Batman: Under the Red Hood

Let’s jump ahead into the Caped Crusader’s future, shall we? Today’s little number is about possible one of the most hated DC characters in history: Jason Todd (a.k.a. the second Robin).

And I hate to say it, but time for another history lessons~! You excited kids?!

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Take your silence as a no. Well let’s begin. Back in 1980-when the first Robin, Dick Grayson, was all grown up and being Nightwing in the Teen Titans comics. DC thought Batman was looking a little lonely by himself, so they created a new Robin: Jason Todd. Originally, Jason Todd was just a shameful rehash of Dick: the son of a family of acrobats who faced tragedy and now was in the care of Bruce Wayne. Bruce recognizes the similarities and wants a sidekick again, so he makes Jason the new Robin. Eventually Jason got a reboot to discern him from Dick with a new back-story and personality. Next time around, Jason is a kid from the hood raised in poverty in the streets of Gotham. One night he spots Batman’s Batmobile and figures he can make a few bucks if he can get a piece of it for scrap. What he ends up doing is wheel-jacking all four tires of the damn thing without setting off its alarms or alerting Batman. When Bats comes back to his car to find it tireless with Jason holding the tire-iron, he saw potential.

This time around Jason was different from Dick. While not a natural born athlete like the son of circus acrobats, Jason knew how to fight and showed great potential. The biggest difference was that Jason was angrier and a “badass”. He smoked, he curse, had an attitude, and treated criminals as though they’d be better off dead. Comic book fans hated this and demanded something be done. Back then DC didn’t have the balls it does now to kill characters on the drop of a hat, so a story was set up where the Joker kidnapped Jason and was possibly about to kill him. A poll was let out to all fans with the all important question: will Jason live or die? Spoiler alert: that boy got blowed-the-fuck-up. 

Jason eventually made a comeback by various means from the dead (its comics; deal with it) and donned the helmet of the Red Hood: a once common criminal identity now made his own as Jason decides to be the Batman Bruce never could and kill off the scum of Gotham.

These days Jason is the headliner in one of the New 52’s biggest bombs: Red Hood and the Outlaws where he travels the world with his cohorts Arsenal (Green Arrow’s sidekick) and the most hated version of Starfire in her entire history. Almost seems like any time Jason Todd is involved, everything goes to hell…bummer.

Well that’s enough history. I supposed I’ve kept you here long enough. I’ll post a picture here to garner your attention once more.

That’s better. Let’s get started. Today’s movie is based on the comic marking Jason’s return: Batman: Under the Red Hood. Once again I won’t be comparing the comic to the movie for time constraints and keeping my memory intact. To the film we go.

We open on a giant fortress in the middle of a series of mountains (presumably Europe). We go to a room where Ra’s Al Ghul (Jason Isaacs) is looking out the window while an assistant is reading off a clipboard. The assistant remarks that the Joker is loose and “has the boy”.

We go to an abandoned warehouse in Bosnia where the Joker (John DiMaggio) is happily beating Jason Todd (Jensen Ackles) with a crowbar. Jason is tied up, and bleeding profusely. Joker laughs as he continues beating Jason.

Ra’s Al Ghul questions where “the Detective” is, and the assistant replies that he’s on his way…but won’t make it in time.

We cut briefly to Batman (Bruce Greenwood) riding his bike through the snow at high speeds and making his way to the hideout.

Back at the warehouse, the Joker gets ready to leave, telling Jason to “finish his homework and be in bed by nine”, as well as to let Batman know he said “hello”. He laughs hysterically as he walks out, locking the door behind him. Jason rolls over and brings his tied hands to his front, regaining his ability to use his hands and walks. He struggles to stand up, barely able to make a few feet before collapsing again. After a painful struggle, he finally reaches the door and begins trying to open it. His injuries prevent him from trying anything too physically demanding, and he stops to sit and lean against to the door. In the silence he begins hearing a slight *beep* he looks around and finally sees a series of explosives with a timer counting down now from 10. Jason only narrows his eyes.

