BATMAN YEAR ONE COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

Warner Bros provided ageekdaddy.com with a free 4K Ultra HD disc of the DC Universe Movie Batman Year One. Opinions expressed are honest and my own. 

My son and I were geeked this weekend to watch BATMAN: YEAR ONE remastered to view in 4K Ultra High Definition for the first time commemorating the tenth anniversary of the release of this DC UNIVERSE MOVIE. The Batman: Year One -- Commemorative Edition is a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Code movie pack that will be available at retail beginning November 9, 2021. We really appreciate Warner Bros Home Entertainment providing this Geek Daddy with an advance screening of the new 4K Ultra HD version of this animated movie before its official release.

Originally released in 2011 on Blu-ray, BATMAN: YEAR ONE is given new life thanks to advancements in home entertainment technology now with four times more vibrant resolution being displayed in a 4K format. Holy Pixels Batman! This remastered commemorative edition looks fantastic on the large screen 4K television set in our living room. So glad I also bought an Ultra HD disc player to go with it to be able to watch 4K home video releases like this!

Batman: Year One is based on the landmark 1987 DC titles from 12-time Eisner Award winner and Eisner Award Hall of Fame member Frank Miller and illustrator David Mazzucchelli. The film depicts young Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City in his first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed hero. The playboy billionaire chooses the guise of a giant bat to combat crime, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon (who is already battling corruption from inside the police department), inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a crooked political system that infests Gotham City.

While titled "Batman: Year One", it is James Gordon who is center stage and really the focus of the story. It shows the young Gordon as someone who can kick ass and be a hero in his own right but also struggles with living up to his own code of moral ethics. We see a police officer who fights off not just criminal endeavors but enticements that could lead him astray. At the same time we see a Bruce Wayne full of uncertainty and lacking confidence becoming the Caped Crusader who in later years strikes fear in evil doers. Batman actually makes mistakes and is shown to be vulnerable almost getting killed on a number of occasions by making "amateur" errors and having a lack of experience. We witness depth in both characters that portrays them in perspectives different than how the two are often portrayed in Batman adventures and get to enjoy seeing the two forge a bond of friendship that will evolve into a partnership between them to fight crime within Gotham City.

This movie doesn't show the Batman you probably are expecting which makes it in my opinion even more interesting to view. Plus my son and I both agreed the focus on Gordon was compelling too.  I have to admit not being much of a fan of the live-action DC Comics inspired movies but have developed a real admiration for the animated flicks like Batman: Year One which are in the DC Universe Movie collection. These movies provide a great translation to video of the actual comic book stories from DC Comics that are the inspiration for today's superhero films and television shows. If you are a Batman fan, 2021 has been a great year for these animated DC Universe Movies with the release of Batman: The Long Halloween, Injustice, and the remastered 4K Ultra HD commemorative edition of Batman: Year One. If you haven't seen any of these animated feature length films from Warner Bros Home Entertainment now is the time to start checking them out!

Just because Batman: Year One is an animated movie doesn't mean that it doesn't include an A-list of talent in its cast. Six-time Emmy® Award winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Trumbo, Your Honor) and Gotham star Ben McKenzie (Southland, The O.C.) lead a star-studded cast as Lieutenant James Gordon and Bruce Wayne/Batman, respectively. Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) provides the voice of Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian, Battlestar Galactica) gives voice to Detective Sarah Essen, and the late Alex Rocco (The Godfather) is the voice of crime lord Carmine Falcone. Additional voices/characters include the late Jon Polito as Commissioner Loeb, Jeff Bennett as Alfred, Grey Griffin as Barbara Gordon & Vicki Vale, Robin Atkin Downes as Harvey Dent, Keith Ferguson as Jefferson Skeevers, and Fred Tatasciore as Detective Flass. 

Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman, Voltron: Legendary Defender) and Sam Liu (Batman: Soul ofthe Dragon, Superman: Red Son) co-directed Batman: Year One from a script penned by AcademyAward® nominee Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist, Disney’s Tarzan). Animation legend Bruce Timm(Batman: The Animated Series) executive produced this movie which is full of top notch illustration. While released on home video, Batman: Year One could hold its own as a motion picture shown on the silver screen at theaters. 

While you may not be seeing Batman: Year One on a huge screen, or maybe you will as some televisions and projectors are providing almost theater quality viewings these days, there are still perks to getting your hands on home video releases to add to your entertainment library. Bonus content! Here are some of the extras that come along with the main movie:

• Featurette – Reinventing Gordon (New) – An examination of the history of James Gordon through comics, animation, and feature films. 

 • Featurette – Conversations with DC Comics – The Batman creative team at DC discusses the personal influence of Batman: Year One on their careers. Batman producer Michael Uslan leads the chat amongst well-known writers, editors, and artists of Batman lore, focusing on the darker, realistic interpretation of Batman’s origins by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. 

 • Audio Commentary – Featuring co-producer Alan Burnett, co-director Sam Liu, DC creative director Mike Carlin and casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. • Featurette – Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots – “The Dark Knight Returns” provided the denouement of Batman's life. Frank Miller's next seminal work would provide his near-mythic origin in “Batman: Year One.” This documentary spotlights the contemporary genius of Miller and the audience that was poised to appreciate the depths of his work. 

 • DC Showcase – Catwoman (2011 Animated Short) – The felonious feline’s adventure takes her through the seedy streets of Gotham City. Eliza Dushku reprises her Batman: Year One role as the voice of Catwoman. The short is directed by Lauren Montgomery (Batman: Year One) from a script by Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series).

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