Batman: The Long Halloween Animated Film Voice Actors Cast!

[Vakanai]

UTRH differs a *lot* from the source material, as does Gotham By Gaslight. Both are better than their inspirations.

And if you didn’t have some way to capture the full essence of Sale’s art and kept Loeb’s story, you’d just have a lackluster and overhyped story.

1. This film isn't better than its inspiration though.
2. But...what we just got in film was a lackluster and overhyped story...that's been kind of my whole contention with this movie.

[Frontier]

The others don't advertise themselves as an adaptation? Hush, the film named after and clearly based on the story Hush, isn't advertised as an adaptation? And therefore doesn't in that sense count as an adaptation, but TLH does? It's the only one that does?

Also...so? What does that have to do with my point? My point wasn't that it wasn't an adaptation, or that other movies were or weren't adaptations. My point was it strayed a lot from the source material, that it wasn't great or spectacular in any way.

I wasn't talking about Hush, I was talking about BvsR which was basically an original story and not a direct adaption of anything, although I guess some viewed it as an adaption of Snyder's Court of Owls arc.

[Vakanai]

I wasn't talking about Hush, I was talking about BvsR which was basically an original story and not a direct adaption of anything, although I guess some viewed it as an adaption of Snyder's Court of Owls arc.

It was a mix of the actual Batman vs Robin story and Court of Owls, and "some" people didn't just view it as an adaptation of Court of Owls, it was clearly a legit adaptation of it just as much as Hush and TLH. I'm guessing you choose not to accept it as an adaptation because you didn't like it particularly as such?

[Frontier]

It was a mix of the actual Batman vs Robin story and Court of Owls, and "some" people didn't just view it as an adaptation of Court of Owls, it was clearly a legit adaptation of it just as much as Hush and TLH. I'm guessing you choose not to accept it as an adaptation because you didn't like it particularly as such?

I think it took more inspiration from it than trying to directly adapt it, but that's just my opinion. It just didn't feel like one to me, but I actually liked the movie more or less.

[The Kid]

IMO Under the Red Hood is a significantly better story than the comic it took its inspiration from. Ideally, you'd do the same for Long Halloween but seems like people didn't like it as much? I haven't seen it yet so I can't say

I don't mind a new story that is inspired by it though although a straight adaptation like Dark Knight Returns would be cool too. Year One was a straight adaptation and I personally didn't care for it much. Just felt very cold which worked for the comic but didn't click on-screen

I think with Long Halloween, one of the best parts (the Batman/Gordon/Dent relationship) has already been kinda adapted in The Dark Knight which IMO is also significantly better than the comic it takes some inspiration from

[SiegePerilous02]

IMO Under the Red Hood is a significantly better story than the comic it took its inspiration from. Ideally, you'd do the same for Long Halloween but seems like people didn't like it as much? I haven't seen it yet so I can't say

I don't mind a new story that is inspired by it though although a straight adaptation like Dark Knight Returns would be cool too. Year One was a straight adaptation and I personally didn't care for it much. Just felt very cold which worked for the comic but didn't click on-screen

I think with Long Halloween, one of the best parts (the Batman/Gordon/Dent relationship) has already been kinda adapted in The Dark Knight which IMO is also significantly better than the comic it takes some inspiration from

I think TLH the comic has a reputation as a classic that UTRH didn't have before it got adapted, so I think maybe that's why this adaptation is being held to higher standards while Red Hood was more readily embraced.

of course, YMMV on much TLH deserves its classic reputation beyond the art (IMO it doesn't), so I was fine with the changes made to part one at least. And I agree that stuff like TDK and probably the upcoming The Batman take inspiration from it but do better things with he ideas they borrower.

[Frontier]

IMO Under the Red Hood is a significantly better story than the comic it took its inspiration from. Ideally, you'd do the same for Long Halloween but seems like people didn't like it as much? I haven't seen it yet so I can't say

I don't mind a new story that is inspired by it though although a straight adaptation like Dark Knight Returns would be cool too. Year One was a straight adaptation and I personally didn't care for it much. Just felt very cold which worked for the comic but didn't click on-screen

I think with Long Halloween, one of the best parts (the Batman/Gordon/Dent relationship) has already been kinda adapted in The Dark Knight which IMO is also significantly better than the comic it takes some inspiration from

The reception I'm seeing for the TLH movies is more positive overall, at least as far I can see.

I think it's also important to note that as much as Miller's movies got close, one-to-one, adaptions...the Loeb stuff they adapted prior were treated as being a little more malleable (particularly the Superman/Batman films).

[Vakanai]

I think it took more inspiration from it than trying to directly adapt it, but that's just my opinion. It just didn't feel like one to me, but I actually liked the movie more or less.

That's how I wound up feeling about TLH, except I was disappointed by it more or less. So each their own I guess. At this point I just want to move on, there's nothing left that I care about one way or another when it comes to adaptations, so they can't disappoint me there again.

