Batman: Hush is a not top-of-the-line entry in the DC Animated Universe line and while the deviation from the source material is understandable, even necessary, what they went with was hardly satisfying.
Batman: Hush
(2019)
Genre(s): War, Action
Sony | R – 134 min. – $30.99 | May 22, 2018
Date Published: 05/25/2018 | Author: The Movieman
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: When threads from Batman’s past begin to unravel, the race is on for the Dark Knight (JASON O’MARA) to crash Hush’s deadly game. Now he goes up against some of his classic rogues who are under the mysterious villain’s influence: Selina Kyle/Catwoman (JENNIFER MORRISON), Poison Ivy (PEYTON LIST), Bane (ADAM GIFFORD), The Riddler (GEOFFREY AREND) and even ally Superman (JERRY O’CONNELL).
Review: It’s been a while since I really kept up with the comic book side of DC but one of the last graphic novels I did read, and mostly because it was from Jeph Loeb, the writer behind the incredible “Batman: The Long Halloween”, was “Batman: Hush”, and from my memory, one hell of a good read and interesting new villain with a devious back story. When it comes to these DC animated adaptations, I understand changes have to be made, especially in one like “Hush” where Batman’s history, particularly that of Jason Todd, comes into play. But the change made here, came across really weak and disappointing. Without going into major spoiler territory, I can’t really expand on that, but when Hush’s identity was revealed, it was a letdown for sure. On the plus side, while changing who Hush is and their motivations, the latter my biggest problem, the big element and perhaps the saving grace was the Batman/Catwoman relationship where the filmmakers pulled from another source in which not only has Catwoman changed her ways, but Bruce eventually reveals his identity and the two, for a time, are a genuine couple. Of course, Bruce’s brooding nature does get in the way adding for some potentially interesting angles in the future.
If you didn’t already know, Batman: Hush is the next chapter within DC’s Animated Universe, using much of the same voice talents that came before, with Jason O’Mara voicing Batman, Jerry O’Connell, in a small role, as Superman, Rainn Wilson as Lex Luthor in a very brief appearance, etc with the newcomer being Jennifer Morrison (of House M.D. fame) voicing up the seductive Catwoman and doing a fairly good job at it. Sure, she’s no Julie Newmar or Michelle Pfeiffer (voice-wise), but she is a nice addition to a somewhat quality cast (still can’t get used to Wilson however). |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5 |
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This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover and a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Audio Commentary – Executive Producer James Tucker, Director Justin Copeland and Writer Ernie Altbacker. The trio go into how they came to adapt the “Hush” storyline and the changes made and why. DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock (14:55) – So glad Warner has brought this back, giving us stories that probably couldn’t warrant a feature-length animated film. Not entirely familiar with the Sgt. Rock comic book but this was a well told WWII/horror film with Karl Urban voicing the title character. Batman: Love in the Time of War (16:53) examines the relationship between Batman and Catwoman as well as her history. Sneak Peek at Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (10:00) – Get a glimpse at the next release in the Warner Animated feature line and looks like it delves into her origin. Voice cast includes Rosario Dawson returning the role and Jeffrey Donovan as Steve Trevor. From the DC Comics Vault: Batman: The Animated Series, “Catwalk” (21:17) |
4K VIDEO – 4.5/5, BD VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Batman: Hush is shown with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 2160p high-definition transfer on 4K Ultra HD and 1080p on the included Blu-ray disc. Like other 4K releases in the DC Animated movies, this looks quite good in the format, blacks are fairly deep and there are pops of color and good shades in between (like the blue in Batman’s costume or Poison Ivy’s green “attire”), aided somewhat on 4K thanks to the HDR. Detail on both formats is good with a very slight edge to the UHD disc, but the Blu-ray still looks great in its own right. |
AUDIO – 4.25/5 |
| The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track isn’t anything amazing yet still more than serviceable outputting clear dialogue via the center channel and fine depth for the variety of action-centric sequences. No, this won’t wow you nor give your sound system a hefty workout, but still decent enough. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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Batman: Hush is a not top-of-the-line entry in the DC Animated Universe line and while the deviation from the source material is understandable, even necessary, what they went with was hardly satisfying, though the relationship between Batman and Catwoman does kind of make up for the lacking storyline. This 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo pack from Warner offers up good video/audio transfers and an okay selection of bonus features, headlined by the return of the DC Showcase animated short. |
The screen captures came from the Blu-ray copy and are here to add visuals to the review and do not represent the 4K video.