Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1Based on Frank Miller's acclaimed graphic novel, this intense and visually inventive two-part animated film tells the story of an alternate future for Batman. Although the Dark Knight is retired from crime fighting, Gotham City still needs its hero. In part I, after the death of his protégé Jason Todd, billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne was forced to retire from his Batman persona. Now, ten years later, Gotham City is overrun with crime and terrorized by a gang known as the Mutants. When the 55-year-old Wayne finds out that former district attorney Harvey Dent, also known as the villainous Two-Face, has gone into hiding, he is driven to don the cape and cowl again to battle the crime epidemic. After Batman rescues her, 13-year-old Carrie Kelley dresses as Robin and helps the aging Batman prevail in a violent conflict with Dent and the Mutants.]]> Amazon.com Frank Miller's groundbreaking Dark Knight Returns story arc is capably translated to a two-part, feature-length animated film, with the first installment serving as introduction to Miller's brooding, violent take on the venerable comic book hero. Actor Peter Weller (RoboCop) does a fine job as the aged Bruce Wayne, lured out of retirement to take on the Mutants, a vicious gang of criminals waging a terror campaign in Gotham City. Their brutal methods inspire the Batman to take an equally hard-nosed approach to crime fighting, which draws criticism from the powers that be and praise from the general public, especially 13-year-old Carrie Kelly (Ariel Winter of Modern Family), who becomes the new Robin. Director Jay Oliva and writer Bob Goodman ably condense the first two issues of the Dark Knight story arc into a 76-minute feature that preserves much of Miller's tone; the cast also provides the proper degree of vocal grit, with standout turns from Michael McKean, Gary Anthony Williams, and Michael Emerson in a brief but memorable bit as one of Batman's longest-running foes. Extras are limited to a preview of the second installment of The Dark Knight Returns, which when combined with the quality of the first part, should bring viewers back for the final go-round. --Paul Gaita