For today’s film, I was specifically in the mood to see an animated film, but I was more in the mood for a Batman animated film especially considering we are getting The Killing Joke soon. There are so many I need to catch up on so I decided to check out Batman: Under The Red Hood for today. Things in Gotham City are pretty much the same since the death of Jason Todd (Robin) by the hands of The Joker (John DiMaggio) five years before and Batman (Bruce Greenwood) is still living with the guilt. That is until one day when a mysterious figure know simply as the Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) shows up and starts taking over the crime syndicate in Gotham. Even though Batman and Nightwing (Neil Patrick Harris) are hit on his tail, they can’t seem to catch him, but Batman feels that there is something familiar about him. So, while he is on a mission to stop him, Batman is also out looking for the truth before he gets to the Black Mask (Wade Williams). The film also stars Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire) as Ra’s al Ghul, Carlos Alazraqui (Toy Story 3) as Chi Chi, Gary Cole (Office Space) as Commissioner Gordon, Kelly Hu (X-Men 2) as Ms. Li, and the film was directed by Brandon Vietti (Superman/Doomsday).
One thing that I will say before we dive in too deep into the film is that I am huge fan of the Batman animated films. They are some of the best written and done films, but that’s because you can do a lot more with animation. That is definitely the case with this film which was well written and well done. If you are not familiar with the Red Hood story then definitely check this one out because it’s a very cool story. I am going to try and not give too much away because I hate spoiling movies. One of the things I loved about this film is the fact that the Red Hood believes he’s doing the same as Batman, but by killing off the villains that is the way you control crime. It gets really deep from there and it gets very personal for Batman who know has to make the ultimate choice after he finds out Red Hood’s true identity. I love that you get Black Mask, The Riddler, and The Joker all in one film because it packs more of a punch and it helps explain the story. The only thing I didn’t like honestly was The Joker’s voice and that’s only because I am used to Mark Hamill as The Joker. Nevertheless, its a great story and well written overall like I have already said. Check this one out for sure if you are a fan of Batman and/or the Batman animated films/series. I am going to give this one an A- for a final grade.
For today’s film, I wanted to watch it because I am a big fan of animated movies when they are done right and cool and because I’ve seen every Friday The 13TH film ever so can’t do those. We’ve seen Disney and Dreamworks dominate the field, but in 2014 20TH Century Fox released The Book Of Life. In the town of San Angel, Mexico, there lives three kids with very different paths in life. You have Manolo (Diego Luna), a young man who belongs to a long line of bullfighters. There is Joaquin (Channing Tatum), a man who will go off and fight wars and battles to become a great general and then there is the beautiful Maria (Zoe Saldana), the sophisticated daughter of the General Posada (Carlos Alazraqui) who both of the men I mentioned are fighting for. So a couple of spirits in La Muetre (Kate del Castillo) the ruler of the land of the remembered and Xibalba (Ron Pearlman) ruler of the land of the forgotten place a wager on who will win the hand of Maria in marriage. Will it be Diego or Joaquin? The film also features the voices of Christina Applegate (Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitters Dead) as Mary Beth, Ice Cube (Ride Along) as the candlemaker, Hector Elizondo (Unnecessary Roughness) as Carlos Sanchez, Danny Trejo (Machete) as Skeleton Luis, Ana de la Reguera (Nacho Libre) as Skeleton Carmen, Placido Domingo as Skeleton Jorge and the film was directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez.
I am definitely fascinated by these types of stories and the lure of the Day Of The Dead festival that takes place in Mexico. I saw one review call the film’s story line formulaic and while it might be it is definitely visually stunning to say the least. In the film, you get taken into three different worlds that are all so visually stunning and enchanting to the eye. I mean you get to check out some old Mexican folklore with some very stunning animation, what more could you possibly want from the film. The story is typical where two men are fighting over the girl, but you already know who is going to win her heart right from the beginning. It’s just a question of what obstacles and road blocks is he going to have to face to get there. I think that is what most reviewers are referring to because we’ve seen it all before, but with the effects I can easily forgive them for that. You have to pick and choose your battles with films, but this one is easily enjoyable and pleasant to watch. It has quite the amazing cast attached to it and Guillermo del Toro’s name is attached to project as a producer so what else could you possibly want from the film? I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.
365moviesin365dayschallenge 