Since its publication between 1996-97, "The Long Halloween" by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale has been regarded as one of the best Batman stories of all time and its influence can be seen in adaptations of the character, including Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. While it took awhile to get there, the story was a prime candidate for DC's animated film line and much like "The Dark Knight Returns", it got the two-part treatment. Nearly 25 years after the original, the film adaptation is able to capture what makes "The Long Halloween" so great and still relevant to the Batman mythos.
While the film adaptation takes quite a few liberties, it doesn't really hurt or distract from the original in any way that can disappoint those familiar with the story. It's able to tell its own story while still capturing the tone of the original and being respectful to it. At a nearly three hour runtime, my eyes were glued to the screen the whole movie, not feeling bored or wanting to check my phone at all. With the heart of its story being a gangland murder mystery, the film was able to create a dark and gritty tone (thanks in part to the score or in some scenes lack thereof) as the hunt for Holiday goes on.
The art style doesn't directly lift from Tim Sale's illustrations, but there are times where it does its best to homage it. Much like the original story though, the art is able to capture a mostly timeless feel. It actually reminds me a lot of "Batman: The Animated Series", especially with its use of traditional mob bosses and gangsters, something I don't think an animated Batman adaptation has done since then.
As for the animation, well, this is something I've wanted to address for awhile now. "The Long Halloween" film is set in the unofficial rebooted DC Animated Movie Universe that began with "Superman: Man of Tomorrow" and "Justice Society: World War II" and shares the same look as those films. I haven't watched those films because because their look just didn't appeal to me. It reminds me a lot of Venture Bros.; while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's a style for DC that comes off as cheaper compared to their previous animated works.
That being said, when the animation works, it works. The action scenes flow really well and you can be enthralled in the characters' conversations that you don't care how it looks. But there are still moments I noticed where it feels like they cut some corners. I'll admit I'm more inclined now to check out those aforementioned Superman and Justice Society films despite my initial feelings.
I also give the film bonus points for the Scarecrow fear gas scenes as they create a nightmarish style different from the rest of the film.
The voice cast is absolutely stellar. Veteran Batman voice actors return like Alastair Duncan as Alfred and Troy Baker as Joker while Jensen Ackles gets a promotion from Red Hood to the Dark Knight himself. For his first time out, Jensen settles comfortably into the role, being able to switch seamlessly between Bruce's voice and Batman's. And as a rookie Batman still rough around the edges, Ackles is able to capture the wariness in the character's voice as he tries to become a better crusader. As the DCAMU's new Batman, I really look forward to Ackles' future appearances as the character.
With an abundant cast of characters also lead by Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent and the late Naya Rivera as Catwoman, there's not one voice actor who sounds out of place. Well, there is one exception in Zach Callison as an eight year old Bruce. While Callison is a talented actor and only has a few lines, his performance makes it sound like Bruce went through really early puberty; I guess he can't hold on to that young Steven Universe voice forever.
Overall, "Batman: The Long Halloween" delivers another entry into the Batman animated film hall of fame. I can't recommend it enough and I have my fingers crossed that the story's sequel, "Dark Victory", is also on the table for an adaptation.
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