Batman vs. Robin – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

Batman vs. Robin is a decent movie which feels like a few episodes of the animated series mashed together.

Director: Jay Oliva
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Characters & Story

As Damian (Stuart Allan) adjusts to living with Bruce (Jason O’Mara), it isn’t without struggle. For one, Damian is a headstrong young man raised by an assassin, Ra’s Al Ghul, so Batman’s whole “Justice not vengeance” belief is very difficult for him to follow. Especially as Al Ghul’s training combats with Bruce’s in his mind. Though his training combating the life Bruce is offering him really becomes a tough decision as Talon (Jeremy Sisto) comes into his life and offer him the opportunity to take justice into his own hands and deal it be any means necessary.

Leading to Damian, ultimately, trying to decide between going down the path of his grandfather, Ra’s Al Ghul, his father, Bruce, Talon’s, or perhaps creating a unique path of his own.

Praise

Though, after watching the film, I realize this is part of a film series, as I watched I was badly wishing Gotham could take a note from this movie. If only because their Dollmaker was creepy and sort of cool, the whole “Court of Owls” thing was awesome, and Damian I found to be a likable character who perfectly balanced the complexity of the two sides.

Something I wished Gotham could learn from for while this movie certainly has the occasional campy moment, it honestly seemed better written than what a lot of Gotham offers. Gotham comparisons aside, considering the quality of this movie, I definitely feel compelled to see Son of Batman after watching.

Criticism

If you, like me, walking into this thinking this was some random Batman movie, you may feel a bit lost as to what is going on. Which, thankfully, doesn’t last for long, but it will make anyone who hasn’t watched more than perhaps the movies, and a handful of the other properties of the Batman franchise, a little lost.

Outside of that, though, the only thing I truly didn’t get was why Bruce and Nightwing seemed so close in age? For, again, I’m not a huge Batman fan, but I was under the impression Dick Grayson was around Damian’s age when he became Bruce’s ward.

Overall: Worth Seeing

Movies like this make me wish I was more strongly into Batman and X-Men when I was a kid, as well as their comic book properties. For Batman vs. Robin is the type of film which makes you want to read the source material, in a good way, and perhaps be more than a casual fan. Which I say knowing that if you were to read the original property it would probably make watching this frustrating. However, as a casual fan, I found this entertaining, it made me further interested in the mythos which is Batman, and it definitely reinvigorated my interest in Batman media.