Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Ken S

  
  A damn fine animation. To call this a cartoon would be to undercut the pain and emotion it makes you fell. Hands down the best animated Batman film and third best Batman movie (maybe 2nd?).

• Drake T

  
  The most overrated superhero-animated-film of our time revered by people with low expectations. My biggest concern was the ridiculously poor lighting direction. What Timm's style succeeded in the original Batman:TAS was it's bold use of black shadows to create atmosphere… More
  The most overrated superhero-animated-film of our time revered by people with low expectations. My biggest concern was the ridiculously poor lighting direction. What Timm's style succeeded in the original Batman:TAS was it's bold use of black shadows to create atmosphere and emotional tone reminiscent of the inking methods used in Batverse comics today. Sure the stylization/detail is an improvement but the lighting just never does justice to the darker tones of this film that it deserves. Which makes little sense, considering even a bunch of random Japanese studios who worked on Batman Gotham Knight seemed to get it right. Then there's the unrefined dialogue! Watching Bruce explain what an AMAZO is to a street thug was absolutely silly, then there's Jason's poor attempt at one-liners; "good night for a jog", who laughs at that? Why would he say that? Dear writers, less is more or get better writers. Finally the poor portrayal of Blackmask and arguably Nightwing. Why were they both reduced to Two dimensional idiots? One's a raging moron and one's a complete clown. Oh yea voice acting, obviously I'm a Conroy fan but Greenwood managed pretty well, so did the rest of the cast in their respective roles. Except for DiMaggio's Joker. It's not half as good as Hamill's with his trademark laugh and pitch changes or Ledgers with his creepy quirks and use of growls. Just an incredibly bland, forgetful performance. Batman: UTRH succeeds in the sense where DC is finally showing that's it's not afraid to recreate dark/sophisticated storylines that it's comics have been exploring for decades, echoes of the original Batman:TAS. Unfortunately it just falls short in every other aspect.

• Spencer S

  
  Having grown up with Batman: The Animated Series, and of course that awful Batman and Robin flick from the 90's, I wasn't sure what was in store. Happily, I report that this straight to video animated accessory to the Batman comic books is one of the most adult spectacular… More
  Having grown up with Batman: The Animated Series, and of course that awful Batman and Robin flick from the 90's, I wasn't sure what was in store. Happily, I report that this straight to video animated accessory to the Batman comic books is one of the most adult spectacular of animated superstardom I have ever seen. This ain't yours or your parent's Batman. This is closer to The Dark Knight than campy Adam West classics of the 60's. You've got gratuitous violence, drugs, and even a single and yet dramatic swear word. Oh yes, and there's more folks! On top of the awesomeness that is Batman, the film actually stays true to the comics ranging all the way back the fifties, and the more recent Under the Hood edition from 2005. The voice acting was well cast and essentially served a great purpose. Don't be freaked by the gruff voiced Joker, because though you can only hear the tried and true voice in that ridiculous clown laugh of his, his murder sprees become more believable when a low tone is hanging over the events like a black cloud of death. So many oohs and aahs, I only have high praise for this DC art form.