[Vakanai]

The reception I'm seeing for the TLH movies is more positive overall, at least as far I can see.

I think it's also important to note that as much as Miller's movies got close, one-to-one, adaptions...the Loeb stuff they adapted prior were treated as being a little more malleable (particularly the Superman/Batman films).

Yeah, but a lot of the positive reception comes from people like SiegePerilous who didn't like the source material to begin with - they're just happy that it was different. But if you actually liked the comic book? Then, at least to me, this just failed to reach the level of the book if you're a fan of the book. So a lot of where you stand on this film is reflected on where you stand with the book - the less you care for the book, then the better the movie seemed. The more you liked the book, the worse the film was. To be the movie wasn't bad - it was just a largely mediocre part one followed by a good and solid, but never great, part two. Whereas the book for me was all great. Hence the displeasure from me, despite the fact that the movies weren't actually bad, they just didn't compare favorably at all to the story they were based on. It was just a much, much lesser experience.

[Vakanai]

of course, YMMV on much TLH deserves its classic reputation beyond the art (IMO it doesn't)

We are so diametrically opposite it's unreal...

[godisawesome]

I *like* the source material.

I just knew that the art and atmosphere was 90% of the reason I liked it even after the mystery turned out to be crap. I considered it stronger than Hush as a story, but Dark Victory stronger still, with none being as good as a mediocre Paul Dini mystery with the same cast and a decent artist. There’s a reason that, while it was always considered a classic, it wasn’t seen as an upper tier one.

The film improved the story’s strengths with the mystery and BatCat, while nailing what worked about Two-Face’s story.

[Vakanai]

I *like* the source material.

I just knew that the art and atmosphere was 90% of the reason I liked it even after the mystery turned out to be crap. I considered it stronger than Hush as a story, but Dark Victory stronger still, with none being as good as a mediocre Paul Dini mystery with the same cast and a decent artist. There’s a reason that, while it was always considered a classic, it wasn’t seen as an upper tier one.

The film improved the story’s strengths with the mystery and BatCat, while nailing what worked about Two-Face’s story.

I disagree - it might have improved some elements, but at the expense of others. Ultimately for me the things they improved upon didn't make up for what they messed up. And I wasn't a fan of the BatCat element here - Selina didn't know Bruce's identity as Batman yet in the story, so she just starts out knowing it in the film with no explanation when where or how. And there were some scenes where she just felt shoved in for no reason. And you keep mentioning the art and atmosphere as why you liked the book - for me, the art style of this new universe isn't good. It's...serviceable. At best it is "just fine". I will never watch this new universe for the art, because the super flat style just doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. It only succeeds at not being actually bad art, but it isn't a draw for me.

[Frontier]

That's how I wound up feeling about TLH, except I was disappointed by it more or less. So each their own I guess. At this point I just want to move on, there's nothing left that I care about one way or another when it comes to adaptations, so they can't disappoint me there again.

I feel like TLH was a far more direct adaption even with the changes, but to each their own.

Yeah, but a lot of the positive reception comes from people like SiegePerilous who didn't like the source material to begin with - they're just happy that it was different. But if you actually liked the comic book? Then, at least to me, this just failed to reach the level of the book if you're a fan of the book. So a lot of where you stand on this film is reflected on where you stand with the book - the less you care for the book, then the better the movie seemed. The more you liked the book, the worse the film was. To be the movie wasn't bad - it was just a largely mediocre part one followed by a good and solid, but never great, part two. Whereas the book for me was all great. Hence the displeasure from me, despite the fact that the movies weren't actually bad, they just didn't compare favorably at all to the story they were based on. It was just a much, much lesser experience.

I've seen positive reception from people who enjoyed the book. I guess it just really depends on the POV.

Like I absolutely loved Reign of the Supermen while you didn't. To each their own .

[SiegePerilous02]

We are so diametrically opposite it's unreal...

Sorry man, not everyone's gonna think TLH is a genuine masterpiece beyond reproach. Some people just think it's all style, very little substance. Loeb isn't a particularly deep writer.

[Daedalus]

I *like* the source material.

I just knew that the art and atmosphere was 90% of the reason I liked it even after the mystery turned out to be crap. I considered it stronger than Hush as a story, but Dark Victory stronger still, with none being as good as a mediocre Paul Dini mystery with the same cast and a decent artist. There’s a reason that, while it was always considered a classic, it wasn’t seen as an upper tier one.

The film improved the story’s strengths with the mystery and BatCat, while nailing what worked about Two-Face’s story.

I loved the adaptation - I agree with this take in that the mystery works out best in its animated version.

I do think that Catwoman feels very much shoehorned into an already overcrowded movie, so I'll give that point to Vakanai. She was too present, all the time, in scenes that benefitted nothing from having her character there.