The film adaptation of 'The Killing Joke' struggles to address the controversial treatment of Barbara Gordon, making it worse with a clichéd romantic subplot. While the voice acting, particularly by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, is excellent, the story's dialogue-heavy nature and lack of action make it feel underwhelming on the big screen.
The film adaptation of 'The Killing Joke' attempts to address the controversial treatment of Barbara Gordon from the original graphic novel but ultimately falls short. The new prologue, intended to give Barbara more agency, instead turns her into a clichéd rom-com character and further victimizes her. The voice acting is outstanding, with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill delivering exceptional performances as Batman and the Joker. However, the story's heavy focus on dialogue and lack of action make it feel static and anticlimactic. Despite the talent involved, the adaptation fails to capture the depth of the original material, leaving the overall experience underwhelming.
Quick quotes
The prologue only makes the treatment of Barbara Gordon worse.
It’s hard to imagine why they thought this was the best way to go.
The story is fairly light on action. There aren’t a lot of big set pieces or memorable battles.