'Batman Vs. Robin' Review- A Mushy Mix Of Two Arcs
This movie was released in 2015.
Batman Vs. Robin is the fifth entry into the DCAMU. Directed by Jay Oliva, it combines elements of the “Court of Owls” with the “Born to Kill” arcs.
After a disturbing encounter with Dollmaker (Weird Al), Damian aka Robin (Stuart Allen) is tempted to kill him but is beaten to the punch by Talon (Jeremy Sisto), an assassin for the Society of Owls. The society is a secret one that once controlled Gotham City until the Wayne family stopped them. They are planning a takeover of Gotham City and only Batman (Jason O’Mara), Nightwing (Sean Maher), and the new Robin can stop them.
However, Batman is unsure if he can trust his violent son, wondering if he will cross that line. Likewise, Robin wonders if Batman is the right parent to raise him. This leads to an epic battle between father and son, but more importantly Batman versus Robin.
This film is something else. It combines elements from two, maybe even three story arcs to build its plot. This sort of made it feel convoluted at times, especially if you had read them all like me.
Honestly, “Court Of Owls” needed its own film, not some combination. I would have liked to have seen the entirety of the arc, even if Tim Drake does not appear to exist in this film franchise, Batman, Nightwing, and others could take on the Talon army.
Its main flaw is Damian. He is not a good Robin and it is annoying that DC Comics keeps trying to force him on the fans. I do not know why they have some weird fetish of seeing Batman get beat up by his sidekicks. It is uninspiring and I find it boring.
Despite all of the negative, the movie is actually enjoyable. It brings Batman back to his dark core and was not afraid to show that scarier side of Gotham City. That aspect of it was impressive and that combined with its incredible animation made it worth watching.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the voice cast. Everyone does an excellent job and brings their characters to fruition. O’Mara was a good choice to portray Bruce Wayne and does excellently. Sisto was also a good choice to voice Talon. I was not expecting that as he did a poor job voicing Batman in a previous animated film. The appearance of Weird Al Yankovic was unexpected but very fun. As an aside, it was awesome to hear Kevin Conroy portray Thomas Wayne.
Bottom line, Batman Vs. Robin has a lot of hang-ups, but it is overall a decent film in the DC Animated Film Universe. “Court Of Owls” needs its own film, but I still thought it was enjoyable.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Gruesome images, language, violence
FAVORITE QUOTE: You’re the world’s greatest detective! Figure it out!
Check out the trailer below:
That is my review. What did you think? Let me know in the comments below and tell me if there’s a movie, anime, or TV show you’d like me to review.