HallowScream - Batman: The Long Halloween (2021)

          Happy Halloween everyone, Chuck here, and we've reached the end of yet another HallowScream. And, honestly, I can't think of a better way to end out this year's HallowScream than by talking about the two-part animated film based on one of the most iconic Batman comic book stories of all time: Batman: The Long Halloween. Released in the summer of 2021, part one in June and part two in July, this animated film sees Batman have to contend with a deranged serial killer, a death of familiar foes, and a dangerous new threat in the form of Two-Face. 

           So, part one starts off with the death of Johnny Viti, nephew of Gotham mob boss Carmine Falcone, by a killer who leaves behind both the murder weapon and a jack-o'-lantern. This leads to a meeting on the GCPD rooftop between police captain James Gordon, District Attorney Harvey Dent, and Bruce Wayne/Batman. After the meeting, Batman is led on a chase by Selina Kyle/Catwoman, who leads him to a warehouse storing the entire cache of Falcone's dirty money. As.time goes on, more mysterious incidents pop up, including the deaths of several triads on Thanksgiving, and an assassination attempt on Dent and his wife, Gilda, which puts Dent in the hospital. 

        On Christmas Eve, Batman and Gordon head to Arkham Asylum to meet with Julian Day/Calendar Man, who they believe may know something about the mysterious killer dubbed Holiday. A hint by Julian leads Batman to check on the cell of the Joker, who has escaped. Joker, as we learn, goes after Dent and Falcone, with Falcone's bodyguard being killed by Holiday. On New Year's Eve, ultimately, Bruce attends a yacht party being held by Falcone, and eventually goes after Joker, who is attempting to gas a New Year's celebration in the middle of Gotham Square. Back on the yacht, Selina, who'd just ended her relationship with Bruce, chats with Falcone's son Alberto, who reveals that his father rejected Alberto's fiancee from Oxford. Batman later shows up and accuses Alberto of being the killer known as Holiday, only for Holiday to kill Alberto, leading Batman to convince Dent and Gordon to put a protective detail on Falcone. A post-credits scene shows Bruce attend Alberto's funeral, where he speaks with Falcone, and later shows his eyes glow green, hinting that Bruce's mind has fallen under the influence of Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy. 

         So, part two picks up with Bruce, still under Poison Ivy's influence, signing assets over to Falcone. Eventually, Catwoman breaks him out of his trance by defeating Ivy. Holiday, meanwhile, has been killing more Falcone associates on Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and April Fool's Day. But as Mother's Day rolls around, Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow breaks out of Arkham, and injects Batman with fear toxin in order to manipulate him. The influence of the fear toxin forces Batman to relieve the murder of his parents, but he is found in an alley by Catwoman and taken back home. Falcone's daughter, Sofia, returns to Gotham and asks for a seat at the table, but her father refuses. Bruce, meanwhile, recalls meeting Falcone when his father saven the mobster's life after an assassination attempt. 

         On Father's Day, Holiday takes the life of Maroni's father Luigi, and Catwoman bears witness to Falcone paying off a hitman in a cemetery. On Fourth of July, Batman is captured by Scarecrow and Jervis Tech/Mad Hatter, who are robbing a bank for Falcone. Batman eventually breaks free and recaptures the two criminals as they drop off the money in the cemetery. On the boardwalk, Dent and Gilda are confronted by a Falcone hitman, who attempts to kill them during a fireworks display. Catwoman intervenes in the situation, and Dent and Gilda pass out, only for Dent to wake up with one of Holiday's guns nearby, fleeing before police show up.

            As weeks pass, Maroni meets Dent and agrees to testify in exchange for immunity, whilst Falcone's sister Carla accuses Dent of being the killer known as Holiday. Further accusations crip up after Batman finds Holiday's guns in Dent's basement. Maroni ultimately accuses Dent of being Holiday, and he throws acid in Dent's face. Dent, after being hospitalized, eventually escapes his hospital room, gets picked up by Falcone's men, kills them, and makes his way to the sewers, where he gets taken care of by Solomon Grundy. Dent, now going by the name Two-Face, teams up with Grundy on Labor Day and the two attack Maroni's security convoy, with Maroni getting shot by Holiday, who escapes along with Two-Face and Grundy. Alfred, meanwhile, prepares Wayne Manor for another Halloween, while reassuring Bruce that his parents would be proud of him regardless of any of their alleged connections to the mob. 

