Son of Batman (2014)
Do not get discouraged by the overly comic-book beginning of Son of Batman. It gets better from there and wraps itself up nicely.
The supervillain Deathstroke (voiced by Thomas Gibson) has killed Ra's Al Ghul in an attempt to take control of the League of Assassins. Two people stand in his wife, Ra's daughter, Talia Al-Ghul (Morena Baccarin), and her son, Damian Wayne (Stuart Allen). Talia leaves the boy in the care of his father, believing Batman/Bruce Wayne (Jason O'Mara) will keep him safe.
The beginning is where the film is at its weakest. Multiple scenes look good but don’t hold up under scrutiny. No matter how augmented or skilled, I never buy anyone blocking more than one or two bullets with a sword but apparently, no-name ninjas can block them like snowballs thrown in slow motion. Seems Superman's not the only one "faster than a speeding bullet". Until Batman shows up, there are multiple “What?” moments ranging from ninjas preferring ancient weapons to guns, objects who are quiet as long as they’re off-screen, and other action clichés that will make you wonder if Damian Wayne's first movie appearance will be a total bust.
Then, it starts getting good. You’re used to seeing Batman and Robin as partners, friends, and father/son. When the dynamic duo are actually related by blood, they can hardly stand each other. It’s the whole Dick Grayson thing flipped on its head. This Robin has all of the training already. It’s his attitude that needs to be tempered. That's good but what's beneath the surface is even better. You can tell Damian wants to be loved and that a piece of him is missing. He’s been trained to kill from the time he was old enough to walk. He’s never been a kid. He doesn’t even know what a kid is supposed to be like.
Under the Red Hood featured the kind of action that only animated films can deliver balanced with strong themes of guilt and a desire for redemption. The same applies here. Rather than get another appearance by the usual Arkham inmates like Two-Face and the Joker, we get Dr. Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat (voiced by Xander Berkeley) and it's a new interpretation of the character. That’s what fans want to see; interesting twists on the familiar material that keeps the essence of classic stories but find a way to remain fresh. The side characters are also utilized. Even familiar faces that have just a few lines (such as Nightwing or Alfred Pennyworth) leave a nice impact.
Aside from the opening act, the film's only other weakness is that this could've been more than just one movie. Why not adapt "Son of the Demon" to build up the complex relationship between Batman, Ra's, and Talia? There was no need to rush into it. Then again, this story does stand on its own so you may not share this sentiment.
Though the beginning of Son of Batman tries too hard to be awesome by throwing logic and physics out the window and Talia Al Ghul's design is overly and unnecessarily sexual, you'll be able to move past them. The film delivers the action, compelling story, and the human moments desired by those who have been following the direct-to-video DC Animated films. (On Blu-ray, April 9, 2015)
