Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts Blu-ray Movie Review

Action figures sold separately. Batteries not included...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown May 11, 2015

It's tempting to dismiss Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts as a feature-length toy commercial. I nearly did. It has all the trappings of an animated TV pilot; one designed to peddle action figures, plastic Batmobiles and play sets, all while devising excuses to put Batman in various armors and suits equipped with launchable projectiles, press-button features and light-up doo-dads. But beneath all the tiresome toyline tie-ins is a colorful, borderline enjoyable nod to the light-hearted DCU animated series of old. Though aimed squarely at the kiddies, it even dabbles in enough nostalgia to rope in parents, particularly those on the hunt for a more family friendly alternative to DC's recent rash of dark, bloody New 52 shared universe movies. Is it very good? Not really. Will kids notice? Of course not. That's your curse.

Another storm is brewing in Gotham, but this time it's not only raining cats and dogs but evil Cyber Animals. When the city is plagued by a slew of bizarre crimes committed by the animal-inspired villain squad, The Animilitia -- Silverback (Keith Szarabajka), Cheetah (Laura Bailey), Killer Croc (John DiMaggio) and Man-Bat (Phil LaMarr) -- Bruce Wayne (Roger Craig Smith) swings into action as Batman to investigate. These animalistic villains bring new and exciting challenges for the hero of Gotham, who must find a way to bring these criminal creatures to a halt. But could the Animilitia be working for powerful businessman Oswald Cobblepot (Dana Snyder) a.k.a. The Penguin? If so, how do The Penguin's robotic Cyber Animals fit into the mix? It'll take the combined forces of Batman, Flash (Charlie Schlatter), Green Arrow (Chris Diamantopoulos), Nightwing (Will Friedle) and Red Robin (Yuri Lowenthal) to figure it out and stop Gotham's latest menace.

Batman Unlimited lacks the ferocity and finesse of DC's typical animated productions. The action is more stilted, the one-liners and puns more prevalent and un-bear-able, and the super-powered fisticuffs peppered with strange pauses and poor timing. It isn't unwatchable by any means. Kids under nine will eat it up, even if the current crop of Cartoon Network DCU animated series are flashier and more fun. But, for better or worse, it does harken back to a simpler, sillier era of superhero cartooning, when DC's animated heroes and villains shared far more in common with Adam West's Batman than Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight. Producer/director Butch Lukic and writer Heath Corson's treatment of Batman's friends and foes won't exactly excite everyone either. Flash is dramatically under-powered and underutilized, Nightwing and Red Robin are fairly useless by movie's end, and the villains are decidedly old school, with little to offer in their latest incarnations that hasn't been done a dozen times before.

By contrast, Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-11) catered to all ages, threw its weight behind every ounce of camp, and was a genuine joy to follow from week to week. Far from the expendable, kid-centric series many mistakenly assumed, its animation and writing were sharp and inventive, serving up heaps of laughs, comicbook nods, and clever spins on familiar characters. (May it rest in peace. It was taken from us too soon.) Batman Unlimited feels as if it's been unearthed from the dusty depths of the Warner Animation vault, and even then it doesn't play like a particularly good movie. There are some inspired bits; a few solid run-ins and dust-ups too. But not enough, and none as memorable as they could or should be. Animal Instincts shouldn't be dismissed as a feature-length toy commercial, but it's perfectly reasonable to label it as one. There's a palpable sense that marketing played as much of a role in its development as anything else.

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Blu-ray release of Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts features a capable 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that's only hindered by a few inherent anomalies, chief among them mild, intermittent banding. Otherwise, the animation is as crisp, colorful and clean as it should be. Splashes of color are bright and bold, primaries pop with toy-aisle punch, black levels are inky and satisfying, and contrast is consistent. The animators' line art is fairly sharp and largely free of aliasing too (with only a handful of shots being the exception), while the movie's CG-animated elements aren't prone to any serious issues of note. Add to that the fact that significant macroblocking, ringing and other eyesores are MIA and fans of DCU animation can breathe a sigh of relief.

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts' sound design may be less cinematic than its DCU Animated Original Movie cousins, but Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track still gets the job done and the job done well. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, despite a prevailing sense that the voicework isn't quite as grounded in the soundscape as other effects and explosions. LFE output, though, is robust at all times, rear speaker activity is decently enveloping, and the soundfield is surprisingly engaging, considering how many scenes are built around front-heavy conversations. The mix dutifully captures the power and punchy oomph of everything thrown its way too. The results are more in line with DC's television productions, but will kids care? Should you care? Nah. The action takes welcome advantage of every channel, offering a loud, bombastic string of super-powered kicks and punches, engine wheens, energy shield thrums, and bestial roars. If you enjoy Animal Instincts, you won't have many complaints about its lossless mix.

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Penguin: High Society Criminal (HD, 13 minutes): While it touches on Oswald Cobblepot's comicbook origins and early appearances, this talking-heads featurette isn't as insightful or extensive as many of the featurettes included on Warner's DCU animated releases. Decent but not essential.
• DC Nation Shorts (HD, 25 minutes): Ten DC Nation shorts are included, among them "Justice League of Animals: Snack Run," "The Bat Man of Shanghai: Cat Woman," "TBMS: Bane," "TBMS: Bat Man," "Plastic Man: The Bat and the Eel," "Super Pets: Jokes on You," "Super Pets: Have Your Cake and B'Dg It Too," "Super Pets: The League of Just Us Cows," "Super Pets: Krypto vs. Streaky" and "Super Pets: World's Finest Bark."
• From the DC Comics Vault (HD, 46 minutes): Two episodes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold are also available: "Super-Batman of Planet X!" and "Gorillas in Our Midst."
• Trailers (HD): Promos and trailers for Teen Titans Go!, LEGO: DC Superheroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League and Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest round out the supplemental package.

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

DC still doesn't seem to have a handle on its animated properties, though it's to be commended for continually diversifying its brands, offering new takes on familiar heroes and villains aimed at fans of all ages. Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts is a decent TV pilot at its best, a tiresome toy commercial at its worst, but it at least doesn't rehash the same material ad nauseum. Kids will have a good time. Adults, not so much. Instead, might I humbly recommend giving Batman: The Brave and the Bold a try. It's an oft-overlooked family friendly Batman adventure that's actually worth your time. If you go with Animal Instincts, though, you'll at least be treated to a solid Blu-ray release. With a striking video presentation, strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a nice selection of DC shorts and select episodes, the BD combo pack justifies its price tag.