Batman finally arrives, jumping off a hill and ditching the bike. He begins running toward the warehouse, but is stopped as the entire building explodes. When Bats gets over the initial shock of the blast, he runs back toward the building. He begins digging through the debris, quickly scanning every detail to find his comrade. He finally finds Jason, but reaches into the debris and picks up Jason’s body. Jason Todd, the Second Robin, is now dead.

We cut to Gotham five years later to a meeting in yet another warehouse. Here, eight of the biggest crime and drug lords have gathered for a meeting. They begin arguing who called the meeting until a voice from above answers that he did. Everyone looks up and sees a man with a smooth red helmet and a biker jacket holding an AK-47, introducing himself as the Red Hood. When the crime lords and their fellow muscles pull out their guns, the man begins firing his AK-47, missing everyone. The Red Hood states that they all now work for him. They cut him 40% of what they make (more than the Black Mask is paying them) and they continue their business as usual. Only condition: no selling their drugs to kids or teenagers. When one crime lord questions why they should do so, the Red Hood throws a large duffle bag on the table below. When the bag opens, a drug lord can only utter “Damn…”.

We never see what’s in the bags, but the Red Hood reveals that it contains the heads of all of the crime lords’ lieutenants. He makes a point that the feat only took two hours, and asks if they want to know what he can do with an entire night with them. Red Hood fires his AK a few more times without hitting everyone, and disappears into the night.

Our concern is then taken to a trio of criminals stealing a truck at the Gotham Shipyards being pursued by Batman. The truck makes an extremely sharp turn and drops its cargo: a large mechanical box. The truck crashes and Batman begins interrogating them for who they work for. Before he can go further, the mechanical box opens up and reveals a giant orange-skinned man with glowing red eyes. The leader of the trio, unaware of what was inside the truck, questions what it is. Batman explains that is an android called Amazo and its power to copy the abilities of super humans. Amazo first slams its hands in the ground, sending a shockwave to the truck. Batman charges in and begins to fight it just as he is soon joined by Nightwing/Dick Grayson (Neil Patrick Harris). The two begin fighting Amazo; the android’s powers bearing resemblance to Superman with strength, flight, and laser eyes. After a hard fought battle, Batman finally destroys Amazo’s head and shuts it down.

Batman and Nightwing resume interrogating the criminals. The leader reveals that they were hired by the Red Hood to steal Amazo, which was an item about to be sold by Black Mask. Before they could say anymore, all three are shot and killed by a sniper across the bay. Batman calls up his Batwing and leaves Nightwing behind to pursue the sniper: Red Hood.

The chase rampages through Gotham, Red Hood managing to escape out of every attempt to nab him. Their chase leads to a chemical plant. Batman dives through the windows of the building into the main brewing room with several vats around him. Red Hood’s car is rammed into a vat, causing a massive spill. Batman begins having a flashback as he confronted a different Red Hood long ago who fell into the vats.

The current Red Hood reveals his presence and comments that this chemical plant was the sight of his first and greatest failure. Hood shoots his car, sending off sparks to ignite the chemicals. Batman escapes the building before it completely explodes, losing sight of the Red Hood in the process.

In the Batcave, Nightwing explains his presence in Gotham: a thug he interrogated mentioned the Red Hood and how he has been making moves in Gotham to challenge Black Mask’s hold on the crime world. Batman goes through the files on all previous holders of the Red Hood identity and narrows down that the last user of the Hood was the Joker. The duo head out to question the madman.

Over to Black Mask’s (Wade Williams) headquarters, a lieutenant is showing a new member of Black Mask’s gang around and explaining to be very careful. Black Mask is very dangerous even to his own men and is the first man to take complete control of Gotham’s crime network in 20 years. The two finally reach Black Mask’s office, where the criminal is currently ranting about how the Red Hood stole several million dollars for trying to steal Amazo, then is infuriated with Batman who destroyed it and kept the scrap. Along the way his assistant Ms. Li (Kelly Hu) makes calm and snarky remarks with his outburst. Black Mask orders that Red Hood be killed immediately. When he catches the new guy staring at his disfigurement, Black Mask punches him out followed by demanding to know what’s in store for tonight’s shipment.

