The Killing Joke and All It's Joker Goodness

 

*Spoiler Warning*

      I may not be much of a comic book enthusiast but Batman 's arch nemesis the Joker hold a special place in my warped little heart. The Joker is  boldly psychotic in an extreme that is not only terrifying yet surreal. In my youth, I devoured anything I could get my hands on featuring the villain after I was introduced to his sadistic charisma through Batman: The Animated Series. Imagine my delight in discovering that an animated movie was recently made of the classic one shot comic Batman: The Killing Joke written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. I was practically in full blown fan girl mania once I heard Mark Hamill was returning to voice the character.

       It's been well over a decade since I've read the graphic novel, but the story has left quite a stain on my memory. Many argue The Killing Joke is the quintessential Joker story. I'm apt to agree with them. Here is the Dark Knights rival in full grotesque glory. To briefly summarize, the story focuses on the Joker's attempt at driving Commissioner Gordon insane and Batman's quest to thwart him, while simultaneously reveling a possible origin story for the Clown Prince. 

      First, the negatives. The animated feature remains fairly true to the original comic, although an opening chapter is added to give Batgirl, Barbra Gordon, more of a role than merely the victim. This opening was lacking, in my opinion. Rather than boost Barbra up into a strong female character that meets tragedy, the opening story line only reinforces her helplessness by giving her a romantic sob story with her mentor, Batman. The sex between the two is unnecessary and overall does nothing to soften the 'fridging' of Barbra later on when the Joker shots and cripples her. I was hoping for a stronger Barbra in this version.

        Another missed opportunity in the film is in the animation style. It looked like a mix between the  original graphic novel and the more cartoonist animated series. With animation it would have been possible to get a gritter, darker appearance to match the story. This may be more due to budget restraints than artistic choice but it still left me wanting more visually.

       On to the positives. The horrific nature of the tale is kept intact. What makes this particular story so powerful is how it draws parallels between Batman and the Joker's 'one bad day' that transformed them into their current forms. This is a rare glimpse into the 'why' behind the Joker's chaos and this version doesn't skim. Nor does this version attempt to cushion the extreme lengths the Joker goes to prove his point.

      The jewel of this film is Hamill's performance. Every syllable uttered by the Joker brings the character to life. He is so immersed in the role that it's impossible not to believe the Joker is a breathing human walking the shadows. Quite possibly, this is the pinnacle of his long career as the infamous character.

      Final thoughts: Well worth a view if you are a fan of the dark and twisted or a Batman buff. Feel free to skip the opening added story line (you don't need to see it for the actual good stuff). Turn the volume up for the infectious Joker laughs and the lights off for the creepiness.