Batman vs. Robin (2015)
Batman vs. Robin. Don't let the terrible title fool you. It's among the best of DC's direct-to-video Animated films. It isn’t really about Bruce Wayne / Batman (Jason O'Mara) going toe-to-toe with his son Damian/Robin (Stuart Allan). A much better title would've been “Batman and the Court of Owls” but let's dig into the review proper.
A sequel to the 2014 Son of Batman, the story begins with the dynamic duo at odds. Damian was raised to be an assassin, Batman is trying to convince him to use nonlethal force. Their relationship is further strained when it becomes clear that Batman does not trust his son. When Talon (Jeremy Sisto), the chief assassin of the mysterious Court of Owls, extends a hand to Damian and immediately relates to the boy, the temptation may be too much.
This sequel is even better than the first. The relationship between the father and son provides drama to compliment the action provided by the terrific villain. Much of this interesting dynamic comes from Damian Wayne, a terrific addition to the Bat Family. Firstly, we have the strained relationship between Batman and Robin. Bruce Wayne grew up without a father, and wants to be there for his son. We want to see them working as a team - they’d be unstoppable together. Unfortunately, things are understandably complicated between them. Batman doesn’t trust his son not to kill. Damian resents his father for not believing in him. They’re both being jerks by not setting aside their feelings and reaching out to the other but you can see why they act the way they do.
The relationships make the characters feel fuller than you'd expect. Alfred (David McCallum) and Damian relate to each other differently than Batman and his butler do. As Bruce's first "son", Nightwing (Sean Maher) also relates to them differently than anyone else. The story's inevitable conclusion is a given - most genres have a formula we come back to because that's what we want to see - but these relationships keep you guessing. The players do not feel as though they're at the story's mercy. They move within it at their own pace.
It’s all nice that we have these heroes with emotions. We'll care for them when put in jeopardy and rejoice when they triumph. But what about the antagonist? Talon is compelling but the one who struck me immediately is an incredibly creepy serial killer the crimefighters encounter at the beginning of the film. In any other film, the character voiced by "Weird Al" Yankovich (that's right) would be the main villain. He’s got a great look, a cool backstory and is pure nightmare fuel but he's just a sidebar. Talon's the star, a baddie that is destined to endure and become a new favorite among comic book fans.
When stories who haven't yet proved their worth by remaining popular years after they've ended are chosen by Warner Bros. Animation as the subject of their next project, I become apprehensive. Are these stories REALLY worth highlighting, or are they just pushing the new hotness? In this case, they've recognized a story full of rich characters and intrigue. You'll need to watch the other films in the series to fully grasp how great it is but they don't run long and if this is the one you're building up to, it's well worth the effort. (On Blu-ray, June 3, 2020)