• Emily A

  
  I derive great pleasure whenever I see a film whose villain has great motivation for the horror and calamity they wreak. The Red Hood in this film is one such character, which makes him a fascinating personage. In fact, I was intrigued at thier choice of the Red Hood as the villain,… More
  I derive great pleasure whenever I see a film whose villain has great motivation for the horror and calamity they wreak. The Red Hood in this film is one such character, which makes him a fascinating personage. In fact, I was intrigued at thier choice of the Red Hood as the villain, since he is not really a specific character like the Joker. Red Hood refers to the moniker, mask and identity that any criminal in Gotham could assume for the sake of anonymity. There is so much you can do with such a versatile template upon which to build your villain, and they use him to great avail. I was a little bit sorry to see that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hammill weren't brought back for this film: I mean, in the minds of most die-hard Batman fans, they are the quintessential actors for Batman and the Joker. Everyone else is absolutely wonderful in this though, especially Jensen Ackles and Neil Patrick Harris as Red Hood and Nightwing, respectively. Ackles' voice is absolutely terrific, and he's got a really scary quality that he can turn on when he wants to. I found it especially menacing when Red Hood speaks quietly ("You're going to be as quiet as possible..."). Another thing that I really love about this movie is how faithful it is not just to the tone of the Batman comics (that is, very dark - shockingly so for a children's film) but to the mythos as well. They take a few liberties here when assigning identities to Red Hood, but they make it work spectacularly. It's been a long time since I saw an explosive action ending as jaw-droppingly ingenious and wickedly delicious as this one. I was on the edge of my seat. What killed me about it is that the writers GOT EVERY CHARACTER EXACTLY RIGHT. Everyone rings true. The icing on the cake was the role that the Joker was given in the climax. He's not the main villain, and he makes very clear his profound amusement at being a pawn in the game. Oh man. I'm going to buy this movie.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Hard to forget that night, huh? In a way, Batman, this was the site of your first great failure. Maybe your greatest, but certainly not your last, right? Ah, memories."</i> While a new foe who uses The Joker's old alias wreaks havoc among Gotham… More
  <i>"Hard to forget that night, huh? In a way, Batman, this was the site of your first great failure. Maybe your greatest, but certainly not your last, right? Ah, memories."</i> While a new foe who uses The Joker's old alias wreaks havoc among Gotham City's organized crime, Batman finds him disturbingly familiar. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Upon my friend's recommendation, I watched this latest DC Batman animated film. I am not really fond of Batman animated films. I have not even seen Batman classics like "Mask of the Phantasm". I do not know why, but they did not really catch my interest because of the heavy and brooding atmosphere in these films. So therefore, this film "Under the Red Hood" is my first animated Batman film. In "Under the Red Hood," Batman is his usual brooding, dark self. However, with this film, I got a more intimate look at his conflicted psyche and what makes him tick as a vigilante. This film served as my introduction to the new Robin, Jason Todd. The cameo by Nightwing (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris) was also very good. I saw his motivation in his quest against crime. And the Joker here is an capital arch-villain in the real sense of the word, not the usual easy-to-defeat fool. The script is very well-written. The psychology is deep and insightful. The sense of humor is wry and biting (especially the lines of the Joker in the confrontation scenes at the end). The action is relentless (although it can look like Spiderman there at times) and intense (with blood and death). The film takes great advantage of what the animated medium can offer. I should say that because of this, I think it is high time for me to go back and check out all those previous Batman animated movies I have missed.

• Manu G

  
  Great animation and great story. I love the voices and specially the rawness of the story so light yet satisfying. Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up… More
  Great animation and great story. I love the voices and specially the rawness of the story so light yet satisfying. Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following the same ethical code. Killing is an option. And when the Joker falls in the balance between the two, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened.

• Dean M

  
  The animation is distinctive from the actual series, which while being unsettling to those who grew up on it is still very good. The story draws from great source material. If you don't know the story, don't look it up until afterwards. Fight scenes are fun to watch. The… More
  The animation is distinctive from the actual series, which while being unsettling to those who grew up on it is still very good. The story draws from great source material. If you don't know the story, don't look it up until afterwards. Fight scenes are fun to watch. The opening alone is a thing of beauty and one that stays in your head long after the the film has ended. Yes, it is violent BUT you can't say its a great film then mark it down for being too violent. That makes utterly no sense. The people who watched the original animation series are now adults. <b>The Batman</b> comics are incredibly violent and the films aren't exactly for kids. The flashbacks add a more emotional element otherwise not seen in most Batman production.

