BATMAN VS. ROBIN Review

I am not a fan of Damien Wayne. The character has been nothing short of an unlikable brat and basically just there to be an edgier Robin. He wasn't the only reason why Son of Batman was more on the average side however. That film, while of course entertaining, is definitely one of the weakest animated Batman films due to mediocre story progression. There was some hype for the sequel because it would be, partially anyway, adapting the famous Court of Owls arc from the comics. For some odd reason however they decided to title this one "Batman vs. Robin." The title didn't make sense then, and it still doesn't make sense now. Nonetheless, VS. is a far superior watch to its predecessor.

The shadows of Gotham City are no place for a child, but Damian Wayne is no ordinary child. Now bearing the mantle of Robin, he blazes a headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, the Batman. While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, Talon, who leads him on a life-altering course through the depths of Gotham's secret society known as the Court of Owls. It's a dangerous journey that will force Batman and Robin to face their most dangerous adversaries... each other!

Naturally, the film starts out with Damien going against Batman's orders. It's extremely hard to find this character likable since every time he's on screen he's either a) going against Bruce or b) hurling insults. The story does an okay job developing him as a character however, which deserves praise. Sadly, the short run time of 74 minutes is sometimes felt. For example, Damien almost right away following Talon came off as unrealistically fast. Perhaps the most glaring thing is when Samantha is revealed to be the grand-master of the Court. Bruce is never made aware and that entire romantic subplot feels wasted and forgotten.

It seemed like based on interviews the writing was really trying to make aware that this was not a "Court of Owls" adaption, rather it uses elements from the arc. Interestingly, the final product is quite the opposite. It's actually an adaption while forcing Damien into the story. I for one was thrilled to see it go down like this. But it should be noted that the title doesn't make sense. It really should have been called "Batman - Robin: Court of Owls." The two do of course fight, and it's well choreographed, but it doesn't justify the title. (Though, perhaps the purpose was to lure in people whom might not know what the Court is. After all, who wouldn't pick up a film called "Batman vs. Robin?")

The story begins with a rather creepy intro, which is appropriate since the Doll Maker is quite a surreal character. I must give props to "Weird Al" Yankovic for delivering a fantastic voice portrayal of the villain. Talon was a highlight, as he was in the original comic. We're treated to some intriguing backstory establishing who he was. The dialogue he has with Damien throughout is interesting to listen to. The climax with him in the cave was intense, though his actions seemed a bit out of whack. With the Court destroyed he went to finish off Batman. I suppose one could make an argument that he still wanted to take out Batman so he could be the crime fighter in Gotham. Nonetheless, his actions seemed rather moot without the Court in the background.

Nightwing, like in the previous film, was a welcome addition. His brief scenes just further shows that a story centering around him and Batman would be far more engaging than a Damien team-up. (How Damien managed get the upper hand on Nightwing the world may never know.) Alfred is given a fantastic role, reminding Bruce that sometimes we just need to have a little faith. The fight scenes, as usual, are very well-done. From Batman's fight against the un-dead Owls to Damien's battle with Talon in the climax, they offered some impressive visuals. Not knowing how much of an adaption the film would be to the comic, I was surprised and thrilled to see the infamous hallucination sequence adapted. We rarely get to take a look inside Batman's head and see his fears, so like in the comic it was interesting. The soundtrack is definitely solid; there's a certain level of theatrical quality the themes bring to the table.

Overall, BATMAN VS. ROBIN is far superior film to its previous installment. The story is better, the pacing is better, the fights are better, everything is better. As a partial Court of Owls adaption it succeeds. It even somehow manages to Incorporate Damien's story into the arc. It is however not perfect, and nowhere near the quality of greats such as Under the Hood and The Dark Knight Returns, but is still a very entertaining watch. As long as you refrain from attacking the screen due to Damien's infuriating character, you will be engaged from beginning to end.

Batman: Assault on Arkham Review

Assault on Arkham was a pretty intriguing announcement. The Batman Arkham games are critically acclaimed for their gameplay and story, so one would assume that one day DC would make an animated adaption of them. Instead of going that route, the company decided to add another installment into the series. The games have some of the best characterizations of Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn, so it was fantastic to see the film utilizing this universe. Assault is a very good watch, though one has to wonder why the Suicide Squad is featured so predominantly to the point of making Batman a guest star. (Maybe to hype the new comic series?)

When the government teams up a group of supervillains with the code name Suicide Squad and forces them to break into Arkham Asylum to bring back top secret information the Riddler has stolen, Batman soon becomes involved. But things go from bad to worse when one of the Squad (Harley Quinn) frees the Joker, who has the means to not only blow up the asylum, but most of Gotham City as well.

Joker is technically the main villain by the end, but he isn't featured on the cover or mentioned in the summary on the back, interesting. Without prior knowledge, it would gave been a cool surprise. So based on the description above you would think you'd have this film down. It plays out pretty different than you'd expect. The first scene is great for a few reasons. Besides Matthew Gray Gubler's standout portrayal of the Riddler, the scene where Batman battled a government guard comes to mind instantly. Not only is the fight well choreographed, it perfectly mimics the style from the games. After that the film gets better or worse depending on your liking of the Suicide Squad. Since this is only a 76 minute film, there's not going to be much time to introduce six characters that, outside the hardcore comic audience, people have no idea who are. To be fair what we get is pretty good; every character is distinct from one another. The thing is...do we to care?

Most people buying this film will fall under two camps: the first being players of the Arkham games looking for something before Arkham Knight next year, and people who just love a good Batman film. The climax is the most exciting part because Batman and Joker feature predominantly. While the Suicide Squad is far from bad, by the end it's unknown exactly what happens to some of the few that don't get their heads blown off. We have no idea what happened to Killer Frost or Captain Boomerang. Deadshot and Harley Quinn are really the only ones in the climax that do anything. Still, it's commendable that the characters were introduced and made distinct in such sort time.

Batman's portrayal is a perfect rendition of his self from the Arkham games. Kevin Conroy as expected delivers a fantastic performance. Thankfully the title character becomes a primary focus in the climax. There's nothing against the Suicide Squad, but most viewers are picking this up for Batman, and every scene he's in doesn't disappoint. While it takes a bit for the Joker to leave his prison cell, when he does the film becomes 10x more epic. The games are known for their fantastic portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime. For some, it's the definitive version. Troy Baker from Arkham Origins reprises his role, and it's fantastic, arguably the standout performance. The Joker commands every scene he's in. Another plus is that he actually fights. He is rarely seen having an extended fight scene from anything, so it was great to see this. (And fighting a character other than Batman, that battle was one of the highlights.)

The soundtrack is unique, considering the universe the film is in. The games are pretty dead serious, yet a lot of the music here is pop rock. Still, it isn't bad, just unexpected. The other part of the soundtrack features good themes, such as the very soft choir when Joker escapes. The climax of the film features a breakout of the Arkham inmates. Somehow the film managed to squeeze this in. It is a bit rushed, since Bane, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and among others are among the escapees. Amidst the chaos is when the Suicide Squad is put to the side after being the primary focus. While perhaps not wrapping up that great, it's still a pretty exciting scene, especially for Batman fans.

Overall, Assault on Arkman is a very fun watch. It successfully brings the fantastic Arkham game universe onto the small screen. Both Batman and the Joker are great, easily one of their best animated portrayals yet. (It is a bit disappointing that the two of them didn't get much back and fourth dialogue.) For better or worse however this is more of a Suicide Squad movie with the Batman/Joker conflict taking the focus near the end. The team is established nicely, though one has to imagine just how much better the film would have been without them.