Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013)

Movie · 2013 · Science Fiction, Action, Animation, Mystery · 1h 18m · PG-13 · English

Curator score: 8.2/10 (150.9K ratings)

Justice returns... vengeance returns... redemption comes to Gotham.

Overview

Batman has stopped the reign of terror that The Mutants had cast upon his city. Now an old foe wants a reunion and the government wants The Man of Steel to put a stop to Batman.

Ratings

Director

Jay Oliva

Production

Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation, DC

Cast

Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, David Selby, Michael Emerson, Mark Valley, Grey DeLisle, Frank Welker, Dee Bradley Baker, Michael McKean, James Patrick Stuart, Maria Canals-Barrera, Gwendoline Yeo, Danny Jacobs, Townsend Coleman, Michael Jackson, Bruce Timm, Tress MacNeille, Paget Brewster, Gary Anthony Williams, Conan O'Brien

Curator Review

Verdict

A muscular, operatic finale that pays off the grim, aging-hero premise with big set pieces, sharp ideological clash, and a genuinely satisfying endgame. It’s especially rewarding if you like serious superhero storytelling, comic-book violence, and a version of Batman that feels mythic rather than sleek.

Best for

  • Batman fans who want a darker, more adult take
  • Viewers who enjoy ideological hero-vs-hero conflict
  • Fans of animated action with comic-book scale
  • People who like bleak but cathartic finales

Skip if

  • You want light, quippy superhero fun
  • You dislike grim violence or political edge
  • You prefer polished live-action spectacle over animation
  • You haven’t seen Part 1 and don’t want to jump in mid-story

Overview

This is the payoff half, and it knows it. The movie leans into the full weight of Frank Miller’s apocalyptic Batman vision: old bodies, old grudges, public spectacle, and a city that feels like it’s one bad decision away from collapse. It’s less about mystery than momentum, pushing toward a final collision that gives the whole duology its bite.

Worth noting

What makes it work is the scale of its conviction. Batman is treated as a legend who has outlived the era that made him, while Superman becomes the ultimate test of whether power can still be moral. The animation is blunt rather than delicate, but that suits the material: huge figures, hard lines, and a sense that every punch is part of a larger political argument.

Bottom line

It’s not subtle, and it doesn’t need to be. The film is built for viewers who want their superhero stories to feel mythic, bruising, and a little unhinged. If Part 1 set the table, Part 2 serves the meal and makes sure you remember the aftertaste.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Will (3.5★) · 990 likes

What’s with the big boobed nazi woman?

Jordan Gerrard (5★) · 897 likes

FUCK SUPERMAN

George Carmi (4.5★) · 632 likes

Batman on a horse. Still peak.

adambolt (4.5★) · 493 likes

Batman and Joker in the tunnel of love = relationship goals

Silent J (5★) · 309 likes

Alright Nolan...THIS is how you end the era of The Bat. It shouldn't just end with a bang (at the bottom of the ocean), it should end with a nuke...with some laughter and a boyscout in the mix to add to the spectacle and give you that feel that not only is this the end, but "Shit just got real."

Recommended similar titles

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

1993 · Animation, Crime, Mystery · 1h 16m · PG · Curator 7.9/10 (239.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Max

A top-tier animated Batman story with noir atmosphere, emotional weight, and strong action.

The Dark Knight

2008 · Action, Crime, Thriller · 2h 32m · PG-13 · Curator 9.8/10 (7.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Max

For viewers drawn to Batman as a serious, morally bruising urban myth.

Batman Begins

2005 · Drama, Crime, Action · 2h 20m · PG-13 · Curator 7.3/10 (3.6M ratings) · Where to watch: Max

A grounded origin that treats Batman’s mission as a disciplined, psychological crusade.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

2016 · Action, Adventure, Fantasy · 2h 32m · PG-13 · Curator 0.7/10 (1.7M ratings) · Where to watch: TNT, TBS, tru TV, Max

Directly overlaps with the Batman-Superman ideological collision and operatic scale.

Watchmen

2009 · Mystery, Action, Science Fiction · 2h 43m · R · Curator 5.1/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Max

For the deconstructionist superhero angle and the sense of heroes as political symbols.

V for Vendetta

2006 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 2h 12m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (2.2M ratings)

Shares the comic-book political intensity and the clash between individual resistance and state power.

The Crow

1994 · Fantasy, Action, Thriller · 1h 42m · R · Curator 7.2/10 (552.6K ratings)

A brooding revenge fantasy with gothic mood and a tragic, mythic hero.

Blade Runner

1982 · Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller · 1h 58m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (2.3M ratings)

For the bleak urban atmosphere, aging bodies, and philosophical weight under genre spectacle.

Akira

1988 · Animation, Science Fiction, Action · 2h 4m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (989.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Big, destructive, adult animation with apocalyptic momentum and iconic visual force.

Ninja Scroll

1993 · Fantasy, Animation, Action · 1h 34m · NR · Curator 7.8/10 (38.4K ratings) · Where to watch: HiDive

A violent, stylized animated action film with a hard-edged, adult tone.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

2018 · Animation, Action, Adventure · 1h 57m · PG · Curator 9.6/10 (5.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

A standout comic-book animation that balances visual invention with character-driven stakes.

The Incredibles

2004 · Action, Adventure, Animation · 1h 55m · PG · Curator 8.9/10 (3.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus

A superhero story about aging, relevance, and the burden of being exceptional.

Topics

superhero, animated action, comic-book adaptation, dystopian, grimdark, ideological clash, vigilante, apocalyptic, adult animation, 1980s-inspired

Open Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013) on Curator TV