• Richard C

  
  I was really suprised by how good this was. I usually dont watch these straight to dvd cartoon movies, but i heard this was good so i watched it. I thought it was going to be okay but this was actually a great movie. It had a great story, it was really intense, and had awesome… More
  I was really suprised by how good this was. I usually dont watch these straight to dvd cartoon movies, but i heard this was good so i watched it. I thought it was going to be okay but this was actually a great movie. It had a great story, it was really intense, and had awesome fighting scenes. I really liked this a lot. B+

• Josh L

  
  Following in the footsteps of the superb Nolan films, Under the Red Hood is a mature and sophisticated animated film with plenty of exciting moments packed into its slim 75 minute runtime. The voice cast isn't quite as good as The Batman Animated Series (I haven't kept up on… More
  Following in the footsteps of the superb Nolan films, Under the Red Hood is a mature and sophisticated animated film with plenty of exciting moments packed into its slim 75 minute runtime. The voice cast isn't quite as good as The Batman Animated Series (I haven't kept up on who's been doing these voices, but Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were almost perfect and reprised their roles in the video game Arkham Asylum last year, which means they are still interested in the franchise and willing to do it), but the cast is decent and does a respectable job filling in. John Di Maggio has the biggest shoes to fill since Hamill's Joker is almost legendary. Di Maggio has the laugh down, although he doesn't have as many quirks as Hamill did with the character. I missed Hamill, but at the same time I wasn't constantly thinking about it. The story is more in line with the comics than the films, with Ra's Al Ghuul being immortal and all the somewhat silly stuff thrown in. I prefer the more realistic approach seeing as Ra's plays an intergral part of the story, as well as his way of staying immortal. Minor complaint though, as this was definitely one of the best Batman stories I've seen so far. It would have been a good live action film too, and that is saying something. Hopefully WB keeps the quality of the animated movies this good. I'd be thrilled.

• Steve K

  
  Well made, but no surprises for anyone who read the original story, and probably not many surprises for those who haven't. A certain obviousness kept this from really soaring for me.

• Corey W

  
  Wow! I don't think I've ever loved an animated Batman adventure so much! At least not latley. Batman's last few animated features have been nothing but crap, but, "Under the Red Hood" definitly changes that! This movie was perfect. Great story-line, good… More
  Wow! I don't think I've ever loved an animated Batman adventure so much! At least not latley. Batman's last few animated features have been nothing but crap, but, "Under the Red Hood" definitly changes that! This movie was perfect. Great story-line, good twists, amazing animated action sequences, and just near-perfect in its 77 minute runtime. I recommend it.

• Conner R

  
  Definitely one of the better DC animated movies in the last few years. For the most part it takes the original story like gospel instead of tearing it apart. The characters are great, the voice talents match them for the most part and the animation looks good. I love that it's… More
  Definitely one of the better DC animated movies in the last few years. For the most part it takes the original story like gospel instead of tearing it apart. The characters are great, the voice talents match them for the most part and the animation looks good. I love that it's dark and full of Batman history, if only the other adaptions were like this. I hope this is a start of better movies. The Jonah Hex short was also perfect, the best gift any fan could ask for. Thomas Jane plays him 100% perfect.

• Aaron N

  
  Red Hood: Just be happy I only killed one of them. They're all assassins! Batman: And what are you? Red Hood: I'm cleaning up Gotham. More than you ever did. I had to weigh my Batman fandom against the idea of not having the iconic voices of Batman and the Joker present… More
  Red Hood: Just be happy I only killed one of them. They're all assassins! Batman: And what are you? Red Hood: I'm cleaning up Gotham. More than you ever did. I had to weigh my Batman fandom against the idea of not having the iconic voices of Batman and the Joker present before watching this film. I am glad to say that it was worth it. This feature brings in a popular story arc involving the Red Hood as well as the infamous moment from "A Death in the Family," in order to put together a tale that is quite dark and fitting in the realm of Batman's animated universe. Following a dark opening sequence showing the Joker's murder of the Jason Todd Robin, we cut to years later with a new threat present. Batman faces his ultimate challenge, as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. Part vigilante and part criminal kingpin, the Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following the same ethical code. Killing is an option for the Red Hood. As Batman, with some help from Nightwing, chase down this new opponent, it may become more clear that Batman and the Red Hood share some old history together. Again, I was initially put off by not having Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil present to voice Batman and the Joker, but I eventually came around to these differences, and embraced all the positives on display. The animation is solid. While somewhat lacking in art direction that is as distinct as the classic Batman: The Animated Series, it still manages to deliver on looking nice enough. That can certainly be said about the action, which occurs frequently and features a lot of cool moments. The most intriguing element is how dark this feature is. While PG-13 by animation standards, the heavy amounts of beatings, blood, and some brutal violence would be enough to make this an R-rated feature were it to have been live action. I admired the route this film took to show us a more brutal version of a Batman story, as Batman must deal with a threat that wont hold off on murder, as well as the rampaging actions of the Joker. Overall, this is another solid animated feature taking place in the realm Batman's world. A lot of solid action and brutality makes up for some of the changes away from our standard viewings of the character. Note: The Blu-Ray also features an animated short for Jonah Hex, and I can safely say that this 10 minute feature is better than anything in the terrible live action movie version. Nightwing: No what I miss about running with you? The toys.

