fire (pun intended), and the design and usage of his cane in the final act was really cool to watch. The last animated Batman movie I watched with the Riddler was Assault on Arkham, and while his character design and lines were really good, he wasn't in it for long, and I felt very cheated because he was set up to be such a big plot point and driving force of the story, but he was barely in it at all. Hush just makes up for it because Nygma gets the secret spotlight and involving him more was really fun to do in this rendition.

“Batman: Hush,” the thirteenth film in the DC Animated Movie Universe, adapts Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s 2002-2003 comic book storyline to the New 52-inspired continuity of the animated film universe. A mysterious new villain named Hugh has begun working to undermine Batman’s efforts in Gotham, recruiting villains including Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, the Joker, and the Scarecrow. Like the comic that inspired the film, the story explores a romantic relationship between Batman and Catwoman. It differs from the comic in that it features Damian Wayne, who first appeared in the second DC Animated Movie Universe film “Son of Batman,” and references events from the previous film in this continuity, “Reign of the Supermen.” Without giving away spoilers, certain elements of the story are also changed to streamline it for its 81-minute runtime and the conclusion is drastically condensed from the comics, perhaps to better incorporate the story into the DC Animated Movie Universe or to similarly condense it. It’s neat to see this story adapted, but it will best appeal to fans of the DC Animated Movie Universe. Included among the bonus features are the DC Showcase short “Sgt. Rock,” a short documentary titled “Batman: Love in Time of War,” a look at the upcoming animated films, “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” and “Batman: Assault on Arkham,” and the “Catwalk” episode of “Batman: The Animated Series.” The Sgt. Rock story is fun and features him partnering with supernatural creatures like Nosferatu, a werewolf, and Frankenstein’s monster to fight a Nazi mad scientist creating Zombies. The documentary examines the relationship between Batman and Catwoman, both in comics and film, with a focus on how comic writers and filmmakers have approached Catwoman’s personality to portray her as capable of standing up to Batman as his equal. The “Batman: The Animated Series” episode continues this theme, similarly exploring Batman and Catwoman’s relationship.

I'm a fan of the DC animated movies, and have seen most of the Batman-centric ones up until this point. I think Batman: Under the Red Hood is still my favorite, but I thoroughly enjoyed several of the others, including Batman: Bad Blood and even Batman vs The Ninja Turtles. There were parts of this movie I really liked, but when it came time for the twist regarding the villain towards the end (I won't give it away here) both me and my husband were left scratching our heads. We were even more confused when I read up on the original comic (which I had not read) and found out that particular bit was a departure from the original story. I'm not entirely sure why they went that way, as there is definitely at least one moment that specifically indicates that the movie is going to go in the same direction as the comic ... and then it just doesn't. So what was that for? That moment makes no sense in the context of the movie's twist, and Batman's major actions toward the end of the film also don't jive with the new narrative. Other than that, I did enjoy the movie. It's largely a Batman and Catwoman film, and actually explores the two of them as a new couple for a bit. Don't get too attached, of course, as status quo has to return, but it's enjoyable and different. Nightwing and Alfred are also fairly prominently in the film, both more as spectators and commentators rather than major players in the story. You get a glimpse of almost every Batman villain at some point in the film, although some (Penguin, Mr. Freeze) just as a montage rather than an actual scene. Batgirl has a small part in the beginning, although it's largely disposable. She's not in the film enough to really establish much about her, but it seems like they're trying to evoke a younger Batgirl, complete with the purple costume she wears in the more modern comics. Damien shows up for a cameo, but no appearance by Robin. And of course, Tim Drake doesn't really exist in these DC animated movies (yet?) so don't expect to see him here. Jason Todd is also not present. Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor do make appearances, however! Overall, I think it's worth watching, but the twist makes it feel pretty unsatisfying at the end. I don't think I'd watch this one again, but I would recommend seeing it once.

Excellent