         Batman, some time later, asks Catwoman about her obsession with Falcone, with Catwoman revealing that Falcone is her father, and she is looking for answers as to her mother's identity. Two-Face and Grundy, meanwhile, attack Arkham and free several inmates. While Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, and Ivy attack GCPD, Two-Face, Joker, Grundy, and Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin attack Falcone's building. The criminals overwhelm Falcone's forces, and Two-Face flips a coin to decide whether Falcone lives or dies. Batman and Catwoman arrive to quell the situation, but are too late to keep Falcone from getting shot. Sofia throws herself out the window to her death, and Falcone reveals the name of Catwoman's mother before himself dying in Batman's arms. Two-Face ultimately takes the blame for all of the Holiday murders and turns himself in to Gordon. 

       Batman later learns the truth: Dent's wife Gilda was Holiday, with her motives being personal against Falcone, who rejected the notion of Gilda being married to Alberto, having the marriage annulled, and forcing her to have an abortion, which made her infertile. Gilda, ultimately, reassures Batman that Holiday is done. On Halloween night, trick-or-treater shows up at Wayne Manor dressed up like Batman, all while Bruce spends the evening with Selina. The movie ends with Flash and Green Arrow stopping by to hang out. 

        Okay, if I'm being honest, I was surprised that this movie even happened. Next to Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, The Long Halloween is seen as one of the most influential Batman stories from the comics, to where most every film adaptation of Batman has taken influences from it. So, in truth, it was inevitable that an animated film adaptation based on The Long Halloween would get made, and I definitely appreciate that, like with The Dark Knight Returns, it was released as a two-parter. 

       The writing for this movie, just like most DC animated films directly drawn from the comics, is spot on with the comic book version of The Long Halloween, and writer Tim Sheridan did a great job adapting the original comic story by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Director Chris Palmer definitely made this an entertaining piece to enjoy for Halloween. Now, admittedly, I am aware that the movie isn't entirely set on Halloween, and we have multiple holidays featured throughout the movie. However, I believe that the title is more of a reference to the fact that the movie starts on Halloween and ends the following Halloween, and the killer known as Holiday starts her string of kills on Halloween, and is caught the final Halloween. 

      The voice cast for this movie was excellent. Jensen Ackles, who previously played Jason Todd in the animated film Under the Red Hood, was fantastic as Batman, as was Naya Rivera as Catwoman. Now, I do need to mention that this was Naya Rivera's final film role before her disappearance and drowning in 2020. While it is unfortunate that she died after recording her dialogue for the movie, she still gave a stellar performance, and is quite possibly one of my favorite versions of Catwoman in animation. 

        Josh Duhamel was probably the best choice to play Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and he's truly haunting with his performance as the Gotham D.A. turned deranged criminal with a split personality. Other villains I enjoyed include Troy Baker as Joker, Katee Sackhoff as Poison Ivy, David Dastmalchian as both Calendar Man and Penguin, Robin Atkin Downes as Scarecrow, and John DiMaggio as Mad Hatter. 

       But easily my two favorite performers we're Billy Burke, who I'm sure everyone probably remembers for being Bella Swan's father Charlie in Twilight, as Jim Gordon, and Titus Welliver, who I enjoyed in movies like Transformers: Age of Extinction and in shows like The Mandalorian, as Carmine Falcone. 

          As far as DC Animation goes, I definitely enjoyed this one. Not only as a 90's kid, and yes the comic story of The Long Halloween was originally published in the 90's, but as a Batman fan. It was great getting to see all of my favorite Batman foes in one film, albeit a two-part film. I'm giving Batman: The Long Halloween, as a whole, a rating of 5/5. Definitely pick this up, either as the two separate films or in a single set as the Deluxe Edition. 

          This is Chuck signing off. Thanks for tuning in to another fantastic HallowScream, and be sure to join me tomorrow for my review of The World is Not Enough. Have a Happy Halloween, and I'll see you guys next time.