• Michael G

  
  Batman: Under the Red Hood is possibly the grittiest Batman cartoon I've ever seen. It's filled with potboiler drama and enough psychoses you could spend a college semester's worth of credit hours analyzing. It's based on the comics storyline of nearly the same… More
  Batman: Under the Red Hood is possibly the grittiest Batman cartoon I've ever seen. It's filled with potboiler drama and enough psychoses you could spend a college semester's worth of credit hours analyzing. It's based on the comics storyline of nearly the same name where Batman's greatest failure, the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin comes back to bite Batman in the ass. Under the Red Hood is full of tension, violence and some pretty disturbing imagery at points. Definitely not much of a kids movie. The movie does a pretty fair job of adapting the story without having to acknowledge dozens of years of comic book continuity. This one's p r o b a b l y more for comic fans but knowing the backstory doesn't seem necessary. The voice acting is superb (Bruce Greenwood is a very close second to Kevin Conroy) even if John DiMaggio kind of sounds like a Harvey Fierstein version of The Joker. The action is astounding and that final scene actually got me kind of choked up. Damn good watch...

• Luke B

  
  I'm very much against the resurrection of comic book characters. I know there's a long history of people coming back for more, but it just makes everything so indefinite, thus relieving the majority of the tension. However, if they're going to do it, then this is the… More
  I'm very much against the resurrection of comic book characters. I know there's a long history of people coming back for more, but it just makes everything so indefinite, thus relieving the majority of the tension. However, if they're going to do it, then this is the best way. This is an eerie film, which really has Batman confronting his demons and questioning his moral code. At first the new voices are jarring, especially Joker's, but they soon settle in and I appreciate them not just copying the popular combo of Conroy and Hamill. The fight scenes are brutal without crossing the line. The final emotional confrontation is wonderfully scripted and rather deep for an animated movie. Good stuff.

• Shawn M

  
  Never been a big fan of watching animated films, or reading comic books. I love the Batman films, games and franchise, I got this on bluray free with Arkham City for PS3 so I gave it a shot and I was amazed. The story is really interesting and the voices at first I thought where cheap… More
  Never been a big fan of watching animated films, or reading comic books. I love the Batman films, games and franchise, I got this on bluray free with Arkham City for PS3 so I gave it a shot and I was amazed. The story is really interesting and the voices at first I thought where cheap but throughout the movie the script really bought out the talent from the actors and had me laughing and highly interested in another animated movie.

