I found this Batman fan film on Geeks Are Sexy, via Dailymotion. I enjoyed it so much. Here's what I think of the portrayal of the characters:
Batman. Just like the cartoon Batman, Bruce Wayne here is a big guy, unlike Christian Bale in The Dark Knight. As Bruce Wayne, he looks different: like a non-serious guy. Its almost as though they used a Bruce Wayne double. I guess this is how it should be. Bruce Wayne takes on a different personality when he dons the bat suit. The suit, the utility belt, the motorcycle and other equipment that Batman used are also realistic, not slick and artificial looking like in the recent Batman movies. The logo is kind of different from the traditional bat signal, but not entirely unpleasant.
Joker. This guy was good! I think the director truly based his portrayal of the characters from the cartoon. Mark Hamil is still a bit better at being the voice of Joker, with the maniacal laughter and voice pitch, but the Joker actor in this short film is also very good.
Harley Quinn. Madelynn Rae, the actress in this short film who played Harley, also sang the theme song City of Scars. I think she's a great singer, and she did justice to Harley' character from her portrayal. She's also very pretty, unlike how I perceive Harley to be from the cartoon portrayal. Harley's character is one character in this short film that wasn't completely copied from the cartoon, but I liked it way better.
Arthur Wesker / Scarface. The actor in the short film got the cartoon Wesker's wimpiness, but not the gentleness and kind natured-ness. Arthur Wesker in the cartoon is an innocent man with no control of himself, being a dummy of Scarface, hating and being terrified of Scarface. In the short film, Arthur Wesker empathizes with Scarface. Still, he looked crazy enough in the movie, like a man who kept hearing voices in his head. I guess I'm partial to the cartoon Wesker, a guy who was basically just crazy and detested his other personality as a criminal mastermind.
One LOL moment was when the dwarf guy threatened Batman with a gun, and how easily Batman got rid of the gun and simply told the dwarf to "MOVE!" I also like the portrayal of Gotham City in this short film; it is more realistic, rather than the Holywood portrayal of a City so unreal and unpersonal. Gotham City in the short film was a more "everyday" city.
The kid in the short film lacked personality also. He looked more like a five year old than a ten year old who had the guts to kill his parents' murderer. I guess, he looked more innocent, but then maybe a more innocent kid will have more guts to turn a gun to a criminal rather than a kid who thinks a lot. And I think Councilman Johnson was a bit too old for his character.
Overall, though, I give the movie an A-. Its better than some Hollywood Batman movies, and I love it!
