New To Blu: Batman vs Robin

Batman vs Robin hits blu-ray shelves this Tuesday. Find out what we thought.

"I'm about to choke the brat
out of you!!!!"

Regardless of the fact that Jay Oliva has directed some of my favorite, and arguably very best, DC animated films, I wasn't expecting much from Batman Vs. Robin. It just didn't do much to interest me. Fortunately, BvR kicked a lot of ass in the ways that count most.

Typically, action scenes are rather stiff in Western animation when compared to the superior Eastern styles. While BvR doesn't employ an overly dynamic visual panache like, for example, the Japanese, you'll find the hand-to-hand combat scenes plentiful, intricate, and satisfying. The action is as equally standout as the story which directly informs purpose to the melee conflicts. This is one of the very best DC animated flicks as far as action is concerned, and might arguably be the best one so far.

If it weren't for the story, however, this would just be a big dumb fun excuse to watch the most skilled characters in the Batman universe beat each other to a bloody mess. Based loosely on the highly acclaimed Court of Owls, though changing quite a lot from the comics, still retains the heart of the story. The young Damian Wayne is undergoing a lot emotional turmoil between his dark upbringing and fighting both literally and psychologically with being a son to the most notorious vigilante in the world. Bruce Wayne is just as torn with being an inexperienced and unprepared father to a highly disturbed child. The plot is mature, focused, and has very little of the corniness usually present in these films. Thankfully, Jay Oliva treats the material seriously and has released yet another great entry into the DC animated roster.

"This is my evil sidekick, Owl Bitch."

At the end of the film, you're left with an open-ended, yet fulfilling conclusion and thirsty to jump back in to see the miss-it-if-you-blink swift details of the combat sequences. Keep your eyes peeled because there are some incredibly delightful little moments in the film that raise the bar just a notch higher than it needed to be and helps to make Batman Vs. Robin one of the very best entries into DC's animated line.




J.G. Barnes