• Michael M

  
  In this review I reveal the identity of the titular Red Hood. It's a pretty obvious and predictable detail of the movie, but enough of a spoiler that I'm providing a warning. I remember when I first found out about this movie. I was at Suncoast, and I saw a poster… More
  In this review I reveal the identity of the titular Red Hood. It's a pretty obvious and predictable detail of the movie, but enough of a spoiler that I'm providing a warning. I remember when I first found out about this movie. I was at Suncoast, and I saw a poster for it in their "Coming Soon" display. While I am a huge Batman fan, I was very skeptical. I've read the Under the Hood story-arc from the comics, upon which Under the Red Hood is based, and I was not a big fan of it. It's not that it's a bad story; I just didn't like the very idea of it. I've always been frustrated with the fact that whenever a character dies in the DC or Marvel universes, they always seem to come back. But I'm getting ahead of myself; we'll get back to that later. For the more casual Batman fans, here are a few details you should know. At the time that Under the Red Hood takes place, Dick Grayson (the original Robin) had taken on the identity of Nightwing and left Gotham. Batman had taken on a new apprentice, Jason Todd, to be the new boy wonder. At the beginning of the film, Jason is an adult, and he has been captured by the Joker and is slowly being beaten to death. While Jason doesn't die from the injuries, he does die from the bomb Joker set up before leaving the building where this was taking place. Batman arrives just in time to see the building explode, with Jason dead inside. Cut to five years later, and we are introduced to the Red Hood. Red Hood isn't a villain, but he's not exactly a hero either. He has no problem with killing, but only those who deserve it; and rather than stopping crime altogether, he seeks to work with it. This gains him the attention of both Batman, and crime lord Black Mask. But the politics of crime aren't what's important in this movie, what's important is who the Red Hood is. Spoiler alert! It's Jason. In the comics, the reveal of Jason Todd as the Red Hood came as a shock, since his death happened over 20 years prior. In the movie, Jason's really the only candidate in the mystery, which is why I'm okay with even mentioning it. Does this obvious twist detract from the film? Far from it, I think it makes it better. We know who Red Hood is, but Bruce Wayne doesn't, making his journey to figure it out a painful one. This is where Under the Red Hood shines the brightest, Bruce seeing his former sidekick turn into something he can't stand for, and wondering how such a thing even happened. And how did it happen? Well that's a detail that I won't reveal. Then there are the other big antagonists in the story, Black Mask and Joker. I absolutely love Black Mask; he's one of my favorite Batman villains. A perpetually pissed off crime lord who is constantly verbally and physically abusing his subordinates, Black Mask is such an unbelievable a-hole that it just ends up being hilarious. I've wanted to see this guy in a movie ever since I first read a comic with him, and his portrayal and voice in this film is absolutely perfect. Then there's Joker. I've always loved Mark Hamill's Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, so I was a little disappointed to find he wasn't in this film. However, John DiMagio (probably best know as Bender in Futurama) actually does a really good job. This Joker is one of the best I've seen. To him, all the death and destruction is merely a game, and Batman is nothing more than a plaything. There's a great moment where Batman is interrogating him in his cell at Arkham Asylum, and when Joker makes a crack about Jason Todd, Batman grabs him by the neck and pins him against the wall. Smiling, Joker says to him "you gonna' do it this time?" and when Batman lets him down, he remarks "so disappointing." Joker watches the events unfolding before him with a disturbing level of detachment. It's a different type of Joker than was presented in the story-arc this movie is based on, but I'm okay with that, because this film Joker is better. In case you hadn't already figured it out, this Batman is very dark. Even though it's animated, this movie at points gets even dark than The Dark Knight. Blood is shed, people are killed on screen, and themes on the nature of good and evil run throughout the entire film. This is a mature Batman for a mature audience, and I absolutely loved it. I have seen 10 Batman movies in my life, plus two Justice League movies featuring him as part of an ensemble. Out of all of them, Under the Red Hood is my favorite. Not only that, it's my favorite superhero movie of all time. Much of this comes from me being a fan of the comics and this being the Batman that stays closest to his comic book origins, but it also comes from the great themes, great voice work, and great action. The Dark Knight had large sweeping action scenes, but Under the Red Hood has small, enclosed action; capturing shots that can only be done in the animation medium. Both are great, but in the end Under the Red Hood is the one I prefer. I may have liked it more as a comic book reader, but the non-comic readers I've shown it to liked it was well. Whether you're a die-hard Batman fan, or a casual fan who doesn't know the difference between Harley Quinn and Catwoman, I can't recommend this movie highly enough.

