Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Batman vs. Robin Blu-ray Movie Review

“Growing up is losing some illusions in order to acquire others.”

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown April 12, 2015

It's been quite a while since we've been treated to a great DCU animated original movie. The Dark Knight Returns set a new bar in September 2012 and January 2013... but then came something of a dry spell. Has it really been two and a half years since we were so collectively engrossed? So wowed? Afraid so. The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) War (2014) and Assault on Arkham (2014) were entertaining, sure, but they were also flawed (perhaps fatally so), unsure of how to replicate the Marvel Cinematic Universe's interconnected film-n-TV magic with the animated JLA on the small screen. (And with the less than popular "New 52" reboot as its basis, no less.) Son of Batman (2014) and Throne of Atlantis (2015), meanwhile, failed spectacularly on a variety of levels, dividing even the most forgiving fans into two distinct camps: The Disappointed & Skeptical and The Disappointed & Hopeful, neither particularly pleased with what have been deemed by many to be two of the worst DCU animated movies since Superman: Doomsday (2007). Only now, six movies into DC's shared DTV animation universe, are we finally, at long last seeing our first real contender emerge, and, whowouldathought, it's a direct sequel to Son of Batman.

Batman vs. Robin doesn't inject anything especially remarkable into the DCU shared universe. It simply approaches the material and characters with confidence, composure and good ol' fashioned know-how, offering a smartly scripted, hard hitting, character-driven thriller that rights many of Son of Batman's wrongs. The result isn't just a dark, cleverly crafted adaptation of a fan-favorite comic arc; one that has a keen sense of which elements from the original comic book story to alter, cut or retain. It's also a fluidly animated, action-packed tour of a secret Gotham underworld that pits father against son, ideal against ideal, principle against principle in a battle to the death.

The shadows of Gotham City are no place for a child, but then Damian Wayne (Stuart Allen) is no ordinary child. Now bearing the mantle of Robin, he blazes a headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, Batman (Jason O'Mara). While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, Talon (Jeremy Sisto), 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 adversary: each other.

One of Son of Batman's most glaring weaknesses stands tall as one of Batman vs. Robin's most unexpected strengths. Namely, little Damian, the titular Robin, whose 10-year-old frame and preadolescent rebellion masks a fearless warrior twice his age and far deadlier than any boy this side of fourth grade. Expanding upon the search for identity introduced in the first film, the sequel's Damian finds himself at a more intriguing crossroads, struggling to please an unpleasable father while adopting a series of principles that go against his every instinct. This time around, though, director Jay Oliva and writer J. M. DeMatteis (replacing Ethan Spaulding and Joe R. Lansdale) ditch much of Son's feisty brat routine in favor of a more sympathetic, rounded, and ultimately more believable Robin, drawn toward two different worlds by two distinct voices, both of which resonate in the boy for very real, very personal reasons.

When we first rejoin Damian's adventures in pint-sized superheroics, he's mid-impulse, having stolen the Batmobile in an effort to track down a group of kidnapped children and save them from a vicious psychopath. (Dollmaker, in what's easily one of the once cheesy villain's creepiest appearances, on screen or on the page.) Damian still gives dad a call -- I'm safe, stop freaking out, I've got this -- and it's in that down to earth tussle of wills that the sequel quickly surpasses its predecessor. Damian is desperate to prove his worth; to be treated as an equal, to earn respect amongst his crime-fighting family members, to show that he belongs alongside Batman, rather than in the Dark Knight's shadow. His impatience isn't angst for angst's sake. There's a weight to his plight and a heaviness to his drive that's more adult than child, but there's a foolishness and devil-may-care arrogance that betrays his years. Though ten pushing eleven, he's positioned as a teenager fighting for independence from an overbearing father. This father just happens to let his son stay out all night, wear a mask, and beat criminals within an inch of their lives.

As for Damian's relationship with Bruce, well... Bats isn't about to win any Father of the Year awards. There's a complexity to each of the film's pairings -- Robin and Batman, Robin and Nightwing (Sean Maher), Robin and Alfred, Robin and Talon, The Court and Batman, The Court and Talon, on and on and on -- that's seemingly at odds with the budget-bound 80-minute runtime. Normally that would border on being too short, a problem The Dark Knight Returns bypassed by splitting into two 75-minute halves. Here, it's aggressively but deliberately paced, with far more character beats, knock-down drag-out dustups, and fat-trimmed storylines that the usual DCU animated movie has the time or screenwriting wherewithal to juggle. Like the excellent Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), Batman vs. Robin doesn't waste a minute on anything that isn't integral to the story or heroes' development, even when that means surgically removing entire characters and subplots from the Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo/Jonathan Glapion "Court of Owls" arc. (The Pennyworth family backstory has been completely eliminated.) The movie lifts its best scenes from the original 12-issue comic run, but isn't beholden to it, wisely weaving a solid, compelling tale that functions, yes, as an adaptation with plenty of fan service, but more importantly as its own entity within the DCU animated movie-verse, whatever the cost.

