The Couch Critic
The Couch Critic is your laid-back guide to movies and TV shows that deserve your attention—or maybe don’t. Nathan dives deep into storytelling, character development, and cinematic style with a sharp eye and a wry sense of humor. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit, a hidden gem, or a cult classic, Nathan’s relatable approach ensures every episode feels like a cozy chat with a friend who just happens to love film. Perfect for casual watchers and cinephiles alike, The Couch Critic brings thoughtful critique without the fluff. Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let Nathan guide you through the world of screen entertainment.
The Couch Critic
Batman Under the Red Hood: A Comic Fan's Review
Gotham's darkest secrets resurface in "Batman Under the Red Hood" as a mysterious vigilante forces the Dark Knight to confront his greatest failure. This week on Cinema Saturdays, we explore this emotional DC animated feature that brings one of Batman's most tragic storylines to life.
What happens when Batman's moral code is challenged by someone who knows his methods all too well? The Red Hood's arrival in Gotham reopens old wounds and brings buried memories into the light, creating a compelling narrative that stands strong despite some casting choices that might surprise longtime fans. While the absence of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Batman and Joker initially creates a disconnect, standout performances from Jensen Ackles as Red Hood and Neil Patrick Harris as Dick Grayson ultimately elevate this emotional tale of revenge and redemption.
We dive deep into why DC's animated features consistently outshine Marvel's offerings, breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of this fan-favorite Batman story. From the fluid action sequences to the psychological depth of its character work, "Batman Under the Red Hood" earns a solid 3.5-4 stars out of 5 despite some minor drawbacks. Whether you're a diehard Batman fan or new to DC animation, this review explains why this film deserves a spot in your weekend watchlist. Have a recommendation for our next Cinema Saturday? Let us know - your suggestion might be our next review!
The weekend's here. It's time to unwind. Grab your snacks, leave the week behind. Blockbusters classics, they're all on the way. Let's kick it off with Cinema Saturdays.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, welcome to another Cinema Saturday episode of the Couch Critic. I'm your host, nathan, and on today's episode I'm reviewing a movie that was suggested by one of our loyal listeners, Sam.
Speaker 3:That's right, I'm reviewing Batman. Under the Red Hood.
Speaker 2:Before I can go over my likes and dislikes, I've got to go over the synopsis, go over my lights and dislikes, I've got to go over the synopsis.
Speaker 3:There's a mystery afoot in Gotham City, and Batman must go toe-to-toe with a mysterious vigilante who goes by the name of Red Hood. Subsequently, old wounds reopen, and old once buried memories come into the light.
Speaker 2:So I'm not going to go over who stars in this movie, because that's one of my dislikes. I'm sorry to go over who stars in this movie, because that's one of my dislikes. I'm sorry, sam, when I started watching this movie I did not realize that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill did not voice Batman and the Joker. That is my Batman and my Joker. Kevin Conroy, mark Hamill those are the voices of those characters. So it did kind of take me out of the movie a smidge when I heard that it wasn't them. That being said, the guy that did play Batman, I think, tried his best to pay homage to Kevin Conroy the way he did the voice the Joker. It had moments of being okay and it had moments of just not feeling like the Joker to me. So that would probably be one of my dislikes is the voiceover actors kind of took me out of the storyline I had already known. I already knew the story behind Red Hood and the whole Jason Todd reveal Because, number one, I had heard about it before. Number two, I had played one of the Arkham Knight Batman video games and that was actually one of the storylines. So I already knew the whole basis of what this movie was going to be about. That being said, I did enjoy this movie. I think DC does a much better job at doing cartoons than Marvel does, and then Marvel does a better job. Well, they used to do a better job with live action movies than DC did with live action movies than DC did. So we'll see when the new live action Superman comes out. I'm actually looking forward to it. I know a lot of people are already poo-pooing it because it's not Zack Snyder and it's not Henry Cavill. I could care less. The trailers I've seen for that movie have gotten me really excited. But that's not what this review is about. It's about Batman in the Red Hood. So Sam had also reached out to me saying that I should watch Batman Death in the Family because that kind of gives some backstory. But all the reviews I've read about that because I unfortunately was not able to watch it all the reviews I read about that was that it's basically the exact same movie of Batman Under the Red Hood, except that you can it's like interactive kind of thing, so you can choose the different sides of the story you want to hear the story from, basically, and so I couldn't find it anywhere, so I wasn't able to watch it. So again, I apologize for that. But that being said, this episode is going to be really short Because I did enjoy this movie.
Speaker 2:I thought the even though the voice actors were kind of again took me out of the movie. Once I got into the groove of the movie and everything like that, I felt like the story became more compelling. I actually really did like Jensen Ackles as Red Hood. I thought he did a really good job playing that character. As Red Hood. I thought he did a really good job playing that character. I thought Neil Patrick Harris, as Dick Grayson, did a pretty good job at being the sarcastic Robin character. So those two voiceover actors were pretty good and I enjoyed their characters and I think they made the story more bearable to watch. And it was cool to see that storyline come to life in this movie Because, again, I had heard about the storyline and I knew the basis of it.
Speaker 2:But I still enjoyed watching this movie, if that makes sense. So it's not that I didn't like it. It's not that I did like it, it's that I think it was okay. Uh, it was a fun watch. My wife can like near the end, like it. It's that I think it was okay. It was a fun watch my wife can like near the end of it. So I was like, yeah, there's too much to say, and there was. There was a lot to tell and so it's not a movie that you can just come in in the middle of and still watch it and enjoy it. You really do have to watch it from the beginning.
Speaker 2:So that is my review of Batman Under the Red Hood. I thought it was a fun watch. I did miss Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Batman and the Joker, but the story was still compelling enough that I did sit through and watch the entire thing. So I would give Batman and the Red Hood maybe a 3.5, maybe a nice four out of five stars. That is Batman Under the Red Hood, as promised. Thank you again, sam, for that suggestion. Suggestion if you have a suggestion for a movie that we should watch. I do have little holes here and there in my cinema saturday schedule so if you suggest a movie, I might watch it and I might review it. Whether it's a good movie or a bad movie, I will watch it just for you and you can listen on tuesday. Coming up to my review of Meet Me in St Louis. Louis, meet Me at the Fair, but that is coming up Tuesday on the Couch Critic, where every movie gets its close up.
Speaker 1:Hello. The screens will glow, but we'll go only movies know. Popcorn's popping. It's time to stay. Let's escape with Cinema Saturdays. So grab a seat, let the credits play. We'll see you next for cinema saturdays.