• Ryan R

  
  Under The Red Hood is a great addition to the collection of animated comic book films. The dark, gothic presentation is perfect. The pacing is perfect as well. This one is a bit longer than usual. It's still only an hour and fifteen minutes, but I thought it was perfectly paced,… More
  Under The Red Hood is a great addition to the collection of animated comic book films. The dark, gothic presentation is perfect. The pacing is perfect as well. This one is a bit longer than usual. It's still only an hour and fifteen minutes, but I thought it was perfectly paced, and ended when it should. Under The Red Hood is more mature, and that's what we want when it comes to Batman. Superman can be childish, but Batman is supposed to be mature. This movie reminded me of Marvel a few times. First of all, the Red Hood himself looks a lot like Deadpool (my favorite comic book character). He also reminded me of Daredevil when he and Batman faced off on the roof of a church. There was another villain in the movie by the name of Black Mask. He looked exactly like Red Skull from Captain America comics, except his face was black. And he ran the crime in Gotham like the Kingpin runs Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil comics. There was also a brief fight between Batman, Nightwing and a Superman-like android called Amazo, who happened to do the Hulk Smash. He was also very much like the Terminator. He rises out of fire with half of his metal face exposed and a bright red eye. All of the times they did something like that, which had already been done, I considered it homage. There are some nice winks to other sci-fi flicks. in a positive light. So, there's another Marvel reminder. The action was great. It was a bit over the top and unrealistic, but it's a cartoon. Why not do things that couldn't be done in live action? They really took me out of it though, because there were a bunch of explosions (some of which the characters were actually inside the exploding building), yet no one seemed to get hurt by them. A few scratches on the face aren't good enough. I'd expect dismemberment from the kinds of punishment the characters went through in this movie. Of course, it is a kid's movie at heart, so they can push limits, but not too far. There is a bit of mild profanity, so I wonder who the target audience is. I'd think it would be older fans, like myself. But the mix of mature subject matter and violence with unrealistic physics and explosion damage is a bit immature. Either way, the negatives really brought the quality of the overall film down. If it were not for the unrealistic explosion damage and people jumping from buildings across the street (like Marvel's live action adaptation of Daredevil), I would have given it a 90%. That's how much it took me out of the movie. I'm ranting, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. The writing is actually very good. There was a good amount of humor, even though some of the more juvenile jokes fell flat. Also, the fantastic mystery aspect of most Batman movies (he is the world's best detective) didn't last very long. We find out who the Red Hood is way too early, but hey. It's not a long movie anyway. I also think fans will be satisfied by the long list of characters who make an appearance. The Joker, the Red Hood, the Riddler, Ras Al Ghul, the Fearsome Hand of Four, Amazo and Black Mask are all of the villains that make an appearance. Don't worry though, they are balanced perfectly. Batman, Robin and Nightwing are the heroes that make an appearance. Of course, what is a Batman movie without Alfred? He's in it too. I loved the connection to the Gotham that Chris Nolan created. There were a few scenes very reminiscent of scenes in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. If you've seen those two movies as many times as I have, then you should spot them right away. If not, then oh well. The score was another aspect that was directly linked to Nolan's. The music in this movie was very much like the music in The Dark Knight. Some of the musical themes were identical. As for the actual disc. It's phenominal. Cartoons are getting more and more gorgeous each day. WALL-E is by far the best animation I've seen on my tv screen, but this one is amazing in high def. Detailed illustrations and vibrant colors bring it to life. It's by far the best I've seen from any of the DCU or Marvel animated flicks. It also has some pretty great features, like the Jonah Hex short, background featurettes on both versions of Robin and more. So, all in all, I really liked this one. Definitely worth the price.

• Will T

  
  Man, did this get dark, this movie shows the power of a comic book adaption at its best, comic book movies were made to be animated. This is one of the best I've ever seen.

• Fascade F

  
  The Dark Knight is once again up against the forces of evil as well as the demons of his past. Just when he thought that he has it set with the Joker behind bars at the Arkham Asylum...and getting over his loss of his side kick Robin...5 years later a new menace is in town stalking… More
  The Dark Knight is once again up against the forces of evil as well as the demons of his past. Just when he thought that he has it set with the Joker behind bars at the Arkham Asylum...and getting over his loss of his side kick Robin...5 years later a new menace is in town stalking Batman and his new side kick Nightwing. For a cartoon this is a pretty good storyline that is as interesting as is it exciting for Batman fans. Also going along for the ride to get rid of Batman is a new terror called the Black Skull. See this it 's not too bad a cartoon to enjoy!

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