Batman and Nightwing interrogate the Joker, who seems more focused on comparing his superior version of the Red Hood costume to the current one. Upon seeing Nightwing, Joker comments on how this one was able to grow up and be on his own unlike the other one. Batman almost snaps, but Joker laughs as he explains that he isn’t behind the new Hood. The two leave as Joker begins cackling to himself.

At said shipment, a helicopter carrying several crates of guns and explosives lands on a building where several armed guards await them. Only one moves onto the helicopter; the Red Hood in disguise. The Red Hood throws the two pilots out and takes the copter for himself. Just as he takes off, Nightwing fires an EMP-armed grapple at the copter, shutting it down slowly. Red Hood begins shaking the copter back and forth to lose their grip. Instead he destroys the rotors. As it begins falling, Batman and Nightwing work together and stop the copter from crashing onto the civilians down below. The duo then begins building hopping in pursuit of the Red Hood, who matches them move for move. Even as Batman wraps Hood’s legs, Hood takes out a knife and cuts the line just before Batman could pull.

The chase eventually ends at a train station, where Red Hood has explosives waiting. As the duo lands, the explosives go off. Batman is unharmed, but Nightwing’s left leg is broken. Red Hood sits on a bike, commenting that “You haven’t lost your touch-” and is interrupted by a passing train blocking their vision. When the train passes, the Red Hood is gone.

Afterword, Batman analyzes footage he captured of Red Hood’s style and movements, Nightwing mentioning that everything Red Hood did was nothing amateur. He was trained, and trained well. Nightwing is sent home as Bruce begins replaying the recording of Red Hood’s last comment. He says one more word before the train passes. Separating the train’s interference, he discovers what the Red Hood said…

“You haven’t lost your touch, Bruce!”

Red Hood knows who Batman is. Bruce immediately recognizes all of Red Hood’s moves and goes to stare at a display case holding Jason Todd’s Robin costume. A brief flashback plays showing Jason’s enthusiasm and smart mouth in his beginning of being Robin. But a slight flashforward shows that Jason got angrier and more dangerous as he got older, leading to a fight between him and Bruce about shattering a criminal’s collarbone before they could get information. Back to the present, Batman begins debating the possibilities of how the Red Hood may know him.

To Black Mask again, the man rampages and beats up more of his own soldiers as the Red Hood has done more damage to his business. He orders hiring an elite group of killers to lure the Red Hood to a trap and kill him.

As Black Mask ordered, two of his thugs kidnap a drug kingpin and drag him out to a construction site with the intent to kill him as a message to the Red Rood; a message involving a molotov cocktail. Red Hood shoots the bottle, setting one criminal ablaze. The other and the Kingpin run away as a group of four assassins, named the Fearsome Hand of Four, begin attacking him. All four are equipped with powered armor with various weapons including lasers, super strength, and lightsaber-like swords and staffs. Red Hood fights them off, discloses that he’s holding back and stalling. Batman arrives, and the two begin throwing the Fearsome Hand of Four around like ragdolls. The female member cuts Red Hood’s shoulder, staining her sword with his blood. All four are soon beaten and the two enemies are about to go at each other.

They are interrupted as a laser cannon-equipped member emerges and hold Red Hood hostage. Batman threatens them with a taser, the member snarking that he would zap them both. Red Hood reveals that was the plan, and takes out his own taser into the assassin’s eye stock. The armor goes haywire, exploding and killing the criminal.

Batman calls Hood out on this; that he didn’t need to kill the criminal. Red Hood then goes around and calls Batman out, stating that he’s doing a better job at being Batman than he is. And he’s just getting start. Hood drops a smoke grenade and disappears once more.

To the next night, Black Mask is once again beating up his own members and ranting about Batman and Red Hood, Ms. Li displaying no signs of fear of his wrath. When Black Mask questions why Batman isn’t taking the Red Hood down immediately, she suggests that Batman is letting him and Red hood duke it out and take on the winner. Black Mask displays some strategic insight; that is not how Batman operates. Something is different about the Red Hood. Batman can take him down, but something is holding him back. In reality, his faction is merely caught in the crossfire between the two mask vigilantes. He stares out his window contemplating his next move just as he notices a red dot on his forehead. He looks further out and sees Red Hood with a rocket launcher aimed at him. He and Ms. Li begin running for their lives as Red Hood fires away. The explosion almost hurts the two, but they escape just fine. Black Mask has had enough and decides to call in a favor to Arkham Asylum.

