Sometimes, the wait for the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight" has been unbearable. In the past several weeks, some reporters have been given exclusive sneak peeks at the film, and their gushing reviews have made Friday feel like months away.
So I was pleased to find that my longing to see the "caped crusader" would be eased by a new straight-to-DVD animated film from Warner Bros.
"Batman: Gotham Knight," set between the events of 2005's franchise-rebooting "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," is comprised of six short films from studios responsible for notable anime productions including ".hack" and "Ghost in the Shell."
Blockbuster-movie fans might recognize this formula as the one employed by Warner Bros. several years back: Between the releases of the two "The Matrix" sequels, Warner Bros. released "The Animatrix," a similar collection of anime vignettes aimed at tying the films together.
"Gotham Knight" follows "The Animatrix's" blueprint, providing great variety among the shorts while stringing common threads among them and adding new plot elements along the way. Each director gives a unique look and feel to the well-established franchise, while staying within reasonable limits.
This release also shares a lot in common with the excellent "Batman: The Animated Series" of the early '90s. Several voice actors reprise their roles, and the writing and direction give the stories the gritty, serious tone favored by most fans.
Batman is a detective who dispatches enemies with his brains as much as his brawn, and several shorts dwell on flashbacks in order to develop Bruce Wayne as a multidimensional character, akin to the comics' roots. This collection is by no means a nonstop, summer-blockbuster-style adventure.
That's not to say the DVD is devoid of action. The opening short tells - from several perspectives - Batman's high-altitude fight with a ninja-like villain rocking a jetpack. The thrilling showdown of the final piece, "Deadshot," addresses the age-old question of how the mortal Bruce Wayne deals with a skilled, gun-toting enemy.
"Gotham Knight" does what good Batman stories do: finds the right balance between action and drama.
It's essentially the perfect medicine for anyone who can't wait to see "The Dark Knight," as it brings the audience back into the story line and in tune with the characters.