Just finished The Killing Joke and it once more proves that whenever it comes to animation DC can knock it out of the park with no problem and that they need to put more funds towards that branch of their franchise. Seeing a classic comic in animated form is such a treat and with how well this turned out, along with the previous success of the Under the Hood and Dark Knight Returns adaptations, I really would like to see comics from other heroes besides Batman animated. Superman Red Son, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Green Lantern Emerald Twilight, etc. An animated Crisis on Infinite Earths could be one of the greatest films of all time.
For The Killing Joke though there's not much I can say about the material taken from the comic. All of that is perfect and without a single flaw. They did change a few things this time around, whereas Dark Knight Returns was fairly faithful to the original, as was All-Star Superman. They added in an adventure with Batgirl at the start, I think to allow viewers to connect with a character they might not be too familar with at this point (Barbara hasn't really had major focus in DC's animated world for a while now, with even the Young Justice appearances having to take place alongside so many other heroes), which is for the best. Gave you the chance to see the character at her physical peak and time to learn about her so that what happens can feel more tragic. One thing I didn't like was the added romance between Batman and Batgirl. Bruce Timm created the original animated universe for DC and made it a classic, but this is a flaw he had back in the 90s as well. Really don't get why he's so wrapped up in the idea of those 2 together. It's just as creepy now as it was back then and even worse it only comes off as being done to add further drama to a story that doesn't need it. Going to fall into fridging territory when we look back on this film years from now.
For the Joker i'm once again convinced that Mark Hamill really just captures the character's voice in a way that no one else can. If this was the last project Hamill ever worked on i'd consider it to be a fitting one. Was nice to get Kevin Conroy back as Batman too. I also still consider the origin presented here to be the best the character's ever had and it, along with his relationship with Batman, makes me that much more annoyed at the recent comic reveal of there apparently being 3 Jokers. Think this story has always been one of the most important for the character, but that beyond him it's also a solid one for Jim Gordon at the end. Also, the ending with Batman and Joker laughing really does come off as Batman killing Joker and I see why that was the original intention.
Definitely suggest that anyone who hasn't already seen it find some time to do so, especially if you've never read the actual comic.
Honestly I would've ended up doing this regardless, since the only times it's showing at my AMC are 7:30 and 10:00 and i'm going to be at work for both.
That being said the most graphic thing you see is Babs straddling Bruce, both in uniform, kissing him, and then she starts taking her uniform off as it cuts away. "Sex" is directly mentioned shortly after though so decide on your own whether you think it's ok for your kids.
