Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
The newest entry into the DC Universe from Warner Bros Animation is Batman VS Robin, a direct sequel to last year’s Son of Batman. Batman VS Robin continues the story of Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul, raised as an assassin, and dropped into Batman’s life as a violent and unruly teenager.
This newest entry in DC’s animated universe is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Warner Bros. provided their Deluxe Blu-ray Giftset for review which includes the Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy, as well as a small Batman figurine.
The very concept of Damian is an interesting twist on the Batman/Robin dynamic. Rather than an adopted ward who looks up to Batman, we have a blood relative, a son, who lashes out much like a real child would but in much more extreme ways. This father/son angle gives Batman VS Robin a fresh and unique perspective on an otherwise traditional Batman story. The film is a loose adaptation of Scott Snyder’s Court of Owls story, which was introduced during DC Comics’ “New 52” relaunch four years ago.
The Court of Owls is an elite and clandestine group, who are discovered to have been influencing Gotham from the shadows for years. To enforce their whims the court uses “Talons,” enforcers outfitted in Owl outfits not unlike Batman’s. While they share the same goal of eliminating crime, their methods include cold blooded murder. When Damian Wayne gets caught between the leader of the Talons and his father, decisions must be made that will change his life forever.
In keeping with DC’s other animated entries, Batman VS Robin is a hard PG-13; this cartoon is not for children! Who it is for are teens and adults who are looking for fantastic action and a grim gritty take on Batman. While not among the best of DC’s animated offerings, it is a fun a well done addition. With great action set pieces that are wonderfully choreographed, Batman VS Robin is non stop thrills from beginning to end. It also may be in contention for one of the most violent of all their animated films. I counted at least two dismemberments, three beheadings, eight exploding bodies, and a minimum of eighty (yes, eighty!) variations on stabbing and or impaling, and frankly these numbers are probably conservative. The animators really wanted to push the boundaries of a PG-13 rating in animation and they succeeded. The only negative to the movie would be the casting. While not terribly miscast, the actors have a lot to live up to with these roles. They do an adequate job but nothing about their performances is particularly memorable or iconic, they just get the job done and for this feature that’s good enough.
While not for small children or the faint of heart, anyone who is a modern comic book fan or a fan of the previous DC animated films would do well to run out and pick up a copy of Batman VS Robin today!
The film is presented in beautiful 1080p high definition with a 5.1 audio mix. As with most animated films, it looks fantastic on Blu-ray, with deep black levels, crisp lines and colors that pop off the screen. The audio mix is also very nicely balanced, dialogue is easy to hear, the music and sound effects won’t blow out your speakers while still having some oomph. It’s the kind of disc that really shows off your home theater system. The Blu-ray set also includes the following special features.
- Gotham City’s Secret: The Mythic Court of Owls Featurette (31:25) — Some nice background interviews on the Court of Owls comic’s origin and inspirational points for the film. Features both the filmmakers and the comic writers.
- The Talons of the Owls Featurette (14:03) — In-depth look at the comic book Talons and their comparisons/contrasts with Batman.
- Batman VS Robin Audio Commentary from the crew.
- From the DC Comics Vault: 4 Bonus Cartoons — Episodes from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Batman: The Animated Series, Young Justice, and Superman: The Animated Series.
- Presenting a Merrie Melodies “Blue Ribbon” short: Super Rabbit — A classic Bugs Bunny Cartoon.
- A Sneak Peek at DC Universe’s Next Animated Movie: Justice League: Gods and Monsters (11:08) — An extended preview for the next DC animated feature.
The figurine included with the gift set is a bit unimpressive. It looks more like a cake topper than a display piece. Unless you’re dead set on owning it, the regular Blu-ray set is a better buy.
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