Gotham Knight

Before I begin, I'm still to watch the "Dark Knight". This is because I wanted to watch the mid-quel (for the lack of a better word!) titled the Gotham Knight. If you still wondering what this is all about,Batman: Gotham Knight, a new animated feature from Warner Premiere, is a collection of six separate-but-interlocking stories, each looking at a different aspect of the character. The segments have been created by visionary anime directors and acclaimed screenwriters including David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Alan Burnett ("Batman: The Animated Series"), and Oscar-nominee Josh Olson (A History of Violence).

The first short film explores how Batman means different things to different people through the narratives of a bunch of teenagers. Is he a shadowy figure? Is he a mutant? Is he a robot? It totally heightens the enigma that is Batman by capturing different perceptions in Gotham.

The second short film exposes the thin line that lies between being a crime fighter and vigilante. This features the experiences of detective who's frustrated of being relegated to errands like taking the arrested felons to prison after they've been "delivered" to the headquarters by Batman.

While this animated feature,released earlier this month, was purely done as a promotional venture, it is good enough to pass off as a movies by itself. It never really disappoints you as some of the earlier batman flicks did. After a slow start, things quickly pick up, combining a strong sense of visual energy with an interesting meditation on Batman's motivation and development.

The anime style may upset a few fans, the art work is an absolute animated renaissance. The artists' impression of Gotham is very reminiscent of Nolan's Gotham in Batman Begins. Thankfully for those die-hard fans who will pick up this DVD, the work done by the directors and producers on this animated feature is far more than just a trailer to the Dark Knight.