Sometimes, though, that cost is too neat-n-tidy. Batman vs. Robin falters in its third act with an assault on the Batcave (complete with a shotgun-wielding Aflred and a lumbering Bat-mech) that throws everything at the wall to see what sticks. It doesn't help that spoiler alert the villainous Court goes down much too easily, and, in the case of the movie's Big Bad, in a manner that doesn't track with the climactic fight or the monologuing that precedes it. It doesn't kill the story -- any more than Damian's ability to knock around hulking men and trained assassins with his four-and-a-half-foot tall fisticuffs -- but it comes as a bit of a letdown. Still, it almost, almost climbs to the level reached by the finest DCU animated movies. The question is, will future shared-universe projects follow suit? Or revert to Son of Batman and Throne of Atlantis mediocrity?

Batman vs. Robin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Batman vs. Robin features a solid 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video presentation, although you probably already know what comes next, so let's get that out of the way first. Yes, there are relatively minor instances of banding and hints of faint macroblocking throughout the movie, each caused by dynamic lighting techniques applied to the animation; most, if not all of which traces back to the source rather than Warner's encode. They don't amount to significant distractions -- significant being the key word -- but they haunt the skies and backgrounds, and are hard to miss once they're on your radar. Aliasing isn't entirely uncommon either, despite being limited to CG elements (sharp-edged vehicles being the prime offender). Thankfully, it's a lesser anomaly that's tough to spot in motion and fairly negligible on the whole. Otherwise, the encode delivers. As dark and dreary as the moonlit Gotham streets and shadowy underbelly of the city are at times, colors remain strong, contrast and saturation are dead on, black levels are deep and inky, and the animators' line art is crisp and clean. It's a striking image, with enough punch and power to offset any small disappointments.

Some fans will roll their eyes at yet another review that mentions banding and macroblocking, having shrugged their shoulders and accepted both issues as par for the animated course. (Still others simply have difficulty seeing what the rest of us can't seem to overlook. And believe me: I often wish I couldn't see any of it. It would make enjoying these presentation much, much easier.) The challenge is once again determining a video score, and once again comes down to subjective comparisons between the various DCU animated releases. Batman vs. Robin's point of comparison: its issues aren't nearly as prevalent or irritating as those in Throne of Atlantis, which earned a 3. Thus BvR's 4 out of 5. Some of you would go higher, some lower. But we've been here more than a dozen times before, so the methodology at least shouldn't come as a surprise.

Batman vs. Robin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track benefits from Batman vs. Robin's string of thrilling, bone-cracking action scenes, from beatdowns to chases to fistfights to nightmares to all out assaults on the Batcave. LFE output is big and brawny, with welcome weight that brings serious oomph to every rib-snapping kick, jaw-slacking uppercut, shotgun blast, engine roar, mech attack and climactic battle. Rear speaker activity is just as aggressive, though a bit less consistently so (the culprit being the sound design rather than the lossless track). Undead ninjas stream in from all directions, bullets and knives ricochet from channel to channel, fear toxin hallucinations flood the soundfield, and the environments are quite immersive, especially once the baddies dispense with talking and try to settle their differences with Batman via violence. Directionality is commendable, pans are smooth, and the experience is engaging all around. Voices are clear and intelligible at all times too, without anything in the way of notable prioritization mishaps. All told, Batman vs. Robin offers a lossless track worthy of its brutal, bloody action.

Batman vs. Robin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary: DC Entertainment's Creative Director of Animation Mike Carlin, director Jay Oliva and producer James Tucker touch on setting, time period (in relation to other DCU animated movies), the evolution of the heroes since Son of Batman, color palette and other fundamentals from the get-go, before offering insight into everything from the adaptation to the script, voice casting, fight scenes, themes and more.
• Gotham City's Secret: The Mythic Court of Owls (HD, 31 minutes): "Beware the Court of Owls that watches all the time..." begins this surprisingly lengthy, in-depth exploration of the Court of Owls, the secret society's sudden emergence in the "Batman" comic books (despite, as conceived, existing for hundreds of years), their connections to Bruce Wayne, Gotham's role as a city and character, and more. Participants include DC Comics writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, "Burning the Midnight Oil" author Phil Cousineau, DC Comics editor Bob Harras, and Batman vs. Robin producer James Tucker.
• The Talons of the Owls (HD, 14 minutes): A look at the Court's assassins -- Carlin describes them as ninjas on steroids -- tasked with hunting their ultimate prey: Batman. Snyder discusses the Talons through the decades, Cousineau talks about their mythology and symbology, Capullo focuses on their run-ins with the Dark Knight and his design of their costumes and weapons, and Tucker delves into their appearance in the movie.
• Sneak Peek: Justice League: Gods & Monsters (HD, 11 minutes): An extended first look at the recently revealed Justice League: Gods & Monsters, an Elseworlds tale from Bruce Timm in which Superman is the son of General Zod and Batman is a vampire.
• From the DC Comics Vault (HD/SD): "The Color of Revenge!" from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, "Old Wounds" from Batman: The Animated Series, "Obsession" from Superman: The Animated Series, and "Auld Acquaintance" from Young Justice.
• Merrie Melodies: Super-Rabbit (HD, 8 minutes): A classic Merrie Melodies short starring Bugs Bunny.

Batman vs. Robin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Batman vs. Robin marks a big improvement over Son of Batman, with a tighter story, more engaging heroes, deadlier villains, more intriguing character dynamics, higher stakes and more striking animation. It doesn't quite rise to the level of greatness of the best of the DCU best, but it comes close enough to earn a solid recommendation. Warner's Blu-ray will please fans too, thanks to a solid video presentation, excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a well-crafted selection of special features.