Batman: Gotham Knight

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, Yuichiro Hayashi, Futoshi Higashide, Toshiyuki Kubooka, Hiroshi Morioka, Jong-Sik Nam, and Shouijrou Nishimi

Didn't know what to expect going into this. Didn't read anything about it or even what's on case. Just went right to action watching the movie and my mind, it was blown.
Just as a side note too the estimated budget according to IMDB for this was $3,500,000 which is the same estimated amount for Emerald Knights, New Frontier, Year One, and Wonder Woman. Guess DC gives the same allowance for everything?

So the first short in Gotham Knight totally caught me by surprise. I was all like 'Waaaa?! Tekkonkinkreet! Wooah!'
All unique interpretations of what and who Batman and Bruce Wayne are, but that one in particular, largely due to the whimsical tales the art style can lend itself to (Tekkonkinkreet is an animated movie that came out a few years before Gotham Knight). Both Tekkonkinkreet and Gotham Knight's Have I got a Story for You share the same editor (Mitsumi Takemiya) and the same art director (Shinji Kimura) which explains the shares awesomeness.
Have I got a Story for You basically follows a group of kids as they talk about their encounters with Batman. They each have different ideas of what it is they saw. The story finally culminates in Batman bursting into their hangout to stop a villain with the aid of one of the kids.

 

(gif from http://chromatichouse.tumblr.com/search/batman#13262440287)

Crossfire is a story about two members of the Major Crimes Unit, one with faith in her work and Batman, and the other against Batman, feeling like all the MCU does is cleanup and babysit. Through chance they find their car parked between a bullet-riddled confrontation. Batman shows up to save the two officers and perhaps change the second one's opinion about a few things...
Interesting thing to note is Batman is HUGE in this story. He looks like 6' 4" or so (or everyone else is just tiny). Yes, Batman is 6' 2" which is on the taller side, but really, he looks HUGE in this one.

(image from http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/blog/gfs-home-movies-batman-gotham-knight)

The next short, Field Test, is probably the one I'm least fond of. Not that I hate anime at all, but super anime style Bruce Wayne was a bit strange. He's a pretty boy in the midst of more Western-design-style characters. His cowl I also wasn't very fond off. Once you see it, it seems like it would be more difficult than his normal cowl

 The cowl that would inhibit sight more than usual that I was talking about ^ (image from http://porkcutlets.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/gotham-knight-the-batmanime/)

Anyway, so Mr. Fox has developed a "highly sensitive shock wave sensor" that will activate the gyroscopic electromagnetic pulses deterring small arms bullets. Batman takes it for a spin and find it works too well, when a bullet bounces off the field and hits an enemy. Batman rushes the criminal to the hospital and discontinues the use of the shield.

 As cat-detective on tumblr put it "I don't think I'm okay with bishounen Bruce Wayne. I just can't deal with Kevin Conroy's voice coming out of this face...." (image from http://letterboxd.com/variousthings/film/batman-gotham-knight/)

In Darkness Dwells, Batman follows Killer Croc under Gotham and gets bitten. Scarecrow's fear toxin flowing through Killer Croc then enters Batman and he must continue his journey under the toxin's effects. Further into the underground maze Batman finds Scarecrow preparing to sacrifice Cardinal O'Fallon in the company of other Arkham escapees. Batman saves the holy man and leaves him in Gordan's care.
Batman runs off a ledge and glides into the night for the end. I really like the idea of animating something in slow motion. It's not like filming something at 200 fps then slowing it down; the animators had to really think about it. Speaking of animating, this short was directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, who was an animator for Steamboy, one of the Sailor Moon movies, and the original Neon Genesis Evangelion animated series.

Love Scarecrow's design here. (image from http://www.batmanytb.com/animated/gothamknight/bios/scarecrow.php)

Working Through Pain is awesome! I really dig the character design of Bruce in this one.
So Bruce is underground in Gotham again, and gets shot. While trying to get to a meetup point with Alfred we see flashbacks of Bruce learning how to deal with pain from a woman named Cassandra. She's confronted by a gang of angry young men who says she's betrayed her culture by teaching these secrets to an outsiders and then attack her. Just like the teachings, she withstand the pain, but Bruce steps in and defends her. After the attackers stop Cassandra tells Bruce to leave as he's learned what he came there for. Back in the gutter Bruce finds loads of guns. Upon Alfred's arrival he extends his hand to Batman (arms full of guns) to take it only for Bruce to reply "I... I can't..."

 This was another animated slow mo moment. Prettay awesome. (image from http://otakurevolution.com/content/batman-gotham-knight-a-delicious-appetizer)

Deadshot, the last short, follows hitman Deadshot as he tried to take down Batman. To lour him out he attempts a hit on Commissioner Gordan. Of course Barman foils the shot Deadshot was taking from a moving train. Deadshot then attempts to to take out Batman from a closer range. As soon as Batman takes down Deadshot he turns from a pompous villain into a coward who sells out his client in an instant. Batman leaves Deadshot unconscious outside one of the train cars, then goes home to Alfred and sits in front of the fire.