"Aw hell..." 

All the while, Bruce is using a crane to dig up Jason’s grave at Wayne Manor with Alfred overlooking. When Bruce reaches the grave and pries open the coffin, Jason is still there resting. Bruce notices that his flesh is beyond to fresh and clean, and realizes that it’s a mannequin. He heads back to the cave, berating himself for not performing an autopsy on Jason’s body all those years ago. Bruce even ignores Alfred’s pleas that it wasn’t his fault and dons his cape and cowl, getting his Batwing ready to face the only man who could do this.

Meanwhile, Black Mask organizes a secure jailbreak for the Joker. In a lone room at Arkham, Black Mask explains the situation: the Red Hood is his target. Joker, eating a bag of chips the entire time, asks for a glass of water. A glass is given, but he quickly breaks it to slice one guard’s neck, steal his gun, and proceed to kill everyone but Black Mask and his assistant.

“I’m going to need…something to wear. And a really big truck.”

“Anything else?”

“I’m gonna need some guys. Well, not these guys cause well, they’re all dead. Ahahaha!”

Ra’s Al Ghul is writing in his study as he senses a disturbance about his mansion. He looks around only to be seized by Batman; whom is pissed and demands to know what happened to Jason. Ra’s first calls off his guards and begins to explain.

Five years ago, Ra’s was in the process of toppling Europe’s economy (“blowing up banks”), but was being pursued by Batman and Robin. Ra’s hired the Joker to cause trouble and keep the duo off of his trail. It worked, but Ra’s overestimated his ability to control the Joker and underestimated the clown’s madness. Jason got separated from Batman, captured, and killed by the Joker. As penance, Ra’s swore to never make war with Batman again and organized that Jason’s body be replaced with a mannequin duplicate and the real be brought to his home. He was going to use his rejuvenating Lazarus Pits to revive Jason from the dead. It worked at first, but Jason returned “damaged”; his mental state in shatters.

 In a mad dash, Jason runs through the mansion until he finally breaks through a window and falls several hundred feet below to a ravine. Ra’s sends his men out to search for months, but never found a body.

Batman leaves on that note to head back to Gotham. He laments about adopting Jason, but knew that if he didn’t take Jason in and try to change him, Jason would’ve become a criminal himself. But still regrets that Jason was killed because of him; his greatest failure.

The Joker causes a massive traffic jam on a bridge over Gotham Bay with Black Mask and all the other drug kingpins loaded in the back of a semi truck. Joker begins dumping gasoline down an opening in the trailer on everyone inside. He attempts to set off a lighter, but the spark is not going off. The Red Hood appears atop the bridge, revealing his plan was to push Black Mask into a corner and bring the Joker out of Arkham. Joker finally alights the truck and takes a bow just as Batman flies above in the Batwing and drops fire extinguishing foam. A grapple comes out and grabs the Joker, lifting him into the air. Red Hood intervenes, cutting the rope and kidnapping the Joker in the river below. Hood lets Batman know where to find him: Crime Alley.

Batman arrives at Crime Alley, and has another flashback to when he first met Jason so many years ago. Red Hood shows up and they begin fighting each other. They both seem to be equal in every move. When the fight reaches a church, Hood removes Batman’s mask and his helmet, revealing their identities to each other. Red Hood is indeed Jason Todd. Jason rants about how he has become a better Batman than Bruce over how crime is down through his actions, Bruce countering about how Jason is acting just like a common criminal. Jason begins running and is stopped by Batman in an abandoned building bathroom. Batman pulls out all the stops and goes all out, not letting up on Jason. 

Smashing Jason through a wall, Batman please to Jason to forgive him for failing to save him.

Jason corrects Batman that he’s not mad about letting Jason die, but rather that he let the Joker live (smashing a closet door to reveal the Joker tied to a chair). Jason calls Batman a fool for letting the Joker live for so long. Batman reveals that he’s wanted to kill the Joker for so long, but refuses to out of knowing that he could never return from the abyss. Jason begins sobbing slightly that he was doing all of this because the Joker took Jason from Batman. An ultimatum is given: Jason gives Batman a gun and brings the Joker to his feet. If Batman won’t shoot Joker, Jason will. And if Batman won’t kill Joker, Jason will kill Joker unless Batman shoots HIM instead. Batman drops the gun and turns, walking away. Jason fires his gun at Batman in frustration, Batman throwing a batarang at the barrel and causing the gun to explode.

Jason sets off a timed explosive for 20 seconds. Batman tries stopping it, but Joker stops him reveling that they’ll all go out together. Batman knocks Joker off and grabs Jason just before the bomb goes off. Amidst the rubble of the blast, Batman emerges with a badly injured Joker, but no sign of Jason.

At the Batcave, Batman prepares to head out again, taking another look at Jason’s Robin costume in its case. Another flashback plays of Jason’s first night as Robin. Jason excitedly runs through the cave, calling it the “best day of his life”.

Honestly, this is by far one of my favorite animated Batman movies, almost one of my favorite Batman movies in general. We’ll go into detail.

The voice acting is SUPERB. I’d even go as far to say it’s better than SubZero. Bruce Greenwood, while no Kevin, is just AMAZING as the Dark Knight. He’s able to intimidate anyone with his voice, but also making a “normal” voice for when he’s out of the cape. He can perfectly EMOTE when in his Batman voice rather than just a monotone growl. Jensen Ackles may be the only film portrayal as Jason Todd, but he delivered everything perfectly. He’s able to pull off the smartass remarks, Jason’s boiling anger, and even his more sympathetic lines with ease. It’s just a fun listen. Neil Patrick Harris, as little his screen time was, made the most of it. He has the perfect tone for someone like Dick Grayson; light hearted and funny while still having the discipline of the Caped Crusader’s first protégé. All other voice performances were well done; particular chops out to Wade Williams as Black Mask; I couldn’t help but notice a little Southern drawl when he got REALLY loud. “His head mounted on my WAWL kinda dead!”. Even greater props to John DiMaggio, who is ALWAYS fantastic. His Joker was both funny and incredibly creepy. While not my favorite design of the Joker, DiMaggio is definitely one of my favorite actors in the role. 

But I do have to say that the voice acting credit has to go partially to Andrea Romano; the voice director for all of DC’s BEST animated series. Andrea’s work includes Batman: TAS, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Teen Titans (THE GOOD ONE), Avatar: The Last Airbender, and her biggest claim to fame: Justice League. With her casting and direction, every work she’s involved in has AMAZING voice work. Check out any show she’s worked on and I can promise that you’ll enjoy the acting at least.

The animation is well done; nice and fluid without feeling cheap anywhere. The action is well done and easy to follow, doing what most live action Batman movies can’t do: actually make good fight scenes. Then again there are advantages to animation, but that’s a different rant altogether.

The story is based on the comic of the same name, and don’t want to compare much. Only thing I can really compare at this moment is I enjoyed that the movie didn’t drag as long as the comic and even excluded the scene with Fruity Pebbles colored Kryptonite. Beyond that, I have nothing else to compare it to.

The biggest plus I can give this movie is the handling of Jason Todd. Jason is renowned as one of the most hated DC characters of all time, and I honestly think this movie does the man some real justice. I do have an eventual rant post about Jason planned on another date, so I’ll simply leave that this movie has shown Jason as his best and I wish DC would take notes on this portrayal of Batman’s former pupil.

Bottom line: I recommend this movie to anyone, ESPECIALLY Batman fans. It’s a look at one of his greatest failures coming back to bite him in the cape and how everything Batman stands for can be twisted; made worse that its by one of his own followers. I’d even recommend checking out some of Jason’s runs in the comics, but a word of warning that they have not been kind to the man.

With this done and two days left of October, it’s time for some rapid-fire reviews. Tomorrow is going to be Son of Batman, and Friday will be one of my all time favorite movies as a whole coming to the site. Ya’ll have a good evening.