Batman: The Killing Joke | Full Movie | Movies Anywhere

Fans of both the novel and “Batman: The Animated Series” will certainly appreciate what the movie eventually becomes. But getting to that point makes for a puzzling ride.

While the first half feels like an extended prologue included as runtime padding, what follows isn't much better, as it deviates from the source material, and worse, emphasizes what was unwieldy about the text.

... scriptwriter Brian Azzarello wrote a half-hour prologue that explored Batgirls retirement from crime fighting. Give the production high marks to the adaptation proper but the addition is problematic at best and misguided at best.

The final product is nothing more than a middle of the line DC animated film that was concentrating more on controversy than giving a film that fans not only wanted, but deserved.