(image from http://www.hobotrashcan.com/reviews/batmangothamknight.php)

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
Directed by Lauren Montgomery

Great great great!
Plus great to finally watch the movie where the Handsome Face meme comes from.

So the Kryptonite meteor Batman destroyed in Public Enemies was carrying something more than Kryptonite. Encased inside was Kara, cousin of Kal-El (Superman). When her parents had heard that Kal's were sending him off in a ship, they did the same.
Kara's ship falls to Earth, landing in Gotham. In her disorientation she wrecks Batman's ship he's taken to investigate the crash site, and Batman begins to pursue her, eventually ending their chase by knocking her out with a piece of Kryptonite.
When she awakens she freaks out, trashes some of Batman's equipments and begins to fly away uncontrollably.
Superman grabs her before she gets away and calms her down in their native language.
Thrilled at what she says, he tells Bruce she says she's his cousin (and thus Handsome Face was born). Bruce, however, is wary of this random girl from the sky who can't control her power or remember much.

Batman no approve!
This shot totz looks like Superman and Kara are having a moment and Batman is a third wheel. (image from http://hagiblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/supermanbatman-apocalypse-2010-film-reel-reviews/)

After a short period of time in the Fortress of Solitude Kara explains she wants to go out and see the world, live like an Earth girl. Kal-El thinks shopping in Metropolis is a good way to start. However their day ends in misery as Wonder Woman launches a sneak attack on Kara in a park and she panics, going crazy with her powers and destroying a statue of Superman. Furious Superman tells Wonder Woman to back off. She retorts that if this had happened in the daytime when the park was filled with people it would have been a disaster. Wonder Woman has decided to take Kara back to train with the Amazons.
After a few months with the women, Superman wants to take her back. All the arguing amongst the 'grown-ups' causes Kara to put her foot down, saying she wants to make her own decisions, then flying off with best friend Lyla.

Batman and Superman are talking smack about Wonder Woman behind her back lol! (image from http://www.popscreen.com/v/6GyeU/Superman-Batman-Apocalypse-Movie-Animated-Trailer-HD)

When the two are alone they are ambushed by evil Darkseid's henchmen. Lyla is killed and Kara is kidnapped to be brainwashed and used by Darkseid.
To get to Apokolips where Darkseid resides Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman enlist the aid of Barda who had previously defected from Darkseid's army.
Once on Apokilips, the team gets right to work trying to rescue Kara who is under Darkseid's mental control. In order to release her Batman sets a storeroom full explosive to detonate shortly and will only disarm them is Kara is freed. Impressed by Batman's courage to bet the destruction of the whole planet against Darkseid, Darkseid releases Kara and the group returns to Earth.
Back on Earth Kara tells Kal-El that she doesn't want to be a hero. He decides Smallville will be a good and safe place for Kara to live her desired life as an Earth girl. Too bad Darkseid has other plans. Waiting for them at the Kent's farm, he strikes while Clark isn't looking and knocks him into space. Looks like Kara will have to use that Amazonian training.
Even though under his rule Kara could be one of the universe's most powerful beings, she explains that she doesn't want that because she wants to have a say in her own life. She kicks his butt for a while but eventually gets beat down.
Meanwhile in space, Superman absorbs some sunlight then goes back to work, trying to trash Darkseid as well.
After a short period of unconsciousness Kara waked up, and uses a mother box to create a boom tube that Superman pushes Darkseid through (a trick she learned from Darkseid himself). He ends up floating frozen in space.
After the fight, the Kent's pull up their driveway to find their farm and house trashed, and their son and some new girl staring at them.
The fight has changed Kara's mind and she knows what she must do with her powers.
Superman re-introduces Kara to the Amazons as Supergirl. The cousins fly off happily. Yay!

Very good stuff. Batman's design is also great; the way he stand covered with his cape when watching the Amazons train or at Barda's house just looks so cool! His cape is very long in this movie.

Diana is also extra hot in this movie. The animation really shows care when Diana starts the practice exercise between Artemis and Kara and when Diana steps backwards her hips sway.

The scene with the care to animate the swaying hips on the left. (image from http://fortresstakes.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/supermanbatman-apocalypse-2010/)

Also interesting to note is Summer Glau is Supergirl's voice for this movie. You may know her from a little movie called Serenity! Kevin Conroy, voice of Bruce Wayne from the 90's Batman show is Batman's voice here too. Director Lauren Montgomery is also the director of Green Lantern: First Flight, Wonder Woman, Superman/Doomsday, and Justice League: Doom just to name a few. Basically her track record as director is amazing to me (though she did direct a Scooby Doo show and I hate Scooby Doo... However her other work is so impressive that maybe this show is actually good).