Jensen Ackles, Naya Rivera, Josh Duhamel, Billy Burke, Troy Baker, Titus Welliver, David Dastmalchian, Amy Landecker, Jack Quaid, Fred Tatasciore and Alastair Duncan
The landmark DC comic story, previously released as two parts, it combined here into an explosive feature looking at the development of heroes and villains set in Batman's early years...
When a high-profile mob killing rocks Gotham City with pumpkins left at the scene as a twisted calling card, Batman (Ackles) and DA Harvey Dent (Duhamel) are called to investigate at the request of Commissioner James Gordon (Burke).
A host of Rogues Gallery villains soon come to stop Batman and Dent when it becomes clear the Holiday Killer is inciting war within the Falcone and Maroni crime families. Dent is also made a target by The Joker (Baker) who doesn't want the Holiday Killer to take his fame.
It falls to Batman to try and stop the high-profile killings that occur across calendar dates of popular holidays. It also puts those closest to Batman as risk including Alfred (Duncan) and Catwoman (Rivera) as the danger increases, and many will be changed forever by the crimes...
We open up to a classic Gotham template - a sprawling city at night, alive with the lights of skyscrapers, sirens and traffic. It's a perfect encapsulation of what Warner Bros. Animation captures so well about DC's Dark Knight from page to screen. It's a style that hasn't really changed much from the classic 90s animated series, but it's slicker, sharper and more atmospheric. The eerie and haunting atmosphere of the opening credits sets the scene for a real bold and chilling look at one of Batman's greatest foes - Harvey Dent aka Two-Face, along with others in the Rogues Gallery of Villains and the Caped Crusader himself in his early years of fighting crime.
Adapted from the beloved comic of the same name by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, director Chris Palmer clearly knows the source material and the Dark Knight himself. Sounds, colour and light work to immerse us in another cartoon world but with real mature themes of crime, corruption, murder, and horror. This isn't a tale for little kids, that's for sure with the occasional use of bad language and violence. And maybe all the better for it giving audiences a little more "dark" in their Dark Knight.
Palmer isn't afraid to use the elements of the Batman genre for best effect. Even the synth / orchestral score by Michael Gatt embodies everything we have come to expect from new and old Batman, thanks to existing animated films, video games and the live action movies. The DC animations all may deal with alternate time-lines or periods in the Bat-canon away from the live-action films, but something about them all feel unified and linked by the quality of animation and detail on show.
The original two parter is now combined as one full-length feature. The near 3hr run-time really captures such a powerful story looking at crucial moments of Batman lore without rushing.
This story deals with Batman (Jensen Ackles) working together with Captain Jim Gordon (Billy Burke) and DA Harvey Dent (Josh Duhamel) to tackle the growing Falcone crime family threatening the shaky peace of Gotham. We have everything from Dent's struggle with playing noble hero or vengeful villain (something that lends to his tragic transformation), the exploration of Batman and Catwoman's on-off relationship and, of course, Joker, voiced by Troy Baker giving Mark Hamill a run for his money, up to his murderous, maniacal antics to spice things up. If this all sounds familiar, it's the story that Christopher Nolan used for inspiration in his 2008 superhero epic The Dark Knight, and many moments in this animation will harken back to scenes from the film.
It's that much of an important and well written story that it is a solid Batman template to use. The characters are fleshed out well; the villains are true comic villains in terms of hulking Italian-bred mobsters and the Rogues Gallery themselves popping up. They're not watered down either, happy to take a life or break bones if it keeps their position of power secure and thus making their motives and actions all the more meaningful in the Batman universe.
Batman begins his journey as a detective, not just a figurehead of fear against criminals. The use of his brain over brawn is refreshing, rather than just all out action. His understanding that he needs to think in order to stay one step ahead of the criminal underworld comes naturally. Batman also questions his errors and what he could do better to be the best protector of Gotham he can be against the Holiday killer striking fear into many. Other favourites pop up to keep fans happy such as Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy and Calendar Man with their own reasons and morality behind their actions. so there's something you can invest in rather than a simple throwaway story.
Even away from the static backdrops and beautiful atmosphere of Gotham, when the action begins, it too is brilliantly animated. We are treated to sequences such as frantic hand-to-hand combat, a mid-air bi-plane battle between Batman and Joker while a digital snowy Gotham blurs behind them, to dangerous Batmobile car chases. It ticks the boxes for what we want to see, and also sticks to Gotham as a location, not globe-trotting or trying something new when it doesn't need to.
The film is tenderly dedicated to the memory of actress Naya Rivera - our Catwoman - who sadly passed away aged just 33 in July 2020 following her work on The Long Halloween.
'The Long Halloween' proves why Warner Bros. Animation really has graphic novel adaptation in the bag, especially with the wonderful treasure trove of DC material that is Batman.
'Batman: The Long Halloween' is a